A Police Department in and for the Borough of Seaside Heights, in the County of Ocean, is hereby established.
[Amended 10-21-1998 by Ord. No. 98-32; 5-1-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-12; 6-18-2003 by Ord. No. 03-16; 12-17-2003 by Ord. No. 03-38; 11-15-2005 by Ord. No. 05-20; 5-17-2006 by Ord. No. 06-10; 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 07-13; 7-2-2008 by Ord. No. 08-11; 1-20-2010 by Ord. No. 10-03; 4-7-2010 by Ord. No. 10-07; 12-18-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-20]
A. 
The structure of the Seaside Heights Police Department shall be as follows:
(1) 
One Chief of Police;
(2) 
Police Lieutenants, maximum of two;
(3) 
Police Sergeants, maximum of five;
[Amended 8-18-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-23]
(4) 
All other police officers (patrol officers and detectives), maximum of 18.
B. 
The Mayor and Borough Council shall, in their discretion, determine the optimum number of officers and patrol officers to be appointed in the Seaside Heights Police Department. A designation of a maximum number of Police Lieutenants, Police Sergeants and other police officers does not require the Mayor and Borough Council to appoint that number of Police Lieutenants, Police Sergeants and other police officers, nor does the listing of a police officer position in Subsection A above require that any appointment be made to said position.
C. 
All police officers of the Police Department shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Borough Council and in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Service Commission. Where the number of police officers within the structure of the Seaside Heights Police Department varies from that set forth in Subsection A above at the time of revision of that subsection, the number of ranking and other police officers currently employed shall not be affected by revision of that subsection and shall be reduced, instead, by employee attrition through retirement, resignation, transfer or other separation.
D. 
The following employees shall also be responsible to the Chief of Police in carrying out their duties:
(1) 
Special law enforcement officers.
To be appointed as a police officer, regardless of rank, an individual must:
A. 
Be a citizen of the United States.
B. 
Be sound of body and of good health sufficient to satisfy the Board of Trustees of the Police and Firemen's Retirement System of New Jersey as to his eligibility for membership in the retirement system.
C. 
Be able to read, write and speak the English language well and intelligently.
D. 
Be of good moral character and has not been convicted of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude.
E. 
Meet such other requirements as are established in the police rules and regulations.
[Added 5-21-1997 by Ord. No. 97-6; amended 12-20-2001 by Ord. No. 2001-19; 3-6-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-7]
A. 
The governing body of the Borough of Seaside Heights hereby finds that limiting police personnel by residency requirement would seriously impede this municipality's ability to hire and maintain competent personnel for its police force and does, therefor, hereby authorize the retention or employment of present and/or future members of its police force, regardless of the residency of said applicant and/or police personnel. Therefore, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A: 14-123.la, the Borough of Seaside Heights shall classify all the duly qualified applicants for initial hiring as noncivilian police personnel to be filled in the following classes:
(1) 
Class I: residents of the municipality.
(2) 
Class II: other residents of Ocean County.
(3) 
Class III: other residents of the state.
(4) 
Class IV: all other qualified applicants.
B. 
The above classes of qualified applicants shall be considered as separate and successive lists of eligibles. The governing body shall first appoint all qualified applicants in Class I and then those in each succeeding class in the order above-listed and shall appoint a person or persons in any such class only to a vacancy or vacancies remaining after all qualified applicants in the preceding class or classes have been appointed or have declined an offer of appointment. Within each such classification duly qualified applicants who are veterans shall be accorded all such veterans' preferences as are provided by law.
The Council of the Borough of Seaside Heights, shall, by resolution, adopt appropriate rules and regulations for the regulation, control and management of the Police Department as recommended by the appropriate authority.
A. 
Any person or entity desiring to retain the services of police officers of the Borough of Seaside Heights for off-duty police-related activities shall be required to enter into a contract with the Borough of Seaside Heights. Said contract shall include but not be limited to the nature of duties to be performed, the location of said duties, the date and hours of service, the rate of payment for services of the officers, administrative fees to the Borough of Seaside Heights and fees for the use of Borough-owned equipment. The Chief of Police is hereby empowered to execute a contract for off-duty police-related activities on behalf of the Borough in accordance with this article.
[Amended 6-21-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-12]
B. 
The Chief of Police shall be responsible for the assignment of all off-duty police-related activities and the billing of all compensation due the Borough. The Chief of Police shall be authorized to designate other members of the Police Department as needed to assist him in the assignment of off-duty police-related activities. Any officer undertaking off-duty employment pursuant to this section shall receive payment for such off-duty employment, at the rate established pursuant to this chapter, in the next practicable Borough payroll check issued to a participating officer after the Borough's receipt of the compensation due the Borough.
[Amended 5-21-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05; 1-16-2013 by Ord. No. 13-02]
C. 
All persons or entities shall be required to make payment for all off-duty assignments payable to the Borough of Seaside Heights to the Chief Financial Officer of the Borough of Seaside Heights. The rate of compensation for the officers shall be established by resolution of the governing body.
[Amended 6-17-1998 by Ord. No. 98-23]
D. 
Each person or entity who shall employ off-duty police officers pursuant to this section shall be responsible for maintaining his or its own insurance coverage. Said insurance coverage shall include but not be limited to general liability and automobile liability and shall name the Borough of Seaside Heights as an additional insured. In addition, such policy shall provide for a minimum coverage of $1,000,000. Proof of said insurance coverage shall be provided to the Borough of Seaside Heights prior to the assignment of any off-duty police officers to said person or entity. The person or entity shall provide the aforementioned insurance coverage for any and all officers, vehicles and/or equipment utilized in the off-duty assignment.
[Amended 5-21-2008 by Ord. No. 08-05]
E. 
The Chief of Police or his designee shall have the authority to order any police officer engaged in off-duty assignments within the Borough of Seaside Heights to respond to an emergency situation within the Borough of Seaside Heights. The Chief of Police or his designee shall also have the right to order any off-duty assignment to be terminated whenever said assignment creates an unacceptable risk to the health, safety and welfare of the off-duty officer and/or the citizens of the Borough of Seaside Heights. In the event that a police officer is assigned to an emergency situation, the Police Chief or his designee shall make note of said emergency situation, as well as the time said officer was removed from said off-duty assignment. In any situation where an off-duty police officer is called to an emergency situation, said person or entity shall not be responsible for the payment of the officer's hourly rate, administrative fee or any other fees to the Borough of Seaside Heights until such time as said police officer and/or equipment returns to the assignment with the off-duty employer.
F. 
Any person or entity requesting the services of off-duty police officers shall agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Borough of Seaside Heights for any and all claims and damages which may arise from the off-duty police officer's employment by said person or entity.
G. 
Off-duty police officers shall not be available under the provisions of this chapter for employment by or assignment to any establishment within the Borough that is licensed to serve alcoholic beverages, or any hotel or motel, or any other rental property.
[Added 1-16-2013 by Ord. No. 13-02; amended 7-19-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-19]