ROGER A. FORSTHOFF
Roger is a life-long member of Bergen County recently retired as a sworn law
enforcement officer from the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office where he worked
for 22 years in various roles. Both prior to and during his employment with the
Hudson County Prosecutor's Office he served as an active duty member of the
United States Air Force starting in 1978 and later with the Defense Intelligence
Agency (DIA) and the United States Air Force Active Reserves. Roger is a
veteran of the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War Desert Shield/Storm where he
briefed over 2000 combat aircrew missions on world-wide strategic intelligence
issues. He retired as a Master Sergeant in 1999.
Roger began his law
enforcement career in 1988, where he achieved the rank of Detective Lieutenant.
During his tenure with the Prosecutor's Office, he served as a Criminal
Investigator concentrating on homicide and major crimes where he eventually
supervised the homicide, suspicious death and sexual assault Crime Scene
Investigation Unit. Roger conducted and participated in over 500 homicide,
suicide, suspicious death-related, and sexual assault crime scene
investigations, and over 150 autopsies. In addition to his field duties, in
1995, he was appointed Director of one of New Jersey’s State- mandated Forensic
Laboratories.
Along with his law
enforcement duties Roger provided education to numerous individuals. Since
1998, he has been an adjunct instructor at Fairleigh Dickinson University School
of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies in Teaneck where he designed and taught
courses in Criminal Investigation, Crime and Forensics, and Serial Killer
Analysis. He continues that endeavor today. Roger is also a New Jersey State
Certified Police Training Commission instructor and served as an instructor for
numerous workshops and training sessions for academia, high school and
university students, hospital and emergency healthcare personnel, numerous
police sponsored community policing bureau Citizen Police Academies, as well as
local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Roger was on the
faculty of the New Jersey State Police Crime Scene Investigation School and was
a guest instructor to the FBI's Newark Field Office Evidence Response Team. He
continues to provide community outreach as a speaker on various topics including
violence, bullying, drugs, guns, and the forensic sciences to a variety of
audiences. Roger has appeared on Court TV’ “I, Detective” and Comcast’s “Hudson
County Law.” He had contributed to various published and non-published works,
including RELIGIOUS TERRORISM- The Investigation of Ritualistic Crimes
and CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION- A COMPENDIUM.
Roger graduated from
University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Forensic
Science and the University of Maine majoring in Criminal Justice. Roger is a
member of the International Association of Identification (IAI), The American
Society of Crime Laboratory Directors- Lab (ASCLD Lab), The New Jersey
Association of Forensic Scientists (NJAFS), The International Association For
Property and Evidence (IAPE Certified P&E Specialist), The International
Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, The International
Association of Forensic Nurses, and The International Association of Healthcare
Safety and Security (IAHSS Certified Officer.)
He was the past
president of the Leonia Volunteer Ambulance Corps and past member of the Leonia
Volunteer Fire Department. Roger is also an Eagle Scout and Life-member of the
National Eagle Scout Association of the Boy Scouts of America.
Roger has undertaken and continues to expand and apply his law enforcement and
forensic related knowledge and skills as a Certified Security Operations Officer
at the Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck.
Conference Schedule
