HIGHTSTOWN: Borough OKs use of special police officers

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
   HIGHTSTOWN — An ordinance allowing the borough to hire special police officers was approved 5-1 at the July 16 Borough Council meeting with Councilman Rob Thibault recusing himself.
   Mr. Thibault has been asked not to participate in Police Department matters as he has filed a civil suit against the department, Detective Benjamin Miller and the borough over two traffic tickets, which later were dismissed and ruled as unlawful by a West Windsor judge, dating back to 2010.
   According to Police Director James Le Tellier, special law enforcement officers are appointed for one-year terms. Class one officers are able to perform routine traffic detail, spectator control and similar duties. Class two officers are able to carry guns. He said this has nothing to do with pensions, does not add to it, and special officers cannot collect benefits from it.
   ”I have no intention of using them beyond 30 hours,” Mr. Le Tellier said. “This is a much more economical way to approach the situation.”
   In the meantime, he has asked the council for more full-time police officers and is awaiting its decision.
   Scott Castor, of Hightstown, was in favor of hiring special law enforcement officers and said he trusts the council will be on top of it.
   ”I don’t know if this is going to work or not, however, I have a lot of faith in you all,” Mr. Castor said. “My gut reaction — I would trust that you are going to be on top of this, and the police director is going to be on top of this. And if it doesn’t work, we will pull it out, and if it works, wonderful.”
   ”We can’t use specials to replace police officers. We can only use them to supplement them,” Mr. Le Tellier said. “They are not going to replace; they are going to enhance.”
   In other business, the council approved, 6-0, adding the housing inspector position — Dylan Sturicho was hired for that job July 2 — under code enforcement officers, in effect, giving that person the power to issue summonses for code violations, according to Borough Administrator Michael Theokas.
   ”People aren’t happy,” said Councilwoman Selena Bibens regarding increased enforcement of code violations. “It’s a Catch-22. We are out there doing what we are supposed to be doing.”
   ”If you are not up to code, you are going to get a summons,” Mayor Steven Kirson said. “It’s a good thing that everybody isn’t happy. It will wake them up. It’s an important thing.”
   In other news, the council voted, 5-1, with the mayor abstaining, to withhold 10 percent of the $1,061,885.40 bond posted by developer Robertson Douglas Group in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, because of numerous deficiencies at the Enchantment Hightstown development.
   ”It is ultimately my recommendation that the borough finds them (the developer) to be in default,” said Carmela Roberts, borough engineer.
   During the last eight years — since the start of construction — Robertson Douglas Group has been notified of the deficiencies on numerous occasions by the borough engineer and has to failed to take satisfactory corrective actions, she said.
   Ms. Roberts said that for the past two to three years she has been attempting to get the developer to complete the work, and she has gotten “no response from them.”