Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres and police director Jerry Speziale spent about half-week attending the New Jersey Policemen’s Benevolent Association convention in Las Vegas, Nevada which ran from September 19th to 25th.

When asked about his trip on Thursday afternoon, Torres said, “It’s none of your business.” He argued he is entitled to his vacation.

“Why do you care where I went?” said Torres when asked where he went. When asked whether he was out attending a conference, Torres said, he was on vacation. When pressed further, Torres said he visited the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon.

Torres took leave from the city from Saturday, September 19th through Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015. Business administrator Nellie Pou served as acting mayor in his absence.

Torres said he was out of the city for three days. Speziale attended the convention from Sunday, September 20th through Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015.

Both Torres and Speziale said they covered their own expenses. Torres said no city money was expended on the trip to the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas.

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) through its memorandum of understanding, conditions attached to state financial assistance, bars city officials from using municipal monies to fund out-of-state trips without approval from Trenton.

Torres returned to his office on Thursday, September 24th, 2015.