[Adopted by MC 2018-22, September 11, 2018]
(a) 
As required by the Charter, there shall be established a Department of Public Affairs and Safety, the head of which shall be the Police Director who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council and shall serve during the term of office of the Mayor appointing him/her and until the appointment and qualification of his/her successor. The Police Director shall be qualified by training and experience for the position, which training and experience shall require a minimum of five (5) years experience in a responsible capacity in public administration.
(b) 
Notwithstanding any contrary provision(s) of the Plainfield Municipal Code, the Mayor shall have the authority to appoint the Police director on an acting basis for a period not to exceed one (1) year.
(c) 
Within the Department of Public Affairs and Safety there may be an Administrative Assistant designated as Secretary to the Director, who shall be appointed by the Director with the approval of the Administrator. The Administrative Assistant shall serve during the term of office of the Director appointing him/her, subject to removal as provided in the case of a Department Director appointed by the Mayor.
The Department of Public Affairs and Safety shall consist of such officers, patrolman/patrolwoman and civilian personnel, including police cadets and interns, as organized according to a table of organization described by the Police Director subject to the approval of the Director of Public Affairs and Safety and the Mayor within the limits of the budget established by the Council as follows:
(a) 
Captains: No greater than eight (8);
(b) 
Lieutenants: No greater than twenty-four (24);
(c) 
Sergeants: No greater than fifty (50);
(d) 
Patrolman/patrolwoman: No greater than two hundred fifty (250), including probationary patrolman/patrolwoman.
(e) 
Probationary patrolman/patrolwoman;
(f) 
Such other non-sworn Police Division personnel as deemed appropriate, all of which shall be administered as provided by the provisions of this Code, the amendments and supplements thereto.
(a) 
The Police Director, subject to the approval of the Mayor, shall promulgate and from time to time revise and enforce the rules and regulations which shall constitute a manual of police discipline, practices and procedures for the better administration of the work of the Department, and for the discipline, training and efficiency of the Department of Public Affairs and Safety.
(b) 
The Department of Public Affairs and Safety rules and regulations, the amendments and supplements thereto, are hereby adopted by this reference and made a part of this Code with the same force and effect as through set forth in full herein.
The Department of Public Affairs and Safety, under the supervision and direction of the Police Director, shall:
(a) 
Preserve the public peace, prevent crime, detect and arrest offenders against the penal laws and ordinances effective within the City;
(b) 
Administer and enforce laws and ordinances to regulate, direct and control, and restrict the movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic and the use of the streets by vehicles and persons generally:
(c) 
Remove all nuisances in the public streets, parks and other public places;
(d) 
(Reserved)
(e) 
Repair, maintain and control vehicles and equipment used by the Division, except as the Business Administrator may otherwise direct;
(f) 
(Reserved)
(g) 
Establish and administer a Traffic and Parking Section within the Uniform Bureau, which, in coordination with the Traffic Engineer in the Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works, shall maintain traffic accident records, perform traffic studies, carry out safety programs including school patrols and regulate school traffic officers and crossing guards.
There is hereby established the position of Police Chaplain in the Police Division, the number of which such positions shall not exceed one (1), and the person so designated shall be appointed for a period not exceeding three (3) years, by resolution of the City Council. Any person appointed as Chaplain shall be an ordained clergy person in good standing in the religious body for which s/he is selected. Such Chaplain shall become a member of the Police Department, with a rank of Captain. The Chaplain shall not be entitled to any salary or compensation
(a) 
There is hereby created the Auxiliary Police Unit.
(1) 
No person duly appointed as a member of the Auxiliary Police Unit organized under N.J.S.A. App. A:9-33 et seq. shall in any way be deemed a member of the Police Division of the City, nor shall any such person be entitled to any compensation for his/her services as such member.
(2) 
(Reserved)
(3) 
Any such member of the Auxiliary Police Unit exercising such privileges shall do so solely under the conditions, rights and obligations provided by the laws relating to the local Civil Defense and Disaster Control and Civil Emergency.
(b) 
The Mayor or the Director of Public Affairs and Safety, in cases of civil emergency or disturbances, may call into active service with full police powers Special Police to perform during the emergency. The members of the Auxiliary Police Unit may be designated as Special Police of the City of Plainfield.
(c) 
In accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:47-19, the Council may appoint other Special Police for a term of one (1) year, subject to revocation without hearing or cause. Such Special Police shall be under the supervision and control of the Chief of Police. Such Special Police shall not be members of the Police Division and shall exercise only those privileges and rights as provided in N.J.S.A. 40:47-19.
