Dollars Dictate Number of New Officers Paramus Can Hire

Paramus intends to add some manpower to its shrunken police force this year but by how much depends on what the borough can afford, according to Mayor Richard LaBarbiera.

At the start of the year, borough officials set out to bring on two more officers with the hopes of hiring two additional officers later in the year. But LaBarbiera tells Patch the number of new hires for this year has been going back and forth as it depends on how much funding is available which the borough's CFO is currently studying.

Councilwoman Maria Elena Bellinger, who serves as police commissioner, told NorthJersey.com this week that six new hires would be best for the department, or at least five - hiring four now and taking on one more later in the year.

According to the website the department is experiencing more retirements this year than anticipated. The retirements include Chief Christopher Brock who announced his retirement back in February. Brock, who is using up unused vacation time, will officially be off the books as of June 1.

Paramus' police department is down by about 28 members, Brock previously told Patch.

Prior to the hiring of three police officers at the end of 2011 there had been a hiring freeze which, along with retirements, caused the drop in manpower in the department.

According to NorthJersey.com the pool of applicants has been narrowed down to 11 out of 80 who responded to the borough's advertisement.

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