PENNINGTON: Police pact OK’d

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   A new contract with the Pennington Borough Police Department was approved by a vote of the full Borough Council at meeting yesterday (Wednesday) morning. No members of the public attended the session.
   Under an enabling ordinance adopted by council at the brief meeting, the five-year police contract is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2010 and runs through Dec. 31, 2014. The department has been working without a contract since the end of 2009.
   Councilman Glen Griffiths, councilman in charge of finance who led the negotiations with the local police union, the Pennington Borough Police Association, said the new contract will result in an overall cost increase of 1½ percent annually for police services. Mr. Griffiths said that, in negotiating the contract, the objectives were “long-term savings” and maintaining “a core department of experienced officers.”
   Under a separate ordinance OK’d Dec. 5, council voted to create a new position in the police department: sergeant first class. In line to get that post is Sgt. Steve Friedman. If he gets that promotion, his salary would be adjusted after the new police contract has been implemented. Police Director William Meytrott said council is expected to promote Sgt. Friedman next month. His salary would be adjusted after the promotion is made.
   Under the new contract, two of the other three officers on the department, Douglas Pinelli and Novin Thomas, get 2 percent annual raises. Both are senior patrol officers. The other officer, Darryl Burroughs, was hired a few years ago and is still in the “step” system of pay increases. He is slated to remain in that system until the fifth year of the proposed contract, at which time he will become a full-fledged patrol officer, Mr. Griffiths said.
   Under the contract, new hires will get $1,000 to $2,000 less in starting pay than under the old contract. Their starting pay will be about $38,000 under the new contract. Mr. Meytrott recently said there about 500 unemployed police officers in New Jersey, where cities, including Trenton and Newark, have laid off police due to budget problems.
   Mr. Griffiths said Sgt. Friedman “deserves being made sergeant first class because he has ‘been a very active officer with a longstanding commitment to the borough.’” He’s assisted Director Meytrott with administrative duties and has been active in the hiring and training of new officers. “We thought it was appropriate to recognize him with a title change.”
   The police department has positions for six officers. Only four are filled. Hiring has been on hold until the new contract was signed.
   ”It’s a good deal,” Mr. Griffiths said of the contract before council voted Wednesday. “It works to help keep our core of dedicated officers. Two new hires can be trained by current officers. That’s the advantage of a core of dedicated officers, who have shown a longstanding commitment to the borough”
   Sgt. Friedman, who attended the meeting, said: “Myself and the other officers are glad this is finished. The contract negotiations were very amicable.”