LGBT Pride Month: Flag Is Raised At Prosecutor's Office In Freehold

Freehold NJ

02 June, 2022

3:06 PM

Description

FREEHOLD, N.J. –Bringing a message of respect for love in all its forms, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office raised a rainbow flag in honor of LGBT Pride Month on Thursday. Acting County Prosecutor Lori Linskey and her leadership team hosted the ceremony, and LGBTQ+ Law Enforcement Liaisons and prominent LGBTQ+ community leaders from across the county and state were on hand for the occasion. The flag will remain in place for the duration of June's Pride Month, the office said in a press statement. "For lack of a better word, we're all so proud to call our office a place where everyone can feel fully accepted for who they are, with no exceptions," Linskey said. "Our message to our constituents is simple: There is no place for hate in Monmouth County, but love in all its forms will always be recognized and respected here." Linskey on Thursday also marked one full year since being sworn in as Monmouth County's first woman to serve as chief law enforcement executive. "The blink of an eye," Linskey said, summarizing her term to date. "But when we take a moment to look back at what we have accomplished, we come to understand how much progress has been made in a relatively short period of time. And I am as honored and humbled today as I was a year ago to serve as leader of the remarkable team of dedicated men and women who protect and serve the people of Monmouth County." Within a little more than four months of her swearing-in, Linskey oversaw the launch of four key community initiatives, each intended to enhance the quality of day-to-day policing, countywide: the SAFE PLACE program, the LGBTQ+ Law Enforcement Liaison Program, the Police Chaplaincy Program, and Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, the press statement said. "It has become abundantly evident that there is an urgent public call for the sworn mission of law enforcement to evolve far beyond being almost exclusively limited to investigating cases and making arrests. These initiatives have constituted our response to that call," Linskey said. "We are reaching out and making connections with populations that have been traditionally marginalized and unheard, and we are ensuring that calls for service are met with compassion, humanity and understanding, all of which is directly benefitting our constituents." This has included an emphasis placed on addressing the addiction crisis currently impacting Monmouth County and the nation at large, with members of the office routinely helping to organize and participating in outreach events and initiatives over the past year. Earlier this year, the inaugural MCPO Recovery Diversion Program graduation ceremony was also held in Long Branch Municipal Court, marking the first significant step for a new program instituted to combat substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. The program substitutes peer recovery and treatment services for non-violent municipal court offenders, rather than traditional prosecution. Those who successfully complete courses, maintain contact with their peer recovery coaches, and remain arrest-free become eligible to have their charges dismissed and expunged. Linskey, a 24-year veteran of law enforcement, had previously served as First Assistant Prosecutor, from 2017 into 2021. She has also formerly held the positions of Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor and Executive Prosecutor since her arrival in the Office in 2013. Prior to that, Linskey worked for 15 years as a Deputy Attorney General in the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, ultimately rising to the position of Acting Bureau Chief. In that position, Linskey routinely provided daily advice and support to each of the 21 County Prosecutors and their employees on prosecutorial management, ethical, legal and policy issues.