Joseph Ryder

#NJFilm has built a robust, collaborative system with other state agencies to support film and television productions. 🎬 This interagency cooperation is particularly evident in partnerships with the New Jersey Department of Transportation, which provides essential support for road closures, traffic management, and infrastructure access during shoots involving DOT streets and highways. Most recently, NJ Film Commissioner Janice Kovach and I helped facilitate the Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day, the UFO-themed sci-fi film scheduled for release on June 12, 2026, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Eve Hewson, and others. The production filmed extensively in New Jersey throughout early 2025, taking advantage of the state's coordinated support from multiple agencies—including key assistance from the Department of Transportation. 🛻🚚🚛 . . . . (Video: NJDOT)

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Introducing the 2025 NJ News Commons Investigative Reporting Initiative, a new program aimed at strengthening investigative journalism capabilities across New Jersey. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supports this comprehensive program, which provides eight newsrooms with professional IRE training, veteran journalist coaching, $3,000 reporting stipends, and complimentary IRE memberships over six months. Selected newsrooms will tackle critical community issues including education, fiscal responsibility, immigration enforcement, and healthcare access. The program serves diverse audiences from Spanish-speaking residents to African American communities and local municipalities. Participating newsrooms include The Jersey Bee, Montclair Local, New Jersey Hispano, New Jersey Urban News, New Jersey Monitor, Public Square Amplified, Slice of Culture, and The Trenton Journal. Each partners with experienced coaches bringing decades of expertise from major publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. #investigativereporting #journalism #newjersey #localnews https://lnkd.in/e2R2XVA4

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🚔 The 1995 Merger: From Transit Rescue to ESU In Episode 403 of Mic’d In New Haven — The E-Men: Inside The NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit — John J. Coughlin Jr. takes us back to one of the most debated transitions in modern New York policing: the 1995 merger of the New York City Transit Police into the NYPD. The move, strongly pushed by Mayor Giuliani and fiercely contested in court, reshaped departments citywide. For members of the Transit Police Emergency Medical Rescue Unit, it meant something even more personal — integration into the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit. Coughlin explains that while unions fought the merger and emotions ran high, for him, ESU had always been the ultimate goal. Others were unsure. Some resisted. But once the decision was made, many who had doubts rose to the occasion and became exceptional ESU operators. It’s a candid look at change, culture shift, and how adversity can produce growth in elite units. Outro Song: Hootie & The Blowfish - Only Wanna Be With You (1994) Listen To The Podcast: iTunes: https://lnkd.in/eQ4eNtY iHeart: https://lnkd.in/etkn-YF Spreaker: https://lnkd.in/eiTD6ed Spotify: https://lnkd.in/e4WhSv7 PlayerFM: https://lnkd.in/eznUgVq Google Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e82WDEU Amazon: https://lnkd.in/eaenQ8sW YouTube (Video Version): https://lnkd.in/eSxvEaxZ

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The SGLA is disappointed to see that the Connecticut legislature has passed SB 1235, a bill which would ban online social games with sweepstakes promotions in the state. This unnecessary and harmful move will deprive residents of popular, free-to-play entertainment, and we encourage all states to work together with operators to ensure appropriate oversight of social online games.    Read the full statement from our Executive Director Jeff Duncan here: https://lnkd.in/eAd7EYE3

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Story on how law enforcement is leveraging technology for public safety. NBC Boston Stations Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association New England Association of Chiefs of Police

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From Susan Arbetter: The NYS budget establishes a new Office of Gun Violence Prevention under the Division of Criminal Justice Services. It's mission: To prevent, reduce and address "gun violence and its consequences." It will identify funding opportunities and other resources related to gun violence prevention and will "facilitate response activities" to assist communities impacted by mass gun violence. It is also tasked to create a public awareness campaign around safe gun storage by 9/1/25.

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Attached is the New York Times coverage of DOI’s most recent report, detailing the successful and ongoing efforts to reclaim hundreds of vacant NYCHA apartments across the five boroughs from squatters, drug dealers, and other criminal elements. It’s a great example of interagency cooperation between NYPD, DOI, and NYCHA that delivers tangible benefits to NYCHA families, staff, and contractors.

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Here is my latest Wall Street Journal investigation into ICE’s street arrest tactics, forged in Boston and throughout New England. We reviewed arrest data and analyzed 130 videos showing how ICE started deploying federal agents directly into communities, with officers stopping vans, staking out courthouses, and monitoring public spaces. This approach was hailed as a huge success for the agency. A single Massachusetts operation, "Operation Patriot," resulted in nearly 1,500 arrests, which ICE proclaimed to be "the most successful operation in ICE history." This blueprint is now being replicated nationwide in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eADKU9SJ

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New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte has signed Senate Bill 300 into law, addressing a crucial gap in state legislation concerning child sexual abuse images. The newly enacted SB300 aims to enable the prosecution of certain exploitative images of children that previously fell outside the scope of existing laws. NH's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which receives thousands of case referrals annually, will now have a greater ability to combat such offenses. This legislative action marks a significant stride in safeguarding child victims and upholding justice. #ICAC #InternetCrimesAgainstChildren #SaveChildren

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Philadelphia is developing its first-ever five-year public safety plan. Community members told The Trace that the plan should include de-escalation training for police, more support for community groups, and a greater emphasis on preventing crime. Read more: https://thetr.ac/dWyGa

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A nonprofit led by former Gov. Jim McGreevey will convene experts, policymakers, and criminal justice survivors in Jersey City next month to examine untreated trauma’s long-term effects on the human brain — and what it could mean for the justice system. https://lnkd.in/ew6DHvi9

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