[Adopted 5-16-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-6]
The position of Police Chaplain for the Borough of Palmyra Police
Department is hereby created in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-141.
The position of Police Chaplain shall be a volunteer position. The
position of Police Chaplain shall be subject to the control and under
the direction of the Chief of Police.
Any person appointed as Police Chaplain shall be an ordained
clergyman/clergywoman in good standing with the religious body from
which he/she is selected. The Police Chaplain shall receive training
in the position and should have basic knowledge of the duties of law
enforcement officers. The Police Chaplain shall conform to all police
procedures and department regulations, in so far as applicable, and
shall be credentialed in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A.
40A:14-141. Further, the Police Chaplain shall be certified by and
in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Borough of Palmyra
Police Department.
There shall not be more than eight Police Chaplains appointed
in the Borough of Palmyra.
The Police Chaplain's duties shall include but are not
limited to the following:
A.
Assist the Palmyra Police Department in making notifications to families
concerning death or serious injury;
B.
Visit sick or injured police personnel at home or in the hospital;
C.
Attend and participate in funerals of active and retired members
of the Police Department;
D.
Counsel police personnel regarding personnel problems and station
house adjustments;
E.
Coordinate and conduct memorial services;
F.
Participate in in-service training programs;
G.
Attend Department functions such as graduations, promotions, and
awards ceremonies;
H.
Assist in programs and counseling targeted at youthful offenders;
I.
Assist in enhancing public relations and community outreach;
J.
Meet with the Chief of Police and other police personnel on a regular
basis for the purpose of ongoing evaluation, development of programs,
and discussion of departmental morale;
K.
Any other duty(ies) assigned by the Chief of Police.
Any person appointed as Police Chaplain shall serve in the capacity
without rank or salary.
A person appointed as Police Chaplain shall serve at the pleasure
of the governing body and for a period of one year from the date of
appointment and shall continue in that capacity until he/she resigns,
is terminated, is reappointed by the governing body at the recommendation
of the Chief of Police, or is replaced by another clergyman/clergywoman
duly appointed by the governing body at the recommendation of the
Chief of Police. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the position of Police
Chaplain shall be an "at-will" position, and the appointment of Police
Chaplain may be terminated without cause.
The Chief of Police may recommend to the governing body a person
that he/she believes meets the qualifications of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-141,
40A:14-122, as well as the rules and regulations of the Borough of
Palmyra Police Department with reference to Chaplains, if any. All
applicants for the position shall be interviewed by the Chief of Police
and/or his/her designee(s) to determine the applicant's qualifications
in accordance with this section. The Mayor shall appoint Police Chaplains
in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-141 and this article with the advice
and consent of the Borough Council giving due deference to the recommendations
of the Chief of Police.
