Port Authority Suit

Thirty seven police candidates are suing the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for their jobs. The federal lawsuit in Newark alleges the desire of agency commissioners to make patronage appointments led to the cancellation of their 1997 training class. The candidates are asking for their jobs, back pay and unspecified compensatory money. The Port Authority candidates were never offered jobs. Governor Whitman in September scrapped a two-month-old patronage policy that had allowed commissioners to make appointments to the police academy. Whitman said public safety should come before favoritism.