The Union County Prosecutor’s Office will be temporarily overseeing the Fanwood Police Department following the departure of Chief Richard Trigo.

Trigo announced on Friday that he would be stepping down, effective on Monday.

The announcement came as Trigo was facing criticism for racial and sexist comments he allegedly made regarding the former Union County prosecutor and the current New Jersey attorney general.

A recording posted on YouTube titled “Fanwood Exposed” appears to show Trigo making derogatory comments about former Prosecutor Grace Park’s looks and commenting on Attorney General Gurbir Grewal’s turban. Grewal is the state’s first Sikh attorney general.

Joshua McMahon, an attorney for Trigo, told MyCentralJersey.com that the chief did not quit or resign.

“Any assertion to the contrary is categorically and demonstrably false. Chief Trigo had previously begun the process to retire on September 1, 2020 and, until that time, elected to take leave to handle a family-related health issue,” McMahon told the newspaper.

Acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo appointed Capt. Kevin Grimmer of her office to serve as the officer in charge of the Fanwood Police Department.