Florham Park Borough
Florham Park certified a breath-alcohol tester as prevention, a training shed as defibrillation equipment and DARE merchandise as a drug take-back day, and has run its police National Night Out on settlement money since 2024.
Published 09/25/2026 · Updated 10/03/2026
TLDR
- Florham Park bought an Alcotest 9510 breath-alcohol instrument for its police for 19,445.50. It told the State the purchase was a prevention program. The report names the problem as driving under the influence.
- It built a training shed at the range for 15,945.22 net and reported it as "additional defibrillation equipment."
- It certified 8,356.30 as a National Drug Take Back Day. The journals behind the figure paid for DARE merchandise, a police leadership course and officer CPR training. Only 987.50 was take-back overtime.
- The police department asked in writing that the money be returned to its own budget lines. Nine days later two journals moved 7,588.30 onto the settlement account.
- The FY2026 report certifies the 13,316.00 paid for the 2025 National Night Out as a prevention and treatment program. Its own goal statement calls the event "a fun community event."
- Of 114,109.32 the account has paid, this project classifies 8,250.00 as conforming, one school speaker. Drug take-back is a listed use, but the 987.50 of take-back overtime paid back a cost the police overtime budget had already carried.
Summary
Florham Park Borough, Morris County, reported receiving 137,565.22 in opioid settlement money, with interest, through 06/30/2025. The settlements fund programs that address the opioid epidemic and give a non-exhaustive list of uses in Exhibit E. The list covers treatment, recovery, connection to care, prevention and harm reduction. Nearly every use must be an evidence-based or evidence-informed program. The money must add to what a town already spends, not replace it.
The Borough's settlement account, 02-213-41-793-000, shows 114,109.32 paid net through 09/10/2026 and 500.00 open. The payments are a breath-alcohol instrument, defibrillators, a training shed, CPR manikins, three reimbursement journals for police costs, and three years of the police department's National Night Out. One payment, 8,250.00 for a speaker at the middle school, is classified as conforming.
The Borough's reports to the Department of Human Services label the breath tester as prevention and the shed as defibrillation equipment. They count spending that posted after the year closed, count one defibrillator order in two years, and certify an encumbrance for purchase orders that did not yet exist. Read the Borough's findings.
The breath tester
The FY2025 report certifies a new program named Alcotest Equipment. The recipient is the Police Department. It is funded at 22,822.50 with 19,445.50 expended. Its primary category is Primary Prevention, Education, and Training.
The same page names the problem as "Driving under the influence." It describes the program in one line. "The equipment measures blood alcohol levels." It puts the number of clients at 0 and leaves its performance measure blank.
The ledger shows purchase order 88157 to Draeger Safety Diagnostics for an "Alcotest 9510 System - New Jersey," paid by check 44855 on 12/12/2024. The Draeger vendor history shows the order at 22,822.50, with 3,377.00 charged to a second account, 02-213-41-745-021. It also shows Alcotest calibration, certification solution and mouthpieces paid from police line 229 in every year from 2018 to 2025.
No opioid program using the instrument is documented. Breath-alcohol testing is not among the uses Exhibit E lists. Certified a breath-alcohol tester as prevention.
The training shed
The FY2025 report updates the Defibrillation Equipment program with 25,970.55 spent in the year. It gives the reason as "We purchased additional defibrillation equipment." Under performance measures it says "We purchased training equipment and built a shed to perform the training for first responders."
| Vendor | Ledger description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Floor Mats | Training Shed Flooring at Range | 3,889.32 |
| Dollamur Sports Surfaces | Training Mats for Shed at Range | 5,393.00 |
| Home Depot | PD Shed project, six invoices less a return | 4,649.47 |
| SHI International | TV and wall mount for training shed | 1,236.43 |
| Breninger Communications | Install TV, sound bar, sound bar mounts | 777.00 |
| Training shed | 15,945.22 | |
| Lifesavers | Prestan CPR manikin instructor pack | 3,996.00 |
| Reimbursement | Podium and sound bar for a TV | 143.93 |
| V E Ralph and Son | Defibrillators, already certified in FY2024 | 5,885.40 |
| Certified update | 25,970.55 |
The items make the certified figure to the cent. The only defibrillators in it are the ones the Borough had already reported the year before. No overdose program using the shed is documented. Reported a range training shed as defibrillation equipment.
