Jerry Speziale kicks off campaign for Passaic County sheriff on Friday

Former Passaic County Sheriff Jerry Speziale wants his old job back.

On Friday, the current Paterson public safety director kicked off his campaign for the Democratic nomination to be Passaic County’s next sheriff. An election will be held later this year, resulting from the January death of Sheriff Richard Berdnik.

"I am prepared to be the next sheriff of Passaic County," Speziale said in front of a group in Haledon. "I understand the position."

He said if elected, he would be a sheriff for "all the people of Passaic County."

"The county, which has suffered the untimely and tragic loss of Sheriff Richard Berdnik, needs someone that can deliver tried and true leadership from the moment they take office," read a statement about Friday's expected announcement. "Speziale’s outstanding law enforcement career makes him the clear choice for Passaic County Sheriff."

Speziale previously held the position until 2010, when he accepted a role at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. His departure left a sour taste with the Passaic County Democratic Organization, and his tenure at the Port Authority was marred by challenges. 

In a legal filing, Speziale alleged he found widespread misconduct among Port Authority officers but faced retaliation after bringing the issues to the attention of superiors. He resigned in October 2013 to become police chief in Prichard, Alabama, filed suit against the authority in 2014 and returned to Paterson. He has since served as the city's director of public safety.

In 2019, Speziale said he had a desire to challenge Berdnik in the Democratic primary. He went as far as collecting the necessary signatures to make the ballot. However, he said he did not want to break ranks with the state's top Democrats.

"The Democratic Party is also very important to me and the governor has helped me realize that a divisive primary battle is the last thing our party and the people of Passaic County need right now," he said in a 2019 statement.

Speziale began his career as an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent, playing a crucial role in dismantling a powerful Colombian drug cartel. He was first elected sheriff in 2001 and was reelected twice before his unexpected departure. Berdnik, a career officer from Clifton, subsequently gained the party's support, got his name on the ballot and was elected sheriff.

Speziale has roughly $478,000 remaining in his old campaign war chest, campaign filings show. Earlier in February, he filed paperwork with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission to use the fund for the upcoming primary.

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Though the first to announce his candidacy, Speziale may not be the last. Passaic County Democrats have planned mid-March committee sessions to screen candidates for the coveted party line. Chairman John Currie in a Feb. 21 statement put out a call for committed and qualified candidates to submit applications by Friday.

"Collaborating with our Democratic municipal leaders to find qualified residents interested in public service is our key objective," Currie said.

On Thursday afternoon, Currie blasted Speziale for forgoing the county Democrats' upcoming candidate screening process and putting himself above the party.

"He doesn’t even have the common decency or respect for the people who built this party and work every day towards its successes to come and share his vision," Currie said.

Executive Undersheriff Gary Giardina was sworn in as acting sheriff by Presiding Judge Darren Del Sardo of the state Superior Court the day after Berdnik's death. Giardina, a longtime resident of Wayne, has more than 45 years of experience in law enforcement and has spent the last decade in the Sheriff's Office.