TCNJ

33 SPRING 2024 Captain Frank Robina '01 New Jersey State Police In his work as a state police detective, Robina learned firsthand that not all crimes are solved as quickly as depicted on television. One cold case that Robina helped investigate ended in 2022 with the identification of a 17-year-old girl (whose body had been found in a cemetery in Blairstown, New Jersey, 40 years earlier) and the arrest of her suspected killer. The state police solved that case, which was featured on the television shows Missing and America's Most Wanted, with the aid of genetic genealogy. In fact, Robina says, the technology now used in investigative cases, especially long-cold cases, represents a major change he's seen in detective work during his 23 years with the state police. The son of a Paterson, New Jersey police officer, Robina entered the state police academy a month after graduating from TCNJ. In his wide-ranging career, he's patrolled Interstate 80 and the byways of rural Sussex County. He spent 12 years as a detective in the Major Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Bureau, investigating murders and the use of fatal force by police officers. He was ultimately promoted to Captain and oversaw units investigating major crimes and cold cases, as well as tracking fugitives and missing persons. "There is a lot to learn," he says of detective work. "It's like putting pieces of the puzzle together." Today, Robina is the executive officer of the newly formed Port Security Section, which enhances the security mission at the New Jersey ports of Bayonne, Elizabeth, and Newark. He has high praise for his state police colleagues. "We want to make a positive impact in the community and embody our core principles of honor, duty, and fidelity." MITCHELL SAYS: In television shows, violent offenses such as murder and sexual assault are typically solved within an episode. But most crimes are not even reported, and for those that are, many go unsolved. Several factors can influence the solvability of a case, including whether witnesses were present and how credible they are; what the weather conditions were; whether security camera footage is available; and what physical evidence (such as fingerprints, hair, clothing, and blood) has been collected.

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