[Adopted 11-24-2009 by Ord. No. 1543 amended in its entirety 5-18-2010 by Ord. No. 1554]
[Added 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-11]
The Attorney General of the State of New Jersey and the Division of Local Government Services have determined that members of a municipal police department may, during their off-duty hours, engage in police-related activities for private persons or entities. Pursuant to the laws of the State of New Jersey, a municipality must agree to implement a system whereby the off-duty assignments of police officers are arranged through a contract directly with the municipality and the private person or entity.
A. 
Any such contracts between the municipality and any private person or entity must include a plan whereby the compensation for off-duty police-related services is channeled through the office of the Chief Financial Officer, must provide that said compensation shall be placed in a designated fund, and also must provide that the proceeds of the fund be disbursed through the office of the Chief Financial Officer to the individual police officers performing such services.
B. 
It is in the best interest of the Borough of Palisades Park to establish a procedure for the assignment of off-duty police work which will allow for the greater protection of the citizens and visitors of the Borough.
[Added 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-11]
A. 
The Chief of Police or his or her designee shall create and maintain a list whereby police officers may volunteer for off-duty police-related activities.
B. 
The Chief of Police or his or her designee shall assign all off-duty police-related activities from the aforementioned list of police officers desiring said assignment; said assignments shall be made on a basis agreed upon by the Chief of Police and the local unit of the Policemen's Benevolent Association (PBA).
[Added 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-11]
Any person or entity desiring to retain the services of police officers of the Borough of Palisades Park for off-duty police-related activities shall file, with the Chief of Police, an application for such services. The Chief of Police shall, in his sole discretion, have the absolute right to approve or disapprove the application of such private person or entity desiring to retain the services of police officers of the Borough of Palisades Park for off-duty police-related activities. Any private person or entity which is approved by the Chief of Police for the provision of such services of police officers shall be required to enter into a contract for the provision of such services with the Borough of Palisades Park. Said contract shall include, but not be limited to, the nature of duties to be performed, the location, date(s), and hours of such duties, the rate of payment for services to the officers, administrative fees to the Borough of Palisades Park, and fees for the use of Borough-owned equipment. The contract may also provide for deposits in advance by the contractor for services to be performed. The Chief of Police is hereby empowered on behalf of the Borough in accordance with this chapter.
[Added 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-11]
The Chief of Police or his or her designee shall have the authority to order any police officer, engaged in off-duty assignments within the Borough of Palisades Park, to respond to an emergency situation within the Borough of Palisades Park. The Chief of Police or his or her 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 police officer and/or the citizens of the Borough of Palisades Park. In the event a police officer is assigned to an emergency situation, the Police Chief or his or her 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 private 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 Palisades Park until such time as said police officer and/or equipment returns to the assignment with the off-duty employer.
[Added 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-11]
Any and all work being performed by a contractor or citizen that interferes with or intrudes onto any state, county, or local roadway within the Borough will require a police officer to be present to ensure the safety of citizens traveling within the work area.
The rate of compensation paid to the Borough for the use of an off-duty police officer or some other law enforcement officer by those requesting and needing those services shall be established by resolution of the Mayor and Council at such times as determined by the Mayor and Council, with the current rate set in this article.
[Amended 1-29-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-1; 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-11]
Rates of compensation for contracting the services of either an off-duty police officer or some other law enforcement officer is established as $150 per hour. All sums shall be paid to the Borough of Palisades Park.
[Amended 2-15-2011 by Ord. No. 1564]
Outside contractors or others availing themselves of this service shall pay for a minimum of four hours. All details that exceed four hours will default to a minimum eight-hour charge, then hourly for every respective hour thereafter.
[Amended 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-11]
Four hours' notice must be received by the Police Department to cancel a scheduled detail. Failure to give the notice will result in the assessment of a four-hour payment fee to Extra Duty Solutions.
A. 
No person or entity shall employ a police officer for extra duty without having first filed with the Borough Clerk a certificate of comprehensive general liability insurance in the amount of not less than $1,000,000 for one person and $2,000,000 for any one occurrence with respect to injuries and damages sustained or caused by police officers while performing such extra duty.
B. 
No certificate of insurance required by this section shall be deemed filed with the Borough Clerk unless it has been first approved by the Borough's Risk Manager. All policies of insurance evidenced by any certificate filed hereunder shall be maintained by the person or entity employing such police officer in full force and effect at all times while any police officer is so employed. The Borough of Palisades Park and its Police Department shall be named as additional insured for liability purposes.
C. 
Any person or entity which employs a police officer for extra duty shall defend, indemnify and save harmless the Borough and its police officers against and from any and all claims, suits, damages, costs and attorneys' fees to which the Borough and its police officers may be put by any negligent act or omission by such person or entity in connection with or arising from the work being performed herein.
[Added 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-11]
The Borough of Palisades Park maintains the right to outsource the police department's extra-duty employee services to a third party for extra-duty program administration. The chosen service provider has the right to charge an additional fee other than the Borough fees established herein. This service may handle scheduling, billing, collections, pay, or any other services previously performed by the Borough of Palisades Park.