Statement on Chief Dudeck

"The purpose of the meeting this evening is to announce that Chief David Dudeck and Princeton are about to enter into a Separation and General Release Agreement, where he will remain the Chief of Police in Princeton until October 1, 2013 or such other date of retirement as may be set by the NJ Division of pensions or any earlier date selected by him. As of that projected date, October 1, 2013 Chief Dudeck will retire.

This agreement allows for an orderly retirement. It provides for no more benefit (s) then would be provided under a normal retirement it just allows for it in a structured way.

It also provides for a legal release for both parties. This protects both Chief Dudeck and the town and eliminates further legal pursuits.  

Outline of the general terms of the agreement:

• Currently the Chief is out on medical leave.  
• As previously noted the Chief has indicated and is scheduling to retire no later than October 1st of 2013
• The Chief remains Chief until his retirement allowing us to consult with him and he agrees to perform any tasks assigned to him.  This will help us as we transition
• When the chief is cleared to come back to work he may elect to retire early or to utilize the time he has on the books.  Vacation, Holiday, Personal or he may go on an unpaid leave.  
• At the conclusion of his employment-retirement he will be paid for any balances remaining.  

It should also be pointed out that the allegations that were raised several weeks ago have been withdrawn and it needs to be reiterated that there has been no investigation by the prosecutor’s office and there will be none.  A positive vote this evening by the council signifies a moving forward.

The remainder of the agreement stands on it’s own.

At this juncture as part of the moving forward process it is very important to recognize the ongoing planning efforts being taken by the administration specifically dealing with law enforcement area of our organization. The administration has already reached out to seek the counsel of an expert in the field to help us assess the organization in a couple of key areas. These areas will include options for the leadership structure of the department as well as a looking to develop mechanisms for increased communication in the department.  To aid in this communication effort we are also asking them to gather concerns that might be expressed by the departmental staff. We are hopeful that this combination effort will help us develop into a stronger organization and set a course for steady leadership and continued confidence in our department.  

That being said it is important to reiterate that the administration has the utmost confidence of the men and women that serve our community. They are dedicated and show us on a daily basis the value and commitment that they bring to all of the residents.  This has been witnessed over the past couple of weeks in handling the severe accident on Riverside Drive and the miraculous saving of a women’s life in a downtown restaurant. It is important for us to be able to have the entire community share in our confidence and we are hopeful that pursuing this review and opening lines of communication that this can be achieved.   

It is also very important for the community to recognize that over the past 18 months Chief Dudeck was in a position where there were many decisions that had to be made. Some of those were easy and others much more challenging. But all of them made with the best interest of the department and the residents.  He made all of those decisions with a careful and even hand. He never made a decision that he thought would be counter to his goal of having the finest police department and one that would make everyone proud.  We as an organization are going to benefit greatly from those decisions. He has put into place a very strong organization that bolstered by strong leadership. That leadership has served us extremely well over the past couple of months and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.   

David has always been very active in our community working in various civic and educations programs. It would be my hope that he can continue to be active.

David will be missed but more importantly he must be appreciated for all that he accomplished in his 30 years.  I and the members of the staff, who have worked with Dave wish him nothing but the best in his retirement."