UPDATED
By Jen Samuel, Managing Editor
HIGHTSTOWN — There is a new police director in town.
James Le Tellier, of Lacey Township, took the helm this week as the borough’s first civilian police director.
The Hightstown Police Department has 10 law enforcement officers.
Borough Council voted 6-0 to approve a resolution to hire Mr. Le Tellier, a native of New Jersey, granting him a three-year contract, at Monday night’s council meeting.
His salary is set for $75,000 annually for 2012 and 2013; the contract calls for a three percent increase in 2014.
Mr. Le Tellier replaces acting police director Sgt. Frank Gendron, who began serving Hightstown in that capacity on Sept. 1.
Concurrently on Sept. 1, former Police Chief James Eufemia retired from the Police Department, only days after Hurricane Irene devastated the borough with unprecedented floodwaters.
Prior to leaving office, Police Chief Eufemia was paid $175,000 annually, as previously reported in the Herald.
However, an August move by the Borough Council to create the civilian police director position eliminated the role of police chief in Hightstown.
Now, a civilian with extensive law enforcement experience will oversee the Hightstown Police Department. He will report directly to the Borough Council.
Mr. Le Tellier served as a lieutenant and division commander for the Lacey Township Police Department prior to retiring in 2005.
Mr. Le Tellier is the first person to permanently fill the borough’s relatively new police director position. The Borough Council approved the position with a 3-2 vote on Aug. 15.
"She’s happy for me,” Mr. Le Tellier said of his wife, Deborah, on Monday night.
Mr. Le Tellier applied to the position of police director back in September.
"It feels very good,” he said.
The Borough Council interviewed the final three candidates in special executive session meetings Jan. 3 and Jan. 5.
Mr. Le Tellier said the process had been very positive.
Now the police director of Hightstown, he said he hopes to move the Police Department in the right direction with the community.
Mr. Le Tellier spoke with the Herald on Tuesday evening after his first day on the job.
"I met a number of the officers and staff,” Mr. Le Tellier said. “I was very impressed by their openness.”
He continued, “They all ensured me (of) a good working relationship.”
Prior to making any recommendations to the Borough Council, Mr. Le Tellier will spend time assessing the Police Department.
"(At) this time of the year, the budget is a main priority,” he said.
Mr. Le Tellier stated that he is also looking at things that need to be put in place post Hurricane Irene.
As previously reported in the Herald, the floodwaters of Hurricane Irene destroyed the former Police Department facility adjacent to Borough Hall at the end of August. The Police Department then temporary relocated to 413 Mercer Street.
As for future goals, said Mr. Le Tellier, “I have a very strong background in community policing and that’s the direction I want to help lead the department.”
Mr. Le Tellier explained that community policy is the idea of involving residents, municipal government, business owners, clergy members, civic and social organizations, and volunteers to combat crime, reduce fear of crime, to prevent crime and improve the quality of life for the residents.
"It’s my intention to attend all council meetings,” Mr. Le Tellier said. “I plan on being very active in the community.”
As part of the August ordinance, which created the police director position, one of the three sergeants on the force will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant. That person would then be responsible to report law enforcement issues to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
After Monday’s council meeting, Mayor Steven Kirson described the police director role as one with limited law enforcement duties and said it is a “strictly administrative role.”
Back in September, the Police Director Search Committee was formed.
It was composed of Borough Administrator Michael Theokas, Borough Council President Larry Quattrone, Councilwoman Selena Bibens, and retired Cranbury Police Chief Harry Kleinkauf, who is a member of the Hightstown Engine Co. No. 1.
Mr. Theokas said on Thursday that the committee received 56 resumes for the police director position. The committee members reviewed each resume received and followed the qualification guidelines set forth in the police director ordinance.
"We were very pleasantly surprised with the quality (found in the) resumes we received,” he said, adding that it was “a very tough decision.”
By November, the resumes were narrowed down to 12. The committee, which met frequently, then began interviewing those candidates in person.
"The process took several weeks,” Mr. Theokas stated. “We used the same basic questions for each applicant.”
Mr. Theokas continued, “From those 12, we came up with a group of three people who we considered finalists (who) we were prepared to present to the entirety of council.”
Mr. Theokas said, “Generally speaking, with the qualifications being as strong as they were, we were really looking for the right person at this time.”
Mr. Le Tellier was selected as that “right fit” for the borough.
He holds a master’s degree in administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University as well as a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Thomas Edison State College. Mr. Le Tellier is a graduate of the West Point Command and Leadership Program.
"You get a really good idea of the level of character . . .and the kind of person you are dealing with,” Mr. Theokas said of the interview process. He noted that everyone came to a consensus to hire Mr. Le Tellier.
In other news, a presentation by the New Jersey Department of Transportation on the upcoming repairs to the Route 33 bridge was postponed. It had been scheduled to take place at the Feb. 6 Borough Council meeting.
The next Borough Council meeting is scheduled to take place on Feb. 21 at the Hightstown First Aid building, 168 Bank St. The public is invited to attend the meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m.

