photo by Boyd Loving
Police roster limit to be removed in Ridgewood
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2014, 5:09 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Ridgewood has started the administrative process to eliminate the maximum number of patrol officers and detectives allowed in the police department, a move that may ultimately give the village permission to unfreeze conditional offers of employment that were extended to two recruits in January.
The Village Council on Wednesday introduced the enacting ordinance, which states that the police department will consist of “so many officers/detectives as may be authorized from time to time.” The ordinance still limits the department to no more than four lieutenants and five sergeants, while the top brass remains at one chief and two captains.
The governing body will consider adoption of the new law during a special public hearing March 5.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/246403461_Police_roster_limit_to_be_removed_in_Ridgewood.html#sthash.vaUrMP8G.dpuf
Cops…cops everywhere.
I’m confused as to why we would need so many, of not to reward political contributors with jobs for their underachieving offspring.
Once Marijuana is legal, they won’t even have the job of breaking up smoke sessions behind the High School. Aside from the random drunk driver, what is there to do? Would an extra patrolman help them catch the B&E on Oak Street?
Last thing we need is a couple more $100k plus benefits guys shooting the shit with the EMTs on Douglass street at 3AM.
#1 your post show’s your ignorance, or malevolence, to the goings on in the village. In some cases it’s better to remain silent and have people think your a fool, than to communicate with others and erase all doubt.
#1, I suggest you move out of town, we already have a Village Idiot and he isn’t leaving town anytime soon so you are not needed here….
#1 is known to the RPD. He is on the wacky side.
#2 that’s very creative, did you make it up? Oh wait, you didn’t. It is often used by those who wish to appear clever but lack any original thought. Hackneyed accusations of foolery aside, what are the “goings on” of which you speak, from which we need to be protected by incremental police?
#3, I’ve considered it, but mostly because it would take an idiot to stay here and pay such high taxes to feed the Village Hall patronage mill. In short, right back at you!
#4 Nobody knows me at the RPD, and they have no reason to know me. I’m a law abiding, tax paying citizen who maintains a pretty low profile. I have family members who are cops in real cities, where the baddies carry guns and shoot back.
I asked a legitimate question. Why do we need more police in the Village?
What the hell is a baddie???
#5 said
I’ve considered it, but mostly because it would take an idiot to stay here and pay such high taxes to feed the Village Hall patronage mill. In short, right back at you!
So your still here and your saying that you are an Idiot? Is that right? Well, who am I to argue with that logic!!!
The taxes here are not as bad as you say, but then why am I trying to convince an idiot of that……..never mind.
sure I’ll help out….over the years we’ve cut down the police force significantly. This has caused a rise in overtime which cost the taxpayers money every year. If you read past just the headline and realize that the new ordinance states the removal of the cap of patrol officers only. all senior positions and administrative positions still have limits. now with the cap being removed…. Once a year the chief would have to meet with the village manager or the village council and determine the new number (if necessary) of patrol officers for that year.
at this time village is only looking to hire two additional police officers. It is predicted that at least 7 senior officers will be leaving by 2015. So going back to your point of why we need more patrolman or please officers…. we are really not gaining any in fact if not filled the number of police officers would be going down. To answer your question further of why we need more police officers…. Ridgewood hosts many events throughout the year from 4th of July to the Ridgewood car show to the new Fire and Ice Festival that we just recently had. All these events need a police presence in order to function safely and properly. there’s also more going on in this town then kids smoking weed behind the high school and your occasional DUI which is not that occasional. if you would like to know what the police do you have access to the police blotter that will show you what has gone on in the village as well as Glenrock throughout the month.
again this ordinance is not calling for the addition of police officers it is removing a part of an old Ordnance that put a cap on the number of patrolman. this this allows the village to have more flexibility when it comes to hiring police officers.
Yes we are safe here…. sorry? But here are the crime statistics.
https://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Ridgewood-New-Jersey.html
You can see… although not rampant… we have crime.
Tell your friend and family that serve in “really cities” thank you and be safe.
#6 “baddie” is some one who is not acting in your best interests.
#8 Good points, but we shouldn’t have to over hire because of random one time events throughout the year. We should be able to borrow from other municipalities and reciprocate in turn.
#7 have you been drinking? If so, good. Keep at it. Soon you will experience the enlightenment.
I agree that the Chief is being proactive hiring 2 new hires in anticipation of retirements.
I’d also suggest that the current 12 hour shifts cost the town more.