(a) 
Establishment. Under authority of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-156.1, there is hereby established a mutual aid agreement with all other municipalities in Union County, Middlesex County and Somerset County, New Jersey, who adopt a reciprocal ordinance to provide mutual police aid in case of emergency. This agreement shall apply whenever the City of Plainfield may have an emergency within its boundaries requiring additional police assistance to protect life and property or to assist in suppressing a riot or disorder; and whenever another municipality in these counties have enacted a reciprocal ordinance may experience a similar emergency requiring additional police assistance.
(b) 
Authorization. The Director of Public Affairs and Safety, Chief of Police or the Commanding Officer of the Police Division is authorized to request assistance from the Chief or other head of the Police Department of another municipality within Union, Middlesex or Somerset County to provide aid during and after said emergency.
(c) 
Mutual aid to be provided. The Director of Public Affairs and Safety or the Chief of Police of the City of Plainfield shall provide assistance to another municipality or municipalities in Union, Middlesex or Somerset County, making a valid request to supply such personnel and equipment as required to the extent possible without endangering person or property within the City of Plainfield. The members of the Police Division supplying aid shall have the same powers, authority, rights and immunities of the members of the police force of the municipality to which assistance is rendered.
(d) 
Cost of aid. The City of Plainfield shall, upon providing assistance to another municipality who has enacted a reciprocal mutual aid ordinance, assume the cost and expense of providing its personnel and equipment to the requesting municipality, except in such instances when the requesting municipality received State or Federal aid by way of reimbursement. In such circumstances, the cost incurred by the City of Plainfield shall be submitted to the community requesting assistance and be reimbursed on a pro rata basis based on the number of personnel and equipment that responded to the scene. In the event the City of Plainfield is the requesting community, only those responding communities which have a reciprocal agreement regarding the pro rata reimbursement shall be reimbursed from any State or Federal aid received by the City of Plainfield on a pro rata basis based on the number of personnel and equipment on the scene. If the responding communities do not have such a reciprocal agreement, the City of Plainfield shall retain the reimbursement aid exclusively.
(e) 
Compensation for injury or death. Members of the Police Division of the City of Plainfield suffering injury, or their legal representatives, if death results, while rendering assistance in another municipality, shall be entitled to all such benefits they would have realized if injury or death had occurred in the performance of normal duties in the City of Plainfield.
[Amended 6-10-2024 by Ord. No. MC 2024-33; 10-15-2024 by Ord. No. MC 2024-53]
(a) 
The Police Director, or his/her authorized representative, is hereby authorized to furnish off-duty police officers, on a voluntary basis only, to serve private or quasi-public functions upon written request received from such private or quasi-public party upon such party's agreement to pay charges as noted below.
(b) 
Such powers of the Police Director shall, at all times, be exercised in accordance with State Statute(s), as amended from time to time, ordinance or agreements executed and adopted by the City of Plainfield and the Plainfield Police Officer's authorized union (PBA/SOA), the Union County Prosecutor or the Mayor of the City of Plainfield.
(c) 
Except as provided herein, any person or entity requesting the services of an off-duty Police Officer of the City of Plainfield shall:
(1) 
Submit an application at least two (2) weeks in advance of the event, requesting law enforcement services to the Police Division. The application shall include an estimate of the number of hours such law enforcement services are required and the total cost including the administrative fee for said services. The estimate shall be subject to the approval of the Police Director/designee.
(2) 
Upon approval of the application, the person or entity, including, but not limited to, State and County entities, requesting such services shall submit to the Office of the City Clerk an amount sufficient to cover the rates of compensation and administrative fees set forth herein for the total estimated hours of the service prior to the services being rendered.
(3) 
The party or entity requesting such services shall be responsible for ensuring that sufficient funds are submitted in order to avoid any interruption of services.
(4) 
In the event the funds become depleted, services of the off duty Police Officer shall cease and requests for further or future services shall not be performed until additional funds have been submitted in the manner prescribed above.
(5) 
State, County, Municipal bodies and agencies and Public Schools shall not be exempt from the requirements for submitting fees.
(6) 
The Mayor with concurrence of the Plainfield City Council may waive payment of fees for assignments of less than five (5) hours in total with employer history of reliable payment or other indications of prompt and timely payment.
(7) 
The fee for off-duty law enforcement services shall be as follows:
Road/Traffic Services and special events not funded by the City, i.e., festivals, parades, etc.
