Amid budgetary concerns and staffing cuts, chief issues a warning on police coverage.
By: Jennifer Potash
A study of the Princeton Borough Police Department appears to be on indefinite hold as the Borough Council wrestles with the department’s request for more manpower amid serious budgetary concerns.
Tuesday night, the four council members present voted unanimously to approve a $1.1 million bond ordinance that earmarked $104,000 for a professional study of the police department. Council President Mildred Trotman and Councilwoman Wendy Benchley were absent. The bulk of the ordinance, $1 million, will pay for road reconstruction and pedestrian improvement projects.
But following advice from Borough Attorney Michael J. Herbert, who said it was illegal to bond for the study, and a recommendation from Administrator Robert Bruschi to defer the study, the council decided it would not proceed with the police study, which would have been conducted by Virginia-based consultant Carroll Buracker & Associates.
Mr. Bruschi said the council could cancel the $104,000 from the bond ordinance at a later date.
Borough Council members Roger Martindell and Andrew Koontz both voted for the ordinance on the condition the money would not be spent for the police study.
Both councilmen said they would have cast a vote to allow the police study to proceed if the Princeton Township Committee had expressed support for a consolidated police department. The council voted 4-2 on March 1 on a resolution of support "in principle" to combine the two police departments and called on the Township Committee to pass a companion resolution.
"I conditioned my support on the Princeton Township Committee following our lead," Mr. Koontz said. "I find no indication they intend to act on that resolution. Therefore, my support for this bond ordinance is only if the money dedicated to the study will not be spent."
Mr. Martindell sharply criticized the Princeton Township Committee for not meeting with the council to discuss substantive policy issues such as consolidating the police departments.
"We have not had one joint meeting with the Township Committee that has amounted to a hoot over the last several years outside the normal budget cycle," Mr. Martindell said. "I think our communities both suffer as a result, and I would use this opportunity to challenge the Township Committee to meet with us."
Borough Councilwoman Peggy Karcher said she understood Mr. Martindell’s frustration, but asked him to consider inviting not challenging the Township Committee to a joint meeting. Mr. Martindell said he would "take that as a welcome amendment."
No member of council expressed support for continuing with the study Tuesday.
Princeton Borough Police Chief Anthony Federico, after a lengthy and detailed presentation on the department’s duties and the time spent answering different types of service calls, said he would support a study of the police department.
"I welcome the study, because I know that anyone who looks at this department will say we’re understaffed," Chief Federico said.
The chief asked the Borough Council to restore the department to 34 sworn officers and consider adding three more. Recently, the council did not fill two positions that became vacant, bringing the staffing level down to 32.
Referring to the proposed study, the chief said, "You don’t need to spend $100,000 for me to tell you that you need 37 officers."
The borough’s police department is a lean operation, and the loss of an officer from the regular rotation due to injury, illness or time off puts a strain on the department, Chief Federico said.
"So 32 officers is really 30 officers," he said.
To fill shortages created by officers on light duty one officer recently underwent shoulder surgery and another is recuperating from cancer treatments officers from the Safe Neighborhoods Unit or Traffic Units are pulled away to serve on patrol.
"My No. 1 issue is manpower," Chief Federico said. "It’s not like the private sector, where we can go out and hire a temp."
Possible cost-cutting measures would include the elimination of the drug education program in the Princeton Regional School District and curtailing neighborhood bike patrols, Chief Federico said. But he would not recommend such cuts, as the community appears to want those programs.
The council referred to its Public Safety Committee a proposal to create a third lieutenant’s position. Last month, the council eliminated the captain’s position, and those duties are now split between Lt. Dennis McManimon and Lt. David Dudeck.
Mr. Bruschi said he was concerned that a lack of supervisory officers "would be a liability for the borough."
In other action, the Borough Council approved a four-year labor pact with the Princeton Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local No. 130 that provides a 4 percent salary increase each year to the more than 20 patrol officers, detectives and sergeants in the department.