The Ruins of Trenton

Joseph Santiago, Trenton's ousted police director, has ordered all Trenton Police Department employees who are either targets or witnesses in an attorney general's office probe of the use of performance-enhancing drugs within the department to make themselves known to Internal Affairs.

The order came in the form of a memorandum dated August 11, 2008, coinciding with multiple media reports that stated that the officers targeted in the investigation have been served with so-called "target" letters and have been saddled with deadlines for cooperation, under threat of criminal indictments.

"Any sworn or civilian personnel notified that they will be called upon to testify as a witness against any other Trenton Police sworn or civilian employee shall likewise document this fact to the Internal Affairs Bureau Commander within 5 days of being notified that they have been designated as a witness," wrote Mr. Santiago.

The probe stems from an out-of-state investigation of human growth hormone sales that revealed the identities of some purchasers as Mercer County law enforcement personnel. It has been handled by the FBI, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, and Attorney General Anne Milgram's office at different times.

Mr. Santiago, who was recently ordered to leave his post for violating the city's residency law, fashioned an order that seems to suggest that the department's leadership is completely in the dark about the investigation.

For some reason, it looks like the attorney general's investigators have decided the best course in this case is to provide department leaders with little information about the investigation.