Proposal for a unified Princeton police department raised again

Additional strains on law enforcement as a result of gang problems prompts discussion

By: Nick Norlen
   Discussion of recent gang problems has prompted Princeton Borough Council to again voice support for consolidating the two Princeton police departments, despite a history of resistance by township officials.
   As in the past, however, township officials indicated continued reluctance to even discuss the idea after hearing that it had surfaced again at Tuesday’s meeting of the Borough Council.
   The borough pressed the township for police consolidation in both 2005 and 2006, and met opposition from both government and police officials in the township.
   The borough’s requests came after a study of the township police department recommended the consolidation of the two municipalities’ dispatch services.
   However, the report, compiled by public safety consultant Carroll Buracker, also indicated the potential benefits of a total consolidation of the two departments.
   "If the two municipalities split the costs 50/50, millions of dollars would be avoided in the future and each municipality could have tailored police services," the report said.
   At Tuesday’s meeting, borough resident Mark Freda said "neither department is big enough by itself."
   He urged the council to reconsider consolidation after hearing Borough Police Chief Anthony Federico’s monthly police report, which indicated that some borough officers had to take on extra roles to deal with the recent gang situation.
   Chief Federico said the May 7 gang-related shooting that occurred on the border of the two municipalities — and the retaliatory incidents that followed — required an added police presence in the John-Witherspoon neighborhood, as well as the reassigning of some borough detectives to patrol duty.
   Although Chief Federico said the situation has since calmed, Mr. Freda said the borough needs to look at a long-term solution — forming one police department — rather than what he called "Band-Aid" fixes.
   "My concern is that … a serious situation is going to happen in town (and) neither police department is going to be fully capable or prepared to deal with it long-term," he said. "Before that day comes, I urge you all to try to look at this again."
   While many council members indicated support for the idea, the history of the issue seemed to make some hesitant to revisit the matter.
   Councilman David Goldfarb said another request for consolidation would certainly prompt the township to tell the borough to commission its own public safety report.
   "And we’re not going to spend $100,000 on a study of our police force," he said.
   Sure enough, the borough’s commissioning of its own report was cited as a prerequisite for a consolidation discussion by Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand on Thursday.
   "I think that the borough has to pay for some information before I would say we’re going to take it on," she said.
   And because the township force has trimmed its staff since the Buracker report — with the borough hiring more officers — Mayor Marchand said she doesn’t see the benefit in consolidating the departments now.
   "I would be willing to look at (consolidation) if it’s going to save a lot of money. But I wouldn’t look at it before the borough got their act in order," she said. "And they obviously haven’t."
   Also problematic is the fact that the one police force would have to answer to two governing bodies, she said.
   Township Police Chief Mark Emann agreed.
   Although he said consolidation is "inevitable," he said total municipal consolidation should come first — "instead of trying to accomplish it piecemeal."
   He added, "Historically, the Princeton Township Police Department has been against consolidation. It even seems to be more so now. We’re a tight-knit group."
   So tight-knit, in fact, that the possibility of consolidation played into the township department’s decision to split from the borough and form it’s own Policemen’s Benevolent Association in 2006.
   Township Administrator Jim Pascale said the two departments are definitely "different animals" — and said that’s just one of the hurdles that could come with consolidation.
   Although he said a decision is up to the Township Committee, he said "governing bodies in the township have taken the position in the past that they would look toward police consolidation only as a part of a total municipal consolidation."
   Although the two municipalities share some joint boards, policing is a more sensitive matter, he said.
   "That’s a sticky wicket that I think would cause many to pause," he said. "Not to say it can’t be done. But I think there would be many concerns."
   He said the matter boils down to two main issues — quality of service and cost-effectiveness — but cited myriad other considerations.
   Nevertheless, some council members remained optimistic at Tuesday’s meeting.
   Ms. Benchley said she believes "there are ways to negotiate around" commissioning a study of the borough’s police department.
   And Councilman Roger Martindell said other avenues exist to create consensus on the issue.
   "I think the only way to get to the township to the table on an issue of concern to us is if we pool it with an issue of concern to them, and we connect the two," he said.