By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
Princeton’s police unions have recommended that selection of a the new chief of police be an open process and that all officers with the rank of lieutenant and above be allowed to apply.
This could open the field of candidates for consideration to five in addition to Borough Chief David Dudeck, if the recommendation was adopted.
”On behalf of the members of Princeton Borough PBA Local 130 and Princeton Township PBA Local 387 we would like to offer our recommendation in regards to a promotional process for the Chief of Police. Should you find the need to have a process for this position it is our recommendation that you open the procedure to any officer who is currently the rank of Lieutenant or higher,” reads a June 13 memo from the two unions to the two mayors and the Transition task Force.
”The PBAs collectively agree that it would be inappropriate for our organizations to endorse any individual candidate. However, we believe that a fair process would give all members of the command staff the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership ability. We believe that both police departments have highly qualified administrations that are comprised of officers that would bring diversity and integrity to a promotional process.”
In the borough there are two lieutenants and a captain in addition to the chief. In the township there are two lieutenants, one of whom is in the role of acting chief. The acting chief position is temporary and expires at the end of the year.
This motion comes at almost the same time the task force delayed the naming of the new chief because the personnel selection committee has yet to meet. The committee hopes to have a recommendation before the Joint Governing Bodies meeting on June 26. The selection committee is meeting on June 15 to discuss the interview format.
The personnel selection committee includes Township Committeewoman Sue Nemeth, Township Deputy Mayor Liz Lempert, Borough Mayor Yina Moore, Councilman Roger Martindell and Councilwoman Jo Butler.
”It’s better to get off on a solid footing and not have doubt cast on the process,” said Robert Bruschi, borough administrator. “There’s a movement afoot to have a process to have all from the lieutenant and captain apply and be considered for the chief position. I think that’s a safe process.”
Opening the process to the highest ranking officers is an effort on behalf of the police to make the process as fair as possible, if the personnel selection committee is going to look beyond the sitting chief to fill the position, said Detective Dan Federico, president of the borough PBA.
”This letter was written because the task force has been pretty adamant about having a process and this letter says should you have a process, it should be open,” said Detective Federico. “What we are trying to say is if it’s going to be open to Chris Morgan (who is acting chief of the township after the sudden retirement of former Chief Robert Buchanan) it should be open to Capt. (Nicholas) Sutter, Lt. (Sharon) Papp, Lt. (Robert) Currier and Lt. (Robert) Toole. If you are going to include Chris Morgan, we have three people who are senior to him in time and rank and should be included in this process, if they are going to go that direction.”
Lt. Morgan has 12 years on the job. Lt. Toole has 25 years of service in the township. In the Borough, Capt. Sutter has 17 years, Lt. Currier has 26 years of service, Lt. Papp has 24 years of service.
Borough officers do support Chief Dudeck, who has 29 years on the force and think he should be the only candidate considered. “He’s our chief and we are going to stand behind him,” said Detective Federico. “This was done to include our administration as well (in the selection process).”
The memo, which was brought up at this week’s Transition Task Force meeting on Wednesday night, was drafted at a joint meeting of both police unions in May after the borough union met with its attorney and drafted a legal opinion about the selection process. Detective Federico said a majority of the union members from both locals supported opening the process to include others for consideration for the chief’s job if Chief Dudeck is not the only candidate.
In the May 16 memo to the Transition Task Force, PBA Local 130 attorney James Mets asserted that Chief Dudeck was the only officer eligible for the chief position. This letter was issued in response to the Township Committee giving Lt. Morgan the title of acting chief last month.
”Please be advised that the appointment of a lieutenant to the position of ‘acting chief of police’ does not make him a permanently appointed chief of police,” reads the May memo. “He remains a lieutenant unless permanently appointed to the title of chief. Thus, for the reasons that follow, it is our opinion that the only eligible candidate for the position of chief of police for the consolidated Princeton is the borough’s current chief, David Dudeck.”
The attorney for Local 130 also wrote that the acting chief of police does not outrank the captain and lieutenants and any attempt to demote these individuals to accommodate the promotion of the “acting chief” would violate two state laws.
The May memo also called for a “cease and desist with any attempt to try to insert an acting chief of police into the running for chief of the consolidated Princeton Police Department.”
Mark Freda, chair of the Transition Task Force and the chair of the Public Safety Subcommittee, is pleased to see the process for chief selection moving forward.
”I am happy to see the two PBAs working as a single unit on this very important issue. It shows the professionalism of our police officers that they can, from different perspectives, promote a fair and sensible process to move ahead,” Mr. Freda said Thursday. “The process is totally in the hands of the two governing bodies and their selection committee. It appears to be moving forward.”
Mr. Freda believes there is only one person who should be considered for the top cop, the sitting chief. “Personally I think it is an easy decision,” he said.
”Originally the process was going to be to pick between the two police chiefs; one unexpectedly retired. There is one chief now, make him the chief going forward,” Mr. Freda said.
The officers are all looking forward to the decision being made. “Once the decision on the chief is made it going to alleviate things moving forward,” said Detective Federico. “It will make things a lot easier and give a distinct direction for the department moving forward.”
In other police news from the meeting, the task force made the recommendation to spend $530,000 on equipment for the consolidation of dispatch services that is needed right away and spending $20,250 to merge the two evidence systems, which needs to be done in advance of Jan. 1, 2013.
The spending includes new mobile radios, dispatch equipment and radio system upgrades.
The public safety subcommittee will also continue to examine regionalization of dispatch and the possibility of building a new dispatch center.