The FY2024 report certifies those defibrillators at 5,885.40 under Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention. It calls them "First Responder Equipment needed if someone is in heart distress." Purchase order 87004 paid for them once, on 08/15/2024. Both reports count them. The two reports certify 92,691.72 spent through 06/30/2025. The account paid 86,806.32. Certified the same 5,885.40 defibrillators in two years.
The take-back day
The FY2024 report certifies a program named National Drug Take Back Day at 8,356.30. It describes "a day when anyone can drop off drugs to our Police Department with no questions asked." Three journals make the figure to the cent.
| Journal | Posted | Ledger description | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 260 | 06/28/2024 | To set-up interfund for National Drug Take Back-Police OT | 6,600.80 |
| 266 | 06/28/2024 | To set-up interfund for National Drug Take Back-Police OT | 987.50 |
| 278 | 07/11/2024 | To reimburse Police for CPR Training | 768.00 |
| Certified | 8,356.30 |
The Borough produced the support for the journals. For journal 260 it is four invoices. Three are for DARE workbooks, DARE graduation T-shirts and a DARE banner, 1,821.06 together. The fourth is a NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police invoice for a "Foundation for Exec Ldrshp" course for four attendees, 4,780.00. For journal 278 it is an online continuing education renewal and two officer course receipts.
Only journal 266, 987.50 of overtime, is described in the support as take-back cost. The other 7,368.80 is DARE merchandise, a leadership course and CPR training. Certified DARE gear and a leadership course as take-back.
Money sent back to the police budget
The support for journals 259 to 266 opens with an email of 06/19/2024. Joseph Orlando forwarded purchase orders "totaling $6,600.80 for various DARE items purchased and for Command Staff Executive Training" and a list of take-back overtime totaling 987.80. A 2026 Borough payment to Nonna's Restaurant, for "lunch for retired Chief Joseph Orlando," identifies him. The email says:
"If you think any of this fits please return the $6,600.80 to our operating budget line 229 and the overtime to our overtime budget."
Nine days later, on 06/28/2024, journals 260 and 266 charged 6,600.80 and 987.50 to the settlement account. The reporting year closed two days after that. The Creative Product Sourcing vendor history shows the DARE workbooks paid from line 229 on 02/01/2024 and the DARE T-shirts paid from line 296 on 04/04/2024. DARE T-shirts went back on line 296 in 2025 and 2026. Moved costs the police budget had paid onto the fund.
What the FY2024 report counted
The FY2024 report covers 07/01/2023 to 06/30/2024. It certifies 14,241.70 spent. By 06/30/2024 the account had posted 7,588.30, journals 260 and 266. Journal 278 posted on 07/11/2024. The defibrillator order was opened on 07/12/2024 and paid on 08/15/2024. Counted 6,653.40 posted after June 30 as FY2024 spending.
The same report certifies 17,509.84 appropriated or encumbered but not yet spent. It assigns the full amount to National Night Out, funded 06/30/2024. On 06/30/2024 the account carried no open purchase order. The first was opened on 07/04/2024.
| Purchase order | Vendor | Opened | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86881 | Instant Promotion, expo frame | 07/04/2024 | 3,781.00 |
| 87095 | Kona Ice | 07/17/2024 | 1,800.00 |
| 87115 | On The Mark Graphics, t-shirts | 07/18/2024 | 6,287.00 |
| 87146 | Tommy Scoops | 07/23/2024 | 3,000.00 |
| 87238 | Pizza, cancelled 10/29/2024 | 08/01/2024 | 520.00 |
| 87239 | Florham Park Pizza | 08/01/2024 | 520.00 |
| 87240 | Angelina's Trattoria | 08/01/2024 | 441.50 |
| 87488 | Big Air Amusements | 08/22/2024 | 325.00 |
| 87535 | Creative Product Sourcing, pencils | 08/26/2024 | 835.34 |
| Certified encumbered | 17,509.84 |
These are the Borough's orders for the 08/06/2024 event, and the FY2025 report counts the eight paid ones in its National Night Out update. Every one was opened after the year closed. The orders equal the certified figure only between 09/23/2024 and 10/29/2024. Certified 17,509.84 encumbered with no open order.
