There is hereby created in and for the Township of Monroe, in the County of Gloucester and State of New Jersey, a Division of Police.
A. 
The Division of Police, as constituted within the Department of Public Safety by Article X of the Administrative Code, shall be organized in such manner and with such assignment of personnel as the Chief of Police shall order. The personnel within the Division of Police may consist of up to a total of 70 law enforcement officers. The Division may consist of up to one Chief of Police; one Deputy Chief; two Captains; eight Lieutenants; 12 Sergeants; 46 police officers; a property and evidence custodian; and such personnel as may be authorized and approved by the Mayor upon approval of the Township Council and Director of Public Safety. In the absence of the Chief of Police, the Deputy Chief shall assume all powers and duties of the Chief vested upon him/her under the law. If in the event the Deputy Chief is unavailable, the next-highest-ranking certified officer shall take his/her place.
[Amended 10-14-2013 by Ord. No. O:16-2013; 6-23-2014 by Ord. No. O:14-2014; 2-8-2016 by Ord. No. O:03-2016; 7-24-2023 by Ord. No. O:26-2023]
B. 
In addition, the Police Division may employ clerical personnel and other civilian employees to assist the Division with performing non-law-enforcement support functions in the Township. The determination as to the employment of additional staff shall fall under the hiring/firing parameters of the municipality.
The Division of the Police, under the direction and supervision of the Chief of Police, shall be organized in such manner and with such assignment of personnel as the Chief of Police, with the approval of the Director of Public Safety, shall order and shall consist of such personnel as may be authorized and approved in the municipal budget or by the Mayor and Township Council where appropriate. The Division shall:
A. 
Preserve the public peace, protect life and property, prevent crime, detect and arrest offenders who violate the penal law and ordinances effective within the municipality, suppress riots, mobs and insurrections, disperse unlawful or dangerous assemblages and preserve order at all elections and public meetings and assemblages.
B. 
Administer and enforce laws and ordinances to regulate, direct, control and restrict the movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, including recommendation and supervision, if necessary, of the marking of roads to protect the safety and facilitate the convenience of motorists and pedestrians, and make and enforce rules and regulations not inconsistent with the Charter and ordinances for such purposes.
C. 
Remove all nuisances in public places, inspect and observe all places of public amusement or assemblage and all places of business requiring any state and municipal license or permit and report thereon to the appropriate department.
D. 
Provide proper police attendance and protection at fires.
E. 
Provide for the attendance of its members and appointment of Court Bailiffs in the Municipal Court as necessary for the prosecution and trial of persons charged with crimes and offenses and cooperate fully with the law enforcement and prosecuting authorities of federal, state, county and local governments.
F. 
Operate a training program to maintain and improve the police efficiency of the members of the Division.
G. 
Report inadequacies in the street lighting system and any unsafe street conditions.
H. 
Other duties as required and directed by the Director of Public Safety.
I. 
The appointment and compensation of said individuals within this chapter shall fall under the jurisdiction of Mayor and Township Council and as mandated by state statute.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118, the Director of Public Safety is hereby designated as the appropriate authority. In his/her absence or during his/her disability, the control and direction of said Division shall be by the Mayor or his/her designee. However, anything contained herein shall operate not to deprive the Mayor and/or his/her designee of any authority vested to his/her office by law to exercise any and all necessary police powers within the Township.
The appropriate authority shall, from time to time as may be necessary, adopt and amend the rules and regulations for the government and discipline of the Police Division and employees thereof. Said rules and regulations may fix and provide for the enforcement of such rules and regulations and the enforcement of penalties for the violation of such rules and regulations. All employees of the Police Division shall be subject to such rules and regulations and penalties. All rules and regulations as set forth in this section shall be adopted by resolution of the governing body.
The responsibilities of the Chief and Deputy Chief shall be provided in N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118.
No person shall be appointed a member of the Division of Police or continue to be a member therein who is not a citizen of the United States; who has ever been convicted of any crime; who cannot read, write, and speak English understandably; who has not had a complete high school education or the equivalence of a high school education; who is not of good moral character; who is not sound in body and health; and who has been dismissed from any police and fire department.
No person shall be appointed to said Division of Police until he/she has been examined by the Township Physician, appointed hereunder, and certified by him/her to be sound in body and health and physically and mentally fit for the Division of Police.
No person shall be appointed to said Division of Police unless he has been recently examined by the Director of Public Safety and has been declared by him/her or them to have the proper qualifications and experience for the office or post to which he/she is to be appointed.
Every member of the Division of Police shall subscribe to and take the following oath of office before serving as such member: "I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the State of New Jersey, the laws and ordinances of the Township of Monroe and obey all rules, regulations and order of the Division of Police of said Township, and faithfully discharge the duties of the office of _______ and will faithfully serve the Township of Monroe according to the best of my knowledge and ability."
The headquarters of the Division of Police is hereby established in the Police Station, situated in the Township of Monroe, County of Gloucester and State of New Jersey, which shall be open for the transaction of business at all reasonable hours of the day or night including Sundays.
All uniforms and equipment necessary to the efficient functioning of said Division shall be provided at the expense of the Township. The purchase of said uniforms and equipment shall be required to fall within the budget as adopted by the Mayor and Township Council.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 69-13, Appointment and powers and duties of Township Physician, was repealed 11-26-2018 by Ord. No. O:33-2018.
Upon any member of the Division of Police becoming sick, injured or otherwise incapacitated from performing full duty, he/she shall immediately notify the Chief of Police who shall immediately notify the Township Physician, who shall promptly examine said member and prescribe proper treatment, determine whether or not said member should be excused from duty and immediately notify the Director of Public Safety and/or his/her designee as to his findings and recommendations.
Discipline of police officers will be imposed consistent with New Jersey State statutes, New Jersey Administrative Code, the rules and regulations of the Monroe Township Police Department, and the rules and regulations of the State of New Jersey Department of Personnel. The written charges will be signed by the Chief of Police or designee as provided in the New Jersey Statutes and the Police Division's rules and regulations. Police officers may also be subject to discipline for violating other statutes, ordinances, and policies.
All members of the Division shall be subject to call at any time of the day or night.