[Adopted 2-3-1969 by Ord. No. 69-2]
A Police Department has been established and
is hereby established in the Township of Woolwich, in the County of
Gloucester and State of New Jersey, under the name of the "Police
Department of the Township of Woolwich."
[Amended 2-3-1975 by Ord. No. 75-2; 12-20-1982 by Ord. No. 82-8; 3-15-1999 by Ord. No. 99-6]
A.
The Police Department shall consist of the Chief of
Police and such number of police officers and others that from time
to time be deemed necessary by the Township. The positions authorized
in addition to the Chief are that of Deputy Chief, Captain, Lieutenant,
Sergeant, Corporal, patrolman, probationary patrolman and special
officers. Each of the officers occupying such ranks shall report directly
to the Chief and be directly subject to his orders, and in addition,
unless otherwise directed by the Chief, shall be subject to the orders
of any superior ranking officer within the Department. The order of
rank shall be descending order: Chief, Deputy Chief, Captain, Lieutenant,
Sergeant, Corporal, patrolman, probationary patrolman, and special
officer. Appointments and promotions shall be made by action of the
Township Committee after consultation with the Chief and appropriate
authority. All positions hereby created need not be filled at all
times, but only as deemed necessary by the Township Committee.
[Amended 5-15-2000 by Ord. No. 00-7; 5-19-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-11; 6-20-2005 by Ord. No.
2005-24; 8-1-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-10; 2-18-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-02]
B.
The Chief of Police shall be the head of the Police
Department and shall be directly responsible to the appropriate authority
for the efficiency and routine day-to-day operations of the police
force, and the Chief of Police shall, pursuant to policies established
by the appropriate authority:
(1)
Administer and enforce rules and regulations and special
emergency directives for the disposition and discipline of the force
and its officers and personnel.
(2)
Have, exercise and discharge the functions, powers
and duties of the force.
(3)
Prescribe the duties and assignments of all subordinates
and other personnel.
(4)
Delegate such of his authority as he may deem necessary
for the efficient operation of the force, to be exercised under his
direction and supervision.
(5)
Report at least monthly to the appropriate authority
in such form as shall be prescribed by the appropriate authority on
the operation of the force during the preceding month and make such
other reports as may be requested by the appropriate authority.
C.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, the Chief of
Police and all members of the Police Department shall, at all times,
be subject to and shall obey and carry out all special emergency directives
issued by the appropriate authority under his power and duty to provide
for the health, safety or welfare of the Township in an emergency
situation.
A.
The governing body of the Department shall be the
Mayor and Township Committee, whose decisions upon all matters affecting
the Department shall be final. The appropriate authority shall be
in general charge of the Department. The Chief of Police will be held
responsible for the discipline of and for the due performance of duty
by all members of the Department.
[Amended 3-15-1999 by Ord. No. 99-6; 10-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-19]
B.
The governing body of the Township of Woolwich, consisting
of the Mayor and Township Committee, be and are hereby appointed as
the appropriate authority, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118.
[Added 5-19-1998 by Ord. No. 97-18]
All members of the Police Department shall be
appointed by the Township Committee.
[Amended 3-15-1999 by Ord. No. 99-6]
No person shall be appointed as a permanent
officer or member of said Department unless he is a citizen of the
United States, sound in mind and body, of good health, able to read,
write and speak the English language well and intelligently and of
good moral character. He shall not have been convicted of any indictable
offense or any crime or offense involving moral turpitude. He shall
meet the age requirements and other requirements as established by
the statutes of the State of New Jersey.
[Amended 3-15-1999 by Ord. No. 99-6]
Each appointee shall serve a probationary period
of six months and shall be designated as a probationary officer and
shall not be considered a permanent officer of the Police Department
during the term of his probation. Upon satisfactory performance of
his duties as a probationary officer for a period of six months, he
may be appointed to the position of police officer by the Committee
upon the recommendation of the appropriate authority. For purposes
of seniority and vacation privilege, the period of probation shall
be included in determining the length of service.
The Township Committee shall, at the organization
meeting each year, or at any other time, appoint special police officers
for a term not exceeding such calendar year and may revoke such appointment
at any time without cause or hearing. The powers, rights and duties
of such special officers shall cease immediately at the expiration
of the term for which they were appointed or upon revocation of their
appointment. Upon termination of their appointment, such special officers
shall turn in to the Chief of Police all uniforms and equipment.