National Night Out
The FY2024 report says National Night Out is "an event in August every year organized by the Police Department." Before the settlement money, the Borough paid for it from its 25-240 operating lines. The vendor histories show Kona Ice in 2021 and 2022, Bodhi Bean in 2022 and 2023, Danielle Glancey in 2022 and 2023, On The Mark Graphics in 2023 and Nonna's Restaurant in 2021 and 2023. After 2023 none of them appears on those lines for the event.
| Event | Paid from the settlement account |
|---|---|
| 08/06/2024 | 16,989.84 |
| 08/05/2025 | 13,316.00 |
| 08/04/2026 | 13,987.00, and 500.00 open |
The 2026 account print shows check 50084 to On The Mark Graphics on 08/13/2026. The vendor history splits it. 3,438.00 for FPPD Trading Cards came from police line 229. 5,583.00 for National Night Out t-shirts came from the settlement account.
That the settlement money replaced spending the operating budget carried is this project's inference from these records. The event's food, shirts and entertainment are not among the uses Exhibit E lists, and no evidence-based prevention program is documented. National Night Out moved from the police budget to the fund.
The speaker
One program is classified as conforming. The FY2025 report certifies a speaking engagement at the middle school at 8,250.00. It describes a speaker in recovery who talked to students about peer pressure and drug resistance. MJPB Consulting check 44811 on 11/21/2024 makes the figure to the cent. Middle school speaker ties to one payment.
FY2026
The State published the FY2026 reports on 10/01/2026. The Borough's report covers 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026. It certifies 13,316.00 spent, and the account's nine payments in that year make the figure to the cent. The amount and the year are right. The label is not.
The report puts the whole 13,316.00 in an update to National Night Out, the program the FY2024 report created under Primary Prevention, Education, and Training with the Schedule B strategies Treat Opioid Use Disorder and Support People in Treatment and Recovery. The update's one performance measure, the number of training or education sessions, is blank. The report's statement of the Borough's goals reads, in full, "The Mayor and Council wanted to use the funds for National Night Out which is a fun community event."
| Paid | Vendor | Item | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/14/2025 | Angelina's Trattoria | Pizza | 500.00 |
| 08/14/2025 | Big Air Amusements | Popcorn and cotton candy | 325.00 |
| 08/14/2025 | Jack Garing | DJ | 500.00 |
| 08/14/2025 | Kona Ice | Ice treats | 1,800.00 |
| 08/14/2025 | Nonna's Restaurant | Tip for 40 donated pizzas | 100.00 |
| 08/14/2025 | On The Mark Graphics | T-shirts | 5,583.00 |
| 09/04/2025 | Bodhi Bean | Ice cream | 2,008.00 |
| 09/04/2025 | Danielle Glancey | Face painting | 450.00 |
| 09/04/2025 | Tommy Scoops | Ice cream | 2,050.00 |
| Certified | 13,316.00 |
No education item was bought. Event food, entertainment and shirts are not among the uses Exhibit E lists, and no evidence-based prevention or treatment program is documented. Certified a fun community event as prevention and treatment.
What should happen
The account has paid 105,859.32 for items certified under a false label, for costs the police budget already carried, or with no documented abatement program. The Borough can restore that money to the fund and spend it on programs that address the opioid epidemic.
The State relies on these reports to verify compliance. The Department of Human Services and the Office of the State Comptroller should examine the FY2024, FY2025 and FY2026 reports, who prepared them, and what records support them.
How this project classifies spending is set out in the methodology and the rubric. Corrections follow the corrections policy.