3 Runnemede Police Officers Honored For Apprehending Human Trafficking Suspect

Runnemede Police officers Sgt. William Sampolski, Ptlm. Robert Alexander, and Ptlm. William Ortiz, were honored at the December 6 Council meeting by Mayor Nick Kappatos, members of Council, and Chief Paul Daily for outstanding police work.

Chief Daily presented the officers with Certificates of Merit and said that on October 31, 2016 at approximately 10:45 p.m., the three officers responded to the Runnemede Days Inn for a dispute between a man and a woman. The officers’ investigation later found that the woman was being held against her will and she was being used for human trafficking along with another female, he said.

The officers’ officers investigation led to an arrest of a suspect who was charged with human trafficking, promoting prostitution, and aggravated assault.

Chief Daily stated: “These three officers went above and beyond their call of duty and later, helped that female out and got her back with her family.” The perpetrator was sent to the Camden County Jail, he said.