Snoozing Trenton Police Officer Suspended

Officials have suspended a police officer in Trenton after a photo of him asleep in his patrol car was posted online.

The photo of Trenton Police Officer Richard Takach was taken by a passerby.

City Police Director Ralph Rivera Jr. tells The Trentonian having a sleeping officer in uniform, in a patrol car and carrying a gun is “dangerous to the city whether the officer is working or not.”

Takach’s lawyer, Stuart Alterman, tells the newspaper the 12-year veteran of the force was “not on city time” and needs to work additional hours because of living expenses.

The Trentonian says Takach worked  26 hours straight. He worked a side job from 12noon until 5PM on Tuesday, then went back on duty from 5PM-3AM. He went to another side job at 3AM and was still working when he was suspended

Private companies pay the city to hire officers who want to increase their salaries.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)