A Police Department is hereby established in this Township which,
under the general administrative supervision of the member of the
Township Committee designated by the Committee to act as Police Commissioner,
shall consist of the Chief of Police, one police lieutenant, up to
five police sergeants, four to eight patrolmen, one detective, and
subordinate staff and personnel as the Township Committee may, from
time to time, authorize.
A.
Compensation. The Police Commissioner shall receive no salary as
Police Commissioner.
B.
Term. The Police Commissioner shall annually be appointed by the
Township Committee from its membership to hold office until the next
annual organization meeting of the Township Committee.
C.
Duties. The Police Commissioner shall serve as a liaison between
the Township Committee and the Chief of Police, reporting directly
to the Township Committee and performing and exercising such other
related duties and powers as shall be assigned or lawfully delegated
to him by the Township Committee.
D.
The Police Commissioner shall serve as the "appropriate authority"
in satisfaction of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118 et seq.
The members of the Police Department shall receive such annual
salaries as may be fixed by the Salary Ordinance of the Township.[1]
There is hereby created within the Mansfield Township Police
Department the position of Police Detective.
A.
Compensation: The rate of compensation shall be consistent with the
salary provided to an enlisted member at the same step and grade.
B.
Powers and duties; responsibilities. The daily functions of the Police
Detective shall include, but are not limited to the following:
(1)
Initial investigations of crimes committed in the Township of Mansfield.
(2)
Follow-up investigations of crimes committed in the Township of Mansfield.
(3)
Track and analyze of crime statistics and trends.
(4)
Conduct proactive investigations involving criminality within the
Township of Mansfield, including the preparation affidavits and the
execution of search warrants.
(5)
Develop and use confidential sources of information.
(6)
Assist uniformed officers with arrests, processing, report preparation,
evidence, statements, affidavits, and search warrants.
(7)
Review criminal reports from other Department members for probable
cause and completeness.
(8)
Collect intelligence information and be aware of all criminal matters
within the Township of Mansfield
(9)
Conduct crime prevention instruction and meetings for community groups.
(10)
Maintain cooperative efforts with other law enforcement and government
agencies.
(11)
Properly maintain and secure evidence.
(12)
Perform other law enforcement duties, as, from time to time, may
be directed by the Chief of Police.
The Township Committee may employ, on a per diem basis, such
special police as may be necessary in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-146[1] et seq. and may discharge them at any time without cause
or hearing. They shall not be members of the Police Department but
shall, while on duty, be subject in every respect to the orders of
the superior officers of the Police Department. They shall receive
such compensation for each day of services as may be fixed by the
Township Committee.
[1]
Editor's Note: N.J.S.A. 40A:14-146 was repealed by L.
1985, c. 439. § 14. See now §§ 40A:14-146.9
to 40A:14-146.11 and 40A:14-146.14.
A.
Creation of office. The Chief of Police ("Chief") shall be the departmental
head of the Police Department. The Chief shall be the highest-ranking
certified police officer and the immediate subordinate of the Police
Commissioner in all matters related to the Department. The Chief shall
have general charge of and overall responsibility for the efficient
performance of the Department.
B.
Compensation. The Chief of Police shall receive such annual salary
as may be fixed by the salary ordinance of the Township.
C.
Powers and duties. The Chief of Police shall, to the extent not prohibited
by law:
(1)
Review qualifications and make recommendations for the hiring of
additional and replacement departmental personnel.
(2)
Recommend, suspend and/or discharge departmental personnel after
following proper departmental procedure.
(3)
Investigate the conduct of any member of the Police Department or
its personnel.
(4)
Design and enforce the policies and procedures of the Police Department
and enforce the ordinances of the Township of Mansfield, the statutes
of the State of New Jersey and the laws of the United States of America
as they relate to members and personnel of the Police Department.
(5)
Administer the budget and the funds allocated to the Police Department
by the Township Committee and from any other available sources, including
the setting up of appropriate bookkeeping systems and procedures for
fiscal control and management.
(6)
Assign responsibilities for acts, activities, functions, performance,
reporting and duties within the Police Department.
(7)
Study, recommend, implement and enforce programs and plans for the
education and training of police officers and personnel affiliated
with the Police Department.
(8)
Study, recommend, implement and enforce administrative procedures
and policies within the Police Department.
(9)
Engage in any and all appropriate activities to facilitate a thorough
and complete dialogue between all municipal governmental and quasi-municipal
governmental agencies, groups and organizations.
D.
Performance of duties subject to supervision of Township Committee.
The Chief of Police shall perform his or her duties in accordance
herewith and shall be subject to and answerable to the Township Committee.
A.
The position of Police Records Clerk for the Mansfield Township Police
Department is hereby created.
B.
The job responsibilities of said Police Records Clerk shall be as
follows:
(2)
Police Department administration.