[Added 4-4-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-02]
The position of part-time police officer is hereby established, subject to the requirements set forth at § 36-8, § 36-9, § 36-10, and § 36-11. The part-time police officers shall be appointed at the annual reorganization meeting each year, or at any other time as necessary, for a term not exceeding such calendar year. The Township Committee may revoke such appointment at any time without cause or hearing. The part-time police officers may serve up to 30 hours/week. They shall be entitled to no benefits, and the appointment shall not constitute a promise of future employment. The part-time police officers shall be entitled to an appropriate contribution under DCRP.
Such special officers shall not be members of
the Police Department or entitled to any rights or privileges of a
member of the Police Department, but when assigned to duty, shall
have the same power and authority as a member of the Police Department
and shall be covered at all such times by insurance of the same nature
and amount as a regular member of said Department.
Such special officers shall possess the same
qualifications as to citizenship and residence as a member of the
Police Department and shall be under the direction of and subject
to the orders of the Chief of Police.
Every member of the Police Department and every
special police officer, before entering upon the performance of his
duties, shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation to bear true
faith and allegiance to the government established in this state under
the authority of the people, to support the Constitution of the United
States and the Constitution of the State of New Jersey and to faithfully
and justly discharge and perform all the duties of his office, which
oath or affirmation shall be filed with the Township Clerk.
The compensation of the members of the Police
Department and special police officers shall be fixed by the Salary
Ordinance of the Township Committee.
The Township Committee is hereby empowered from
time to time to make and establish, amend or repeal, by resolution
or ordinance, such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the
laws of the Township for the government and control of the members
of the Police Department as may be deemed expedient and proper to
carry out the objects of this article and with the view to making
the Police Department, and all the officers and members thereof, efficient,
vigilant, prompt and useful to the Township; such rules and regulations
may prescribe the duties of the Chief of Police and all other officers
more specifically than is herein contained and may prescribe such
penalties not inconsistent with law as may be deemed necessary and
expedient for proper regulation of the Police Department.
[Added 11-20-1995 by Ord. No. 95-15]
No permanent member or officer of the Police
Department shall be suspended, removed, fined or reduced in rank for
any cause other than for incapacity, misconduct or disobedience of
the rules and regulations for the Woolwich Township Police Department.
[Added 11-20-1995 by Ord. No. 95-15; amended 3-15-1999 by Ord. No. 99-6]
Disciplinary action shall be taken against members
of the Police Department as authorized by statute or in accordance
with the rules and regulations for the Township of Woolwich Police
Department adopted by resolution or ordinance by the Township Committee
of the Township of Woolwich. The appropriate authority, the Chief
of Police, any member of the Township Committee or any prosecutor
or special prosecutor appointed by the Woolwich Township Committee
may file a written complaint with the Township Committee of the Township
of Woolwich, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-147, setting forth
charges against a permanent member or officer of the Police Department.
Said complaint shall be filed with the Township Clerk, who will immediately
forward it to the Township Committee. A copy of said complaint shall
thereafter be served upon the member or officer so charged, together
with notice of a designated hearing thereon, which shall be held by
the Township Committee of the Township of Woolwich and which shall
not be less than 10 nor more than 30 days from the date of service
of the complaint. On the designated date and any continuances thereafter,
the Township Committee of the Township of Woolwich shall conduct a
disciplinary hearing in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-148 and shall
have authority to suspend, remove, fine or reduce in rank any member
or officer of the Police Department who may be found guilty of the
charges brought.
[Added 6-4-2018 by Ord.
No. 2018-10]
A.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-7, police officers injured on duty who
are unable to perform their regular police duties because of such
injury will be paid a maximum of their regular rate of pay for a period
of not in excess of 52 weeks for each new and separate service-connected
sickness, injury or disability, provided that the examining physician
designated by the Township's worker's compensation insurer certifies
as to such sickness, injury, or disability. Payments made to police
officers under this section are meant to be in the nature of worker's
compensation and any disability benefits paid to police officers hereunder
will be paid over to the Township.
