Members of council say they need more study time
By: Jake Uitti
ROCKY HILL The Borough Council chose not to vote on the interlocal agreement with the South Bound Brook Police Department regarding police services Monday, citing the need for more study.
Instead, it is anticipated that the council will take action at its next meeting. The discussion, however, raised the issue of police dispatching and 911 emergency call efficiency.
The interlocal agreement, which is very similar to the contract that has been in place between the two boroughs for the last three years and states that the South Bound Brook Police Department will be responsible primarily for traffic enforcement in Rocky Hill, was not voted on because the council had not had ample time to review it, members said.
The contract has been under scrutiny by residents in the area because of a reported carjacking incident that occurred outside of Rocky Hill in neighboring Franklin Township, where a South Bound Brook officer allegedly did not come to the aid of a victim who was being assaulted because the officer was in the midst of writing a traffic summons.
Since the incident, the victim, 86-year-old Sol Davidson of Princeton, died from a stoke resulting from a blood infection, his wife said.
Councilman Brad Merritt, who said he needed more time to review the contract, used Monday’s meeting to question South Bound Brook Police Chief Robert Verry, who was in attendance, about the police services his department has been providing.
Mr. Merritt, who said he was pleased with the service South Bound Brook has been giving the borough to deter speeding, asked Chief Verry how the borough ought to ensure a "level of quality and scope" of services in other words, how the borough can address possible shortcomings in service provided by the department.
Mr. Merritt offered the hypothetical question, "If an officer is on a motor-vehicle stop and someone comes up to him and says there’s a life-and-death situation, that someone might be hurt, is the (South Bound Brook) officer going to put the summons book away and go help that person in Rocky Hill?"
Chief Verry explained that in some cases the officer would drop the summons book and help, noting that it is up to Rocky Hill to point out what it wants of South Bound Brook, given the interlocal agreement.
"It depends on whether or not we’re going to leave the scene worse or not," the chief said, adding, "as long as the situation is secure and safe, we would leave, and we have before."
Chief Verry explained that South Bound Brook would "hold" and "secure" the situation until the State Police, who are responsible for security in Rocky Hill, could arrive.
The interlocal agreement states that the chief of police in South Bound Brook sets the operating procedures for officers in Rocky Hill depending on the circumstances, Albert Cruz, the borough’s attorney, said.
This, however, raised the question of 911 calls, and whether the county dispatchers and the State Police know when South Bound Brook police are in Rocky Hill.
When South Bound Brook police are in Rocky Hill, Chief Verry said, Somerset County dispatchers know. But, Mr. Merritt said, if someone were to call 911 from a cell phone, the call would go to the State Police, who might send a trooper to respond not knowing there is a South Bound Brook officer there.
The same problem occurs, Mr. Merritt continued, if someone calls the State Police’s nonemergency number.
Chief Verry said he would look into the problem and try to resolve it.
If there are any questions, he added, residents can e-mail him at [email protected].

