Point Pleasant Beach May Lay Off 3 Police Officers

Point Pleasant Beach is taking the first step toward laying off three police officers, prompting the local Policemen's Benevolent Association to call it "a personal attack."

Four Borough Council members voted Tuesday night to authorize borough Administrator Christine Riehl to notify the state that the borough may choose to lay off three police officers to help close a budget gap of $800,000.

That is a necessary first step, according to civil service regulations, should the borough decide to lay off police. But they do not have to do the layoffs.

Council members Kristine Tooker and Tim Lurie voted against the move, saying it is "premature" since the borough is in the midst of good-faith negotiations with the local chapter of the Policemen's Benevolent Association.

Council members Michael Corbally, Sean Hennessy, Frank Rizzo and Jeff Dyer voted in favor.

Mayor Vincent Barrella spoke strongly against the move, but did not have a vote. In the borough council form of government, the mayor votes only when there is a tie.

"They're not getting any raises this year, they're giving up officer-in-charge pay, they've agreed to four of the five things we wanted," Barrella said, just before the vote. "I'm dumbfounded if the council goes through with this."

He said the three layoffs would lower the manpower level to 19 officers and a state report concluded the borough should have 24.

After the vote, Clint Daniel, a Beach resident, police detective and PBA local vice president, pushed the door open and strode out into the hallway.

"This was a stunt," Daniel said, waving his arms in exasperation.

"This is a personal attack," said Marc Distelcamp, a police corporal and local PBA president, walking out right after him.

Four other officers joined the group.

Absent was Officer Paschal Drew, one of the three who would lose their jobs if the council follows through on the layoffs.

Drew, looking despondent, had been in the meeting earlier and then left.

The other officers out of work would be Kyle Boturla and Scott Nase, Daniel said.

All three would be targeted because they have the least seniority, Daniel said.

"They're pulling at our heartstrings," Daniel said. "They're doing this because they know we love our fellow officers.

"Paschal and Kyle have all been volunteer firefighters," Daniel said. "Scott Nase battled leukemia and just came back to work. These are all local guys who care about the community."

The PBA officials refuted the notion that the tight budget is forcing the budget to consider layoffs.

"We know they have budget problems and that's why we agreed to the give-backs right away," said Daniel. "We agreed to no raises this year, no step-ups in the pay scale, no tuition reimbursement. We agreed to four of the five things they wanted."

"And it still wasn't enough," said Corporal Peter Andreyev, state PBA delegate. "And that's why we think this is personal."

Daniel said Hennessy and Dyer were still harboring bad feelings from last year's negotiations.

Everyone seems to agree that the stumbling block in what had been a smooth negotiation process came when the PBA would not agree to forego overtime pay for compensatory time.

The overtime accounts for about $120,000 of the police department budget.

Daniel said the police department has to pay police overtime when they work overtime.

"It's against the law not to," Daniel said. "If police work overtime, they have to be compensated."

"You can't legally force guys to work and not pay them," Distelcamp said. "It would be chaotic."

Daniel said the vote last night means the PBA can immediately file for arbitration.

"And that means we're not getting along anymore," he said, referring to the PBA and the council's negotiation committee.

The committee consists of Corbally, Barrella and Riehl. Hennessy said he had attended the first negotiation session.

Andreyev and Daniel said they will seek advice from Richard Loccke, the PBA's attorney, based in Hackensack, to see if they should file for arbitration or take other action.

After the meeting, Hennessy and Dyer said their vote was not any sort of personal attack or vendetta, only a move to try to help close the budget deficit.

"They wouldn't give up the biggest part of what we were asking them to give up," Hennessy said. "What they gave up amounted to $94,000. But the overtime is $120,000. That's why I voted for this."

When told that the PBA contends it would be illegal to withhold overtime pay, Hennessy said, "If they're entitled, they're entitled. But for them to say that this is personal is wrong.

"We have a very good police force," Hennessy said. "We don't need to be laying anybody off. But I also have an obligation to the taxpayers to watch out for every tax dollar."

Hennessy said Corbally called him Monday night and told him the negotiations had stalled because the PBA wouldn't give up overtime pay.

Hennessy said that money was needed because the borough had planned for employees to make concessions to cover $400,000, or half of the total deficit, with taxpayers bearing the balance of $400,000.

Municipal employees, other than police, are taking 17 unpaid furlough days to help fill the shortfall.

The half dozen police officers at the meeting also said they were livid that the council discussed the matter in public without letting the PBA know that might happen.

The council did so after first discussing the matter in closed session.

"I heard they would be discussing this in closed session, but I thought the most they would do is decide in there to RICE us," he said, referring to notices that have to be sent in advance to employees who might be laid off, according to civil service regulations.

"I didn't think they would talk about it in public," he said. "We would have had all our guys in here.

"They'll be here next time."