Roger Martindell, Princeton Borough Council
Recent public disclosure of the Princeton Borough Police Department’s internal affairs logs shows a steep increase in misconduct charges against borough police and paints a picture of substantial conflict within police ranks. The disclosure raises an oversight question: how does the borough’s governing body intend to oversee borough police in dealing with the misconduct and conflict within the department?
The misconduct and conflict cost the borough hundreds of thousands of dollars in pay for suspended officers, focused police administration on internal investigations rather than community policing, and led to the termination (voluntary and involuntary) of numerous trained professionals who will have to be replaced at great expense to the taxpayers.
Will mayor and the council address these issues and, if so, how and when? One way the governing body might provide oversight is to address such specific questions as:
• What is the nature and extent of the conflict within the ranks and how has the conflict affected the efficiency of the department? Has the conflict affected public safety and, if so, how? Has the conflict made it more difficult for the borough to retain police officers? Will the borough administration conduct exit interviews of recent former police officers who voluntarily left the force to learn their views concerning the conflict?
• Should the borough’s administrative code be amended to change the rules regarding who decides to suspend an officer and who decides to suspend the officer with or without pay? Or who decides whether or not to proceed with administrative charges during a county prosecutor’s investigation? Or who decides to charge an officer with a crime (as opposed to merely allowing an officer to resign employment) and who advocates for the victims of officers who committed crimes?
• Should borough government be more active in informing the public concerning internal affairs investigations and what channels should the borough government use in disseminating such information? And what should be the schedule of disclosure so that the interests of accused officers are appropriately balanced against the interests of the public in knowing how their police operate?
The police have the largest budget of any borough department. Police operations directly affect public safety and police officers (who have more contact with the public than any other borough employees) should represent the moral high ground of the community. Therefore, internal affairs investigations showing police misconduct and conflict within the department is of great concern to everyone.
The borough governing body has a special responsibility to lead the community in self-analysis to address misconduct and conflict within police ranks.
What oversight does the governing body intend to provide?
Roger Martindell, member
Princeton Borough Council

