Police Chief Asks Borough to Promote Officers to Higher Ranks

Chief of police Frank Papapietro has asked the mayor and council to promote patrol officers and sergeants to higher ranks in an effort to fill department gaps in leadership. 

He reported that ranked officers who have retired have not been replaced, promotions to lieutenant have not been made in the 31-man department in approximately 10 years, and promotions to the rank of sergeant have not gone through in approximately four years.

Additionally, the department is currently operating below the 2009 N.J. State Police Uniform Crime Report recommended number of 38 officers, Papapietro said. 

"The current rank structure cannot support this organization," Papapietro said, adding that the low staffing numbers — particularly among the higher ranks — have left shifts without the necessary chain of command. Officers are also required to perform tasks outside of the scope of their rank, a practice that could be grieved, opening the town up for a potential lawsuit, he said. 

The council is taking Papapietro's recommendations under advisement and will be meeting with him for further discussion.

Papapietro has also requested that the mayor and council amend the current ordinance regarding rank to include two levels of detectives. These ranks are included in the department's policies and procedures manual, but need to be added to the ordinance.