Township of Franklin, NJ Rules and Regulations

[Amended 5-11-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-08; 10-31-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-12; 6-10-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-02]

The Police Director shall have and shall exercise the following authority and shall, except during hours when he shall be off duty or absent on vacation pursuant to the order of the Township Committee or its designee, perform the following duties:

To serve as the active executive administrator of the Police Department and shall command the Police Department and the special police officers assigned to active duties.

To report to the Township Committee or its designee with such frequency as the Township Committee shall require for orders and instructions and shall promptly report all matters of interest connected with the Police Department, and shall furnish a monthly report containing such detailed and special information as it may from time to time require.

To instruct and direct as executive administrator through the officer in charge all other members of the Police Department and the special police officers assigned to active duty with respect to their duties and shall require that all such duties be properly performed and that all rules and regulations herein established be strictly obeyed and complied with and shall generally maintain a high degree of efficiency on the part of the Police Department and the special police officers assigned to active duty.

To communicate to the other members of the Police Department and to the special police officers assigned to active duty all orders made and instructions given by the Township Committee or its designee in relation to their work and shall require the prompt performance thereof and compliance therewith.

To observe the work of all other members of the Police Department and the special police officers assigned to active duty and, as occasionally required, shall criticize constructively the work of individual officers and give such instruction and direction as may be appropriate to improve the efficiency of their work.

To have charge of all property of the Township used by the Police Department and by the special police officers and shall attend to the repair and maintenance of all such property and equipment so that the same shall at all times be in proper condition for effective use; provided, however, that the expenditure of money for the maintenance and repair of such property shall first be authorized by the Township Committee, except in case of emergency, when expenditures not exceeding $250 may be made for such purposes. All emergency expenditures shall promptly be reported to the Township Committee and also to the Township Clerk on the next following business day.

To receive and have the custody of lost personal property found by members of the Police Department or by the special police officers assigned to active duty or by other persons and delivered to the Police Department; to have the custody of personal property stolen or wrongfully taken and thereafter recovered by the Police Department or by the special police officers assigned to active duty, and to take proper measures for the purpose of returning all such personal property to the owner or owners thereof.

To verify and sign a periodic payroll showing the names of the members of the Police Department and the special police officers assigned to active duty who shall have rendered police services to the Township during the period covered by such payroll, and showing also the dates and times when such services were performed, and indicating the installments of salary or amounts of compensation which the persons named therein are then respectively entitled to receive, together with the authorized deductions, which payroll he shall deliver to the Police Director.

To keep himself fully informed at all times with respect to the conditions in the Township affecting the public safety and good order.

In his discretion, summarily relieve from active duty, without pay, for not more than five days, any officer or member or special police officer who he is satisfied is violating or has violated, within five days next preceding, any of the terms or provisions of this chapter and the rules and regulations herein established, and shall immediately notify the Township Committee of the action taken; provided, however, that such member of the Police Department or special police officer shall have the right of summary appeal from the action of the Police Director in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.

The Police Director may, with the approval of the Township Committee, establish such bureaus or divisions as may be required for the proper functioning of the Department's work. The Director may have the power to assign any and all members of the Department to their respective duties and require them to perform the same, and shall assign officers in his command to such duties as shall be for the best interests of the Department and for the safety and welfare of the residents of the Township.

The Police Director may change the hours of duty of any officer or member of the Police Department, assign such members of the Department to special duty or require them to perform extra duty whenever there may be necessity for the same in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.

The Police Director shall, from time to time, promulgate orders and cause same to be executed. The Director shall also have the power to supplement the same from time to time by issuing such orders as are necessary to make the same effective. Such orders shall be subject to the approval of the Township Committee.

The Police Director shall cause to be enforced all the laws of the state and the ordinances of the Township and shall cause to be investigated all crimes and all violations of state statutes and of Township ordinances, and, where appropriate, shall cause prosecution to be commenced. It shall be the Director's duty to be cognizant of any and all neglect of duty, disobedience of orders and other offenses on the part of members of the Department and to make formal written charges whenever such offenses require formal charges. To this end, the Director shall investigate or cause to be investigated any such offenses and shall submit a written report, along with any evidence, to the Township Committee.

For adequate cause, the Police Director may suspend from duty any officer or member or special police officer of the Department. The Director shall present to the Township Committee, without unnecessary delay, a written report setting forth his reason for suspending an officer, and if the suspension is for more than five days, he shall request a hearing before the Township Committee.

The Police Director shall maintain complete files of personnel records and Department equipment.

The Police Director shall devote his energies and plan his activities for the health, welfare, safety and general well-being of the citizens and residents of the Township. The Director shall stimulate in the members of the Police Department a concern for the well-being of all the people and property in the community and an appreciation and respect for the rights and liberties of all persons. The Director shall constantly require the members of the Police Department to strive for a high degree of excellence in the quality of the law enforcement and service rendered by them.

The Police Director shall, subject to available appropriation, whenever in his judgment it may be necessary or advisable, assign any one or more of the special police officers to the performance of active police duties.

The Police Director shall be the supervisory head of the special police officers.

The Police Director shall be the supervisory head of any bureau or division that exists or may be formed with the Police Department, and he may designate a member of the Police Department to be the officer in charge of any bureau or division when he deems it necessary or advisable for the efficient operation of the same.