(a)
Help to coordinate the functions within the administrative office
of the Police Department.
(c)
Greet public who visit the police station; handle questions
and/or refer them to appropriate office or authority.
(d)
Answer phone calls, respond to citizen inquiries, route calls
to appropriate office or authority, take messages as required.
(e)
Input and maintain data in several established Department MS-Access
databases, including motor vehicle accidents, written warnings issued,
and vehicle maintenance.
(f)
Prepare purchase requisitions for Department supplies and equipment.
(g)
Assist the Chief of Police with all administrative aspects of
commanding the Police Department.
(h)
Handle paperwork for temporary handicap parking permits.
(i)
Prepare, pick up and distribute Department mail.
(j)
Maintain and manage department filing system, including pedigree
file cards, labeling and filing of investigation reports (confidential
information), and Department administrative files.
A.
To be eligible for appointment to the police force, a person shall
not be less than 21 or more than 35 years of age; must be a citizen
of the United States and be in sound body and 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; must be able to read, write and speak the
English language well and intelligently; and must be of good moral
character, not having been convicted of any criminal offense involving
moral turpitude.
B.
In addition to the foregoing qualifications for appointment as a
police officer, such person, before receiving permanent appointment,
shall successfully complete a police training course at an approved
school, as defined in N.J.S.A. 52:17B-66 et seq. (hereinafter referred
to as the "Act"), and pursuant to the authority given by such Act,
no person shall hereafter be given or accept a permanent appointment
as a police officer unless such person has successfully completed
a police training course at an approved school as therein defined.
C.
Pursuant to the provision of the Act, attendance at an approved school
as therein defined is hereby authorized by persons holding a probationary
or temporary appointment as a police officer when authorized by the
Township Committee.
D.
Once appointed to the police force, a police officer must establish
residency within such reasonable distance of the Township as to allow
the officer to respond with promptness to emergency calls. This provision
shall not be construed as requiring residence in the Township of Mansfield
as a condition of employment on the police force as prohibited by
N.J.S.A. 40A:14-122.1.
All appointments and all suspensions, fines, removals or other
disciplinary action shall be made or imposed by the Chief of Police.
Appointments and removals are authorized exclusively by the Township
Committee upon consultation with the Chief of Police.
Each and every police officer shall make complaint before the
judge of the Municipal Court or his clerk of every person known to
him to have violated any of the laws of the United States, the State
of New Jersey or the ordinances of this Township, so that a warrant
or summons for the appearance of the person charged with a violation
may be issued.
Violations of the policies, procedures, orders, or the rules
or regulations for the governance of the Mansfield Township Police
Department shall be cause for dismissal from the Department, in addition
to any other statutory grounds for dismissal set forth in N.J.S.A.
40A:14-118 et seq.
A.
Suspension with loss of pay. When any member of the police force
is suspended from office and is later reinstated, he shall not receive
any pay for the period of such suspension, unless otherwise ordered
by the Township Committee.
B.
Penalty in lieu of dismissal. All charges against members of the
police force shall be thoroughly examined by the Township Committee
or their designee. The Chief of Police, in lieu of dismissal from
the force, may impose such penalty as, in his judgment, is warranted
by the nature of the offense.
The Chief of Police shall make such policies, procedures and
orders concerning the conduct and duties of the officers and employees
of the Police Department, the kind of uniform and insignia to be worn
by them and concerning such other matters as may be necessary.
A.
Enumeration. Police Department employees shall be eligible for the
following types of leave according to the annual compensation ordinance
of the Township: annual vacations, sick leave, bereavement, military,
leave of absence without pay, holidays, personal leave and/or supervisory
leave.
B.
Regulations. The Township Committee shall establish the amount of
various leaves and the regulations governing their use in written
form, which shall be duly adopted by the Township and filed with the
Township Clerk.
C.
Statutory sick leave. Pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-137,
a member or officer of the Police Department who shall become injured,
ill or disabled from any cause may receive leave of absence with pay
not exceeding one year, provided that the examining physician appointed
by the Township Committee shall certify to such injury, illness or
disability. This section shall be construed only to apply to sick
leave for a continuous period of time in excess of the period of time
specified above for personal sickness.
D.
Court attendance. Pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-135,
whenever any member of the Police Department who shall be required
to appear before any grand jury or any Municipal, County, Superior
or Supreme Court proceeding, except in a civil action, the term during
which he is so engaged shall be considered a time of assignment to
and performance of duty, and the member shall suffer no loss of compensation
if such appearance occurs during his assigned duty hours; and if such
appearance is outside his assigned duty hours, he shall receive either
compensatory time off from his regular duty hours or, in cases where
such time off in the opinion of the Police Commissioner will interfere
with the efficiency of the Department, additional compensation.
