The Chief of the Palisades Parkway Police Department (NJ) has been arrested on drug charges.

According to a report in the Bergen Record, Michael Coppola was arrested on Thursday on charges of attempt to possess cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Coppola was recently suspended after he used an incentives program in order to entice his officers to make more arrests and give out more tickets. Coppola apparently gave out $200 meal allowances, prime parking spots and new police cruisers to the officer who doled out the most number of arrests and tickets each month.

The investigation also found that the department routinely violated a policy regarding police pursuits. The policy states that officers cannot chase someone for a motor vehicle violation alone. But the probe found that out of 41 police pursuits, 36 were in violation of this policy.

The Palisades Police Department have a long history of harassing Hatzolah ambulances as they transport patients from Monsey / New Square to Manhattan. The Parkway Police have in the past refused to allow Hatzolah to treat patients injured in car accidents, despite the fact the the victims themselves called Hatzolah for assistance. The Department has issued summonses to a Chaveirim volunteer for changing a flat tire inside a rest area on the Parkway as well.

BREAKING: Michael Coppola, the chief of the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Dept In NJ, was arrested Thursday on drug charges. pic.twitter.com/XMBX3HW5f8

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 9, 2018

(Charles Gross – YWN)