$65.00 per hour
Emergency Road Jobs offered with less than 1 hours' notice
$110.00 per hour
Public Utility, Gas, Water and Telephone
$90.00 per hour
All Other Services (Security on Premises)
$40.00 per hour
(8) 
In addition to the rates specified above, an administrative fee of ten percent (10%) of the hourly rate shall also be charged for each hour of law enforcement services provided.
(9) 
All such sums received shall be made payable to the City of Plainfield with an appropriate description thereon so as to permit the Chief Financial Officer of the City of Plainfield to identify the payment and purpose.
(10) 
At no time shall payment in the form of "cash" be exchanged between a vendor and any Police Officer.
(d) 
All such sums shall be paid through and out of the regular payroll procedures. The time spent by any such member of the Plainfield Police Division shall not be computed as part of his/her regular employment hours or overtime.
(e) 
The procedures set forth herein pertaining to the manner and method of fixing and collecting charges, together with the establishment of payroll procedures, shall be subject to rules and regulations promulgated by the New Jersey Division of Local Government Services.
(f) 
The invalidity and unenforceability of any provision of this section shall not affect the remaining provisions of this section, all of which shall continue in full force and effect.
Rate
Services
Law Enforcement Hourly Rate
Ten percent (10%) Admini-strative Fee
Total Hourly Cost for Service
Rate 1
(a) Security on-premises for local religious organizations
$40.00
$4.00
$44.00
(b) Security on premises for Board of Education
$50.00
$5.00
$55.00
Rate 2
(a) Security on premises for special events NOT funded by the City of Plainfield.
$65.00
$6.50
$71.50
(b) Jobs financed via the City of Plainfield budget (i.e. street construction and resurfacing)
Rate 3
(a) All other outside jobs (i.e., public utilities: electric, gas, water, and telephone.
$90.00
$9.00
$99.00
(b) Emergency Road Job Rates for Jobs offered with less than 1 hours' notice
$110.00
$11.00
$121.00
(Editor's Note: The chart is provided by the City for inclusion with this subsection.)
(a) 
The Police Director, who shall have no police powers as defined by New Jersey Statutes, and who, subject to the approval of the Mayor and supervision of the Business Administrator shall:
(1) 
Exercise such powers as set forth in the applicable New Jersey State Statutes which shall specifically include the powers granted to the appropriate authority pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118, including but not limited to, the promulgation and adoption of rules and regulations for the governance of the efficient day-to-day operations of the Police Division and the discipline of its members;
(2) 
Determine the policy and direction of the Department of Public Affairs and Safety;
(3) 
Organize the Public Affairs and Safety subject/pursuant to the Table of Organization as set forth at Section 2:7-8 as amended herein;
(4) 
Provide recommendations to the Mayor and City Council for the establishment of ordinances to assist in the governance and management of the Public Affairs and Safety;
(5) 
Provide an annual report to the Mayor and City Council concerning the state of the Police Division and criminal activity within the City.
(6) 
Report to the Mayor and Business Administrator as directed;
(7) 
Issue special emergency directives as necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the City in an emergency;
(8) 
Receive from the Department of Public Affairs and Safety daily reports or other periodic reports as designated by the Police Director including, but not limited to:
(A) 
Budget and expenses;
(B) 
Manpower allocations, including overtime, vacation, sick and compensatory time accumulation and usage reports for all personnel;
(C) 
Accident reports;
(D) 
Incident reports; and
(E) 
Personnel related issues.
(9) 
Examine the operations of the Department of Public Affairs and Safety and the performance of any officer or member thereof;
(10) 
Adopt and promulgate standard operating procedures for the efficient operation of the Police Division;
(11) 
Prescribe the duties and assignments of all subordinates and other police personnel.
(a) 
The Deputy Police Directors shall serve under the direction and supervision of the Police Director.
(b) 
The duties of the Deputy Police Directors shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) 
In the absence of the Director, serves in his/her capacity;
(2) 
Assist the Police Director in preparing the department budget;
(3) 
Evaluate the effectiveness of programs and procedures of all units within the department for review by the Police Director;
(4) 
Undertake special studies pertaining to public safety functions;
(5) 
Establish and maintain relations with civic and business organizations, schools, and other groups and police agencies in other jurisdictions;
(6) 
Direct the establishment and maintenance of records and files; and
(7) 
Identify and prepare grant proposals for review and approval by the Police Director;
(8) 
Perform all other functions and duties as may be assigned by the Police Director.
Within the Division of Police, there shall be a Bureau of Parking. Under the direction and supervision of the division head, and in coordination with the Division of Planning, the Bureau shall supervise, regulate and operate publicly owned lands being utilized for public parking facilities as provided for pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:60-25.1 et seq.