If someone calls out sick for 12 hours instead of 8, that means 50% hire overtime costs for a single ‘shift’.
Go back to 8 hour shifts, 5 days a week.
Coverage problem solved.
Overtime reduced.
Why are seven officers retiring in 2015 ? That’s when their current contract expires, is there some correlation between the two ? That’s 23% of our current number of 30 officers. If you had 23% turnover in a private sector firm absent a recession, the consultants would be focused on change management – what are we doing to ensure this turnover doesn’t affect public safety ?
How accurate are these crime statistics? From the City-Data website:
“Latest news about crime in Ridgewood, NJ collected exclusively by city-data.com from local newspapers, TV, and radio stations”
Are all police activities reported in the papers? Other towns may also be selective about what they publish.
#12 7 because of the time frame in which they were hired. Regardless of contract it doesn’t pay to stay longer than 25 yrs unless there are other circumstances involved ie: divorce, or promotion, unforeseen financial hardship. Municipal govt. is different than the private sector in that it’s not there to make a profit. You can have the best managers available but how do you convince a worker stay when he will lose money and benefits if they stay. ( cops + fire ) not sure about blue collar. The village has been aware of this situation for years and has chosen to ignore the obvious they need to hire people ahead of time because of the length of time it takes to get a cop trained to be on the road.. If they don’t the overtime will be astronomical.
Maybe we could hire part timers from midland park, glen rock or hohokus to fill shifts on a contract rate rather than pay ‘astronomical overtime’ as stated by #14.
If they are currently certified NJ police officers, they can work in any town?
No they can’t, unless they work for their towns overtime rate and then if they are injured their pension is at risk that’s why some town don’t allow their cops to come to the 4th of July celebration and the mutual aid exception only applies to contiguous municipalities in an emergent situation. Third the cba posted on the internet shown a replacements clause that the town can’t hire replacement until all covered workers have had a chance to work.
Thanks #14. I guess its’s pay less today in overtime by having more officers, or pay more tomorrow in pension & health care if we have more officers ? Which is cheaper ? I’ve noticed the public safety, plus pensions & social security, and insurance (health, workman’s’ comp, other) were 51% of the Village part of the budget in 2013. This was up from 42% in 2001. These budget items are growing much faster than the overall budget, and have also grown in excess of the 2% property tax cap. If this continues, it suggests that, from a property taxpayer’s perspective, the annual increases in property taxes will not go to improve quality of life and services for residents. Instead, annual tax increases will be required to fund mandated salary and benefit obligations. So which is better ?
17 you could look at it this way.
would you rather pay for the overtime and have less officers on the streets, working events, and eliminate special programs like the school officer.
Or use the same cost and reduce overt time and have more police officers?
Again this town use to have almost 20 more officers then it currently has today. Retirements will continue to happen, and the ranks will fluctuate. This is why this new ordinance sound great on paper. It allows the Chief, the VC, the VM and even the town have a say on how many officers they feel they need on a yearly bases. It dosnt tie the hands of the powers to be to make the right choice if needed due to a number that know one knows how it was reached.
the whole using outside officers thing would never work here…. even if you applied specials… it wouldn’t save anymore money or be as affective. Plus a logistic nightmare…
#17 the advantage to new hires is they make less per hour so their ot rate is less, their pension payout is less, 60% as opposed to 65% after 25 yrs, and the new hires longevity pay is capped at 10% as opposed to 13 %, it takes 10 years to get to top pay, and the union worked with the town to drop the starting salary considerably to facilitate hiring new people. Municipal budget’s are mostly labor heavy percentage wise because local governments provide service the more service the higher the cost. Because services require labor and labor cost’s money period. #17 you cite health care cost’s, the state legislature already passed a law mandating higher contributions up to 30% on a progressive scale that being the case why would you not hire? Further more the public safety portion of the village budget is higher than most because the village chooses to maintain a paid fire dept. and pays ambulance emt’s during the day. Refusal to acknowledge these changes is pure petulance. And for the record I am not some union hack, I’m a resident of the village for 40 yrs who is looking at the situation with an open mind.
The funding of the school resource officer should be paid for out of the bloated board of ed budget.
Thanks #19, sounds reasonable. Appreciate that new hires end up being cheaper than the retiring officers. Hopefully we can train them up fast enough to replace the seven retiring officers so that public safety doesn’t suffer.
I agree 21, according to the cops I’ve talked to it takes almost a year to get a cop on the road so the town better start soon.