Morris County prosecutor finds no criminal conduct in Dover police call-recording allegation
DOVER, N.J. (Morris County) — A Morris County Prosecutor’s Office investigation has found no evidence that members of the Town of Dover Police Department illegally intercepted phone calls through the municipal complex’s Voice over Internet Protocol system, despite allegations raised by high-ranking town officials.
The Prosecutor’s Office Professional Standards Unit on Wednesday released the findings of its criminal and internal affairs investigation, making the normally confidential material public “to promote transparency and ensure that the community has access to information that ensures accountability, trust, and integrity in policing.”
Officials had alleged that Dover police superior officers used administrative access to the town’s VoIP system to surreptitiously monitor phone conversations from all municipal extensions. Investigators determined that no criminal activity occurred and that only one person — the department’s Internal Affairs lieutenant — had administrative permissions to access the system’s call-recording storage.
Once prosecutors determined there was no criminal conduct, an administrative internal affairs investigation began in accordance with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Internal Affairs Policy and Procedures. The investigation found the lieutenant exonerated, meaning the alleged conduct did occur but did not violate any law, regulation, directive, guideline or agency policy.
“To be clear — the actions taken by the Lieutenant were found to be consistent with applicable law and established professional standards,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.
System Design and Access
The town’s VoIP contract, approved under a previous mayoral administration in November 2023 and implemented in early 2024, explicitly included call-recording capabilities. Each incoming call to a municipal extension, including the police department, played a recorded warning that the call may be recorded. Police personnel were also notified internally that all incoming and outgoing calls would be recorded. It remains unclear whether civilian employees were given the same notice.
Investigators found that the version of the system purchased by the town could not separate police extensions from civilian extensions. Because of this limitation, all recorded calls were stored together. Prosecutors noted that a more expensive version of the system — which could have separated the recordings — was offered to the governing body but was not selected.
Because civilian employees could not be given access to recordings that included confidential law enforcement communications, a sworn police officer had to maintain administrative control. Only the Internal Affairs lieutenant was granted permission to retrieve recordings, which he did approximately a dozen times, each for an official purpose such as police investigations, internal affairs matters, or Open Public Records Act requests.
The investigation also found that the VoIP system lacked any live-listening or “whisper” function, making it impossible for any employee to eavesdrop on real-time conversations.
Town Officials’ Knowledge
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, several high-ranking Dover officials hired under the current mayor were aware of the system’s recording capabilities. That included the director of professional standards and cybersecurity and the town’s two most recent business administrators. In addition, the town council approved monthly payments of $4,600 for the VoIP service.
Prosecutors also emphasized that no police official, including the Internal Affairs lieutenant or the police chief, selected or installed the system. The lieutenant “had no power or voice in choosing, purchasing or installing the system” and served only as the person assigned to manage access to recorded calls.
Oversight and Transparency
The Prosecutor’s Office notified the New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability upon receiving the complaint, and OPIA authorized Morris County to proceed with the investigation. Prosecutors said OPIA received regular updates throughout the process.
“This Office takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and is committed to ensuring transparency, accountability, and public trust,” the Prosecutor’s Office said. “We appreciate the public’s patience while this matter underwent a complete and impartial evaluation.”
The office said it remains committed to serving Morris County “with integrity, professionalism, and respect.”
