Members of the Edison Township Council’s public safety committee met with Acting Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey on June 27 to discuss the proposed police hiring and promotional practices ordinance, as well as other police concerns.
Council Vice President Michael Lombardi said the ordinance is currently under review by the committee, and once they receive feedback from the prosecutor, the members will relay their thoughts and discuss the ordinance.
Lombardi sits on the committee with councilmen Thomas Lankey, Robert Karabinchak and Alvaro Gomez.
Last week, Mayor Antonia Ricigliano asked the council to move forward with the ordinance, which substantially reforms the hiring and promotional practices in the Division of Police. The move collectively garnered the backing of Police Chief Thomas Bryan, Carey and former county Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.
The ordinance was prepared with the assistance of Kaplan, Bryan and the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police, Ricigliano said.
“The ordinance’s primary objective is to professionalize the hiring and promotional practices by the use of accredited and experienced professionals for the administration of the testing and interview process,” she wrote. “The recent events in the Police Division have made the adoption of these reforms critical.”
Trouble arose within the Edison Police Department recently when a nine-year veteran police officer was charged with the attempted murder of a superior officer and his family.
Michael A. Dotro, 36, was arrested at his home in Manalapan on May 23 and was charged with five counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated arson for allegedly setting fire to the Monroe home of Edison police Capt. Mark Anderko in the early morning hours of May 20.
On June 1, Patrolman Alan Varady allegedly attended a party in the township and consumed alcoholic beverages while on duty, and was later charged with driving under the influence. Councilman Wayne Mascola said he understands that something has to be done; however, Mascola said he has some issues with the proposed ordinance as written.
The proposed ordinance states that in the selection of candidates for promotion to the rank of sergeant, the mayor will use the “rule of three.”
Under this rule, the three ranking candidates for a given position would be interviewed by the mayor, the business administrator and the chief of police, or by those designated by these individuals.
From there, the mayor, who serves as director of public safety, would choose from the three candidates interviewed.
Mascola said he finds that the rule of three leaves politics in the hiring process.
Ricigliano said that in anticipation of the ordinance, she has directed Business Administrator Maureen Ruane to begin the procurement process to contract with outside testing agencies to administer the new hiring and promotional process.
Mascola said he agrees that the township should seek an outside agency; however, he pointed out that when the township goes out to bid, they must select the lowest bidder.
“This [lowest-bidding] firm may be run by retired police officers, and there is always that possibility of connections,” he said. “We have to make sure we get our money’s worth. I believe the attorney general’s office should pick a firm for us.”
The goal, he said, is to take out all outside influence.
Mascola said he also takes issue with the promotional criteria of the ranks.
The promotional criteria for a patrol officer to become a sergeant has a written test constituting 90 percent of the officer’s score. The officer must score 70 percent or higher on the test to move on to the next step in the process, according to the proposed ordinance.
A violation of Edison Police Department rules and regulations, departmental policies and procedures, or any state or federal statute occurring after the list is certified may result in a candidate being removed from the promotional list or having his or her position lowered on the list. Any change in the status of a candidate on the list will be at the ultimate discretion of the mayor, the proposed ordinance states.
Also, in the selection of candidates for promotion to the rank of sergeant, the mayor would use the rule of three.
“Here is the rule of three again. … The problem is [that] there is still room for political involvement,” Mascola said.
The promotional criteria for a sergeant to move up to lieutenant has the written test constituting 50 percent and the oral examination score making up 40 percent, the proposed ordinance states.
The promotional criteria for a lieutenant to captain has the written test constituting 45 percent and the oral examination 45 percent.
For both of these promotions, the rule of three would also be employed.
The promotional criteria for chief of police or deputy chief has an oral interview constituting 25 percent; an interview conducted by the mayor, the chief of police and the business administrator as 25 percent; and performance evaluations as 40 percent.
The chief of police would make a recommendation from the top three candidates, and the mayor would select the deputy chief of police from the top three candidates who have received a score of 80 or higher, according to the proposed ordinance.
Mascola said he does not understand how patrol officers seeking a promotion to sergeant could be removed from the list because of a violation, though there is no violation clause for the other ranks.
“It doesn’t make sense,” he said.
Mascola said the different weights of percentages as one goes up the ranks has to change. As they are written, he said, one has to pick sides if they want to move up.
“This has been going on for years,” he said. “It has been who we know rather than what we know.”
As for bringing in a police director, which was done in April 2008, Mascola said that if it was a couple years ago, he would have completely approved the measure.
“We did bring in a police director, and it still didn’t work,” he said, adding that he hasn’t completely ruled out the idea. “I would consider it again.”
Former Mayor Jun Choi appointed Brian Collier as police director in April 2008. In 18 months, the department became one of a few state-accredited police forces. Collier resigned in late 2009 and died the following year.