[Amended 2-3-1986 by Ord.
No. 86-2; 2-1-16 by Ord. No. 2016-04; 12-18-2017 by Ord.
No. 2017-20]
A.
The Chief of the Police Department shall be the executive head of
the police force, and he or she shall be directly responsible to the
Appropriate Authority for the efficiency and routine day-to-day operations
thereof, and he or she shall, pursuant to policies established by
the Appropriate Authority, and in accordance with the statutory mandate
of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118:
(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 or her authority as he or she may deem necessary
for the efficient operation of the force to be exercised under his
or her direction and supervision.
B.
Report at least monthly to the Appropriate Authority in such form
as shall be prescribed by such Authority on the operation of the force
during the preceding month and make such other reports as may be requested
by such authority. The Administrator of the Borough of Metuchen is
designated as the Appropriate Authority for all matters relating to
the police function. The Administrator of the Borough of Metuchen
shall, from time to time, adopt, revise and amend the rules and regulations
for the government of the Police Department and for the discipline
of its members.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
C.
Nothing herein contained shall prevent the appointment by the Governing
Body of such committees or commissions as shall be necessary to conduct
investigations of the operation of the police force, which committees
or commissions shall have such powers of inquiry as the Governing
Body deems necessary to conduct any such hearing or investigation
as authorized by law.
[Added 8-16-2010 by Ord.
No. 2010-15]
It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police to prepare a payroll
semimonthly showing the number of employees of the Police Department
and the amount due to each, which payroll shall be submitted to the
Borough Council for certification as to its correctness. Each payroll
shall show and contain the rank of each person, the time for which
each person is entitled to payment, the amount of the payroll and
shall be certified by the Chief of Police.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
The control and discipline of the Police Department of the Borough
and of all its members shall be vested in the Chief of Police. He
or she shall have the power to enforce all the rules and regulations
provided by this chapter and any general and special orders which
he or she may promulgate from time to time. He or she shall enforce
these rules and punish their violation by reprimand or suspension
from duty without pay not to exceed five days. Should the Chief of
Police deem a violation to be of a sufficiently flagrant nature, he
or she shall confer with the appropriate authority with reference
to the filing of charges.
The Chief of Police shall have charge of the personnel of the
Police Department, the preservation of the public peace in the Borough,
the necessary protection of life and property in connection therewith,
the keeping of accurate records of all business transacted by the
department and of all reported disorder and crime occurring in the
Borough, together with all pertinent data in connection therewith.
The Chief of Police shall see that the laws of the state, the
provisions of this Code and the other ordinances of the Borough are
strictly and impartially enforced.
The Chief of Police shall have full charge and control of all
the apparatus and equipment of the Police Department, and its assignment
and use, and shall be held responsible for its care, cleanliness and
safekeeping.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
The Chief of Police shall recommend to the Borough Council and
the appropriate authority from time to time the purchase of such new
equipment or the repair or rearrangement of such old equipment as
will increase the efficiency of the Police Department.
The Chief of Police shall by investigation and tests assist
in the selection of equipment to be purchased for the Police Department,
and he or she shall thoroughly inspect and test all equipment purchased
before accepting it for the Department.
The Chief of Police shall check all materials and supplies purchased
for the Police Department to see that they are of the quality and
quantity desired and shall check all invoices to be paid out of the
Department funds to be sure that the service or goods to be paid for
were duly received as set forth.
The Chief of Police or his duly appointed agent shall inspect
the firearms and equipment of all members of the Police Department
at least twice a year and shall see that they are kept clean and in
good condition.
The Chief of Police shall by personal inspection, made as often
as practicable, see that the different divisions of the Police Department
are kept at the highest point of morale and efficiency, that all duties
are regularly and properly performed, that all records and reports
are duly kept up to date, that all Department property is properly
cared for and kept clean and in good repair and order and that all
apparatus, equipment and supplies are properly cared for and maintained
in proper working condition.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
The Chief of Police shall promptly report to the appropriate
authority the name of any member of the Police Department who, by
reason of age, disease, accident or other disability, does not or
cannot fully, promptly and properly perform full duty in the Department,
together with a detailed statement setting forth the facts of the
case.
The Chief of Police shall see that all laws, ordinances, rules,
regulations, orders and directions for the government of the Police
Department are promptly, cheerfully and implicitly enforced and obeyed
by all members of the Department.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
The Chief of Police shall promptly investigate dereliction of
duty or improper conduct or violation of any of the rules and regulations
of the Police Department by any member immediately on becoming acquainted
therewith and shall file a report of such investigation with the appropriate
authority, together with a recommendation as to the disciplinary action
to be taken.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
The Chief of Police shall report in writing to the appropriate
authority any special service or act on the part of any member of
the Police Department that may be deemed meritorious or worthy of
special notice.
The Chief of Police shall keep in the record of each member
of the Police Department the reports and disposition of alleged or
actual cases of misconduct, complaints, violations of law, ordinance,
rule or regulation and reports of meritorious service.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
The Chief of Police shall summarily suspend from duty, with
or without pay, any member of the Police Department for a flagrant
violation of law, ordinance, rule, regulation, order or direction
in all cases where discipline or reputation of the Department would
suffer if such prompt action were not taken and shall promptly report
such action to the appropriate authority.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
The Chief of Police shall establish such general orders for
the regulation of the Police Department not inconsistent with the
rules and regulations adopted by the appropriate authority.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
All orders to the Chief of the Police Department shall emanate
from and be issued to him or her only by the appropriate authority.
The Chief of Police shall assign a member of the Police Department
to immediately proceed to serious or extensive fires and to all riotous
or tumultuous assemblages occurring within the Borough and shall take
charge of all members of the Police Department present, save and protect
life and property and arrest such persons as he or she may find disturbing
the peace or inciting others to do so.
The Chief of Police shall make personally such tours of inspection
as he or she shall deem necessary to ensure his or her entire familiarity
with the conditions that obtain in all sections of the Borough.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 37-26, Duty to read certain
materials to members of Department, was repealed 8-16-2010 by Ord.
No. 2010-15
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
The Chief of Police shall make monthly reports to the appropriate
authority of all transactions of the Police Department.
[Amended 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15]
The Chief of the appropriate authority shall prepare and submit
to the appropriate authority during January of each year a report
setting forth in detail all the police business transacted by the
Department during the preceding calendar year, all changes in the
status of the personnel during such period and any outstanding work
of the Department or events affecting the Department on which he or
she may wish to comment, together with any recommendations he or she
may wish to make for the improvement of the Police Department or of
its equipment.
[Amended 9-15-1997 by Ord. No. 97-20]
The Chief of Police, or his or her designee, shall keep a record
of all licenses issued by the Police Department and all licenses for
which the Police Department is responsible for supervision.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 37-30, Notification of Borough
Clerk of changes in pay, was repealed 8-16-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-15.
