New council member a former police chief who was convicted of theft
SOMERS POINT — In a unanimous vote Thursday, Jan. 28, City Council appointed former law enforcement officer Ken Adams to replace Ward I Councilwoman Stacy Ferreri, who resigned last month one year into her tenure.
Adams, 60, is the former chief of the Northfield Police Department who was indicted in October 2002 and charged with seven counts, including official misconduct and theft of $3,420 in federal forfeiture funds. A jury found him guilty July 1, 2004, and he was sentenced to five years in state prison.
Multiple members of City Council not only said they were aware of Adams’ past but defended their vote. Adams declined to comment about that period.
Adams had a meteoric rise and fall, starting as a patrol officer in October 1988 and being named chief of the neighboring department in February 1998. Four years later he was indicted and two years after that behind bars. His employment with the city ended July 12, 2004. His final contract paid him a base salary of $89,000 in 2003, according to the Northfield City Clerk’s Office.
“It was such a lot time ago,” City Council President Janice Johnston said. “I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a good person and will be good for the city of Somers Point.”
Councilman Howard Dill, who has two sons on the SPPD, said he had heard “two to three stories on what transpired” and that Adams “still maintains his innocence.”
“I’ve known Kenny for 10 years. He’s always been an upfront, good person,” Dill said, noting Mayor Jack Glasser worked with Adams on the Northfield P.D.
“Personally, I think he’s paid his dues. I trust him, he has government experience and can add a lot to our council. I’m comfortable with my vote on everything I know about him,” Dill said.
Councilman Sean McGuigan, who also has a son on the SPPD, said he was not familiar with the details but was aware that Adams had been convicted of a crime.
“Ken is a sharp man, very intelligent and very hard-working,” McGuigan said. “He obviously has made mistakes in the past but he has paid for those mistakes and, to the best of my review of his life since those mistakes, I feel he has been rehabilitated. He paid his debt to society and I look forward to his tenure as a city councilman.”
Councilman Joseph McCarrie said he “heard there was something in his past” but that he did not know the details, noting it happened before he moved to the region.
“I understand he has been a good citizen and I didn’t see any reason why I wouldn’t vote for him,” McCarrie said. “My experience has been good with him but I know him only from recent years.”
Councilwoman Karen Bruno, the lone Democrat on the governing body, said she was not aware of Adams’ prior conviction when she voted but had no further comment.
Likewise, Councilman Mike Owen said he was aware of Adams’ past.
“He’s a good guy, the past is the past,” Owen said. “I think he is a good, stand-up guy. He has a lot to offer to the community and he does volunteer work with the hospital, which would be a good fit for City Council. He’s the stand-up kind of guy we want.”
Because Ferreri is a Republican, the Somers Point Republican Club presented City Council with three people to choose from and they picked Adams over Patrick Sean Rowan and Annmarie Luchessi.
Adams, whose father owns Ken Adams Oil based in Pleasantville, grew up in Northfield and is a 1980 graduate of Mainland Regional High School. He and his wife, Sally (Applegate), have two grown sons — Kenneth, 35, and Brandon, 32. Sally Adams grew up in Linwood, graduate from MRHS the same year and now works in finance at Shore Medical Center.
Adams said he built a house in Somers Point two years ago after raising his children in Galloway Township. He feels that his career in law enforcement coupled with his time working for his father gives him a perspective from both the public and private sectors.
Adams said he is impressed with the city’s first responders and “looking forward to helping the city move in the right direction.”
He said he hopes to meet all of the city employees soon.
“It is important we support them,” Adams said. “Over the past two years, every employee has had to go above and beyond.”
Adams said he has strong community connections and was taught from an early age to give back.
“It’s an exciting time for Somers Point,” he said, noting there is a lot of economic development going on in the city.
He said Shore Medical Center is “a hidden gem for us” and that he is “looking forward to working with the administration of the hospital to keep that relationship strong.”
Ferreri, a highly educated medical professional and veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve, notified City Council of her resignation in a letter dated Jan. 18.
Mayor Jack Glasser said she will be missed.
“I think Stacy was really great and enthusiastic, she brought a lot to the table with her career in the medical field and of course with the military,” he said. “Stacy was a very quick learner and I think she was just getting a handle on things. There’s a lot to learn even in a small town and Stacy was starting to grasp it and had a good job understanding. In her short time, she did contribute a lot to City Council.”
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
