Bergen political parties compete for credit in police merger fight
By S.P. Sullivan/NJ.com
HACKENSACK — After the Democratic freeholder majority here unveiled their new plan for police consolidation this week Bergen Republicans had a message for them: “Welcome to the club.”
“Over the last decade – since Republicans first proposed saving property taxpayers millions of dollars a year through consolidation – the Democratic Freeholders have refused to act,” Freeholder John Mitchell, a Republican, said in a statement. “Just last year, they had the chance to cast their vote to help taxpayers, and didn’t.”
The Democrats on Wednesday outlined a new plan that would merge the Bergen County Police Department under the leadership structure of the Bergen County sheriff’s office, preserving the agency as its own entity but wresting control of it away from the county executive.