Major discipline · 2024[1]
Terminated- Rank as reported
- Officer
- Sustained charge(s)
- , Prohibited Activity on Duty, Performance of Duty, Actions off Duty
- Separated while IA pending
- No
Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
Officer Stefano Barahona was terminated by the Pompton Lakes Borough Police Department on sustained charges that included neglect of duty, prohibited activity on duty, performance of duty, and actions off duty. The record states that Barahona was untruthful during internal affairs interviews concerning another officer's investigation, and that he repeatedly denied and later admitted assisting the implicated officer by accessing restricted departmental records, providing sensitive information, and failing to report that officer's interference.
Synopsis as reported by the agency
Officer Stefano Barahona was terminated following an Internal Affairs investigation that uncovered his untruthfulness during internal affairs (IA) interviews concerning another officer’s Internal Affairs' Investigation. Barahona repeatedly denied, and later admitted, assisting the implicated officer by accessing restricted departmental records, providing sensitive information, and failing to report the officer’s interference in the investigation. These actions violated multiple departmental rules and state regulations. The investigation determined that Barahona's conduct was egregious, jeopardizing public trust and the integrity of law enforcement operations.