Politics & Government

Amato Announces Plans To Hire Five More Police Officers

More cops needed to replace retiring officers, mayor says

How many police officers does Berkeley Township need?

That depended on who was doing the talking at the Jan. 17 Township Council meeting, after Mayor announced plans to hire five more officers to replace officers who are retiring.

"We want to get them in the academy (Ocean County Police Academy) and get them through so our public safety will not miss a beat."

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Amato said he had met three times with Police Chief since he was sworn in on Jan. 1 to discuss the department's needs for the next several years.

Amato has already toured the police department building.

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"It's in need of improvement, I'll say that," Amato said. "We need to make sure they have the tools they need."

Vice President Joseph Semiraro questioned the additional staffing.

Semiraro said he had asked former Mayor Jason J. Varano last year why and was told because there was funding available.

"Available funding is our tax dollars," Semiraro said. "The answer should be that we have a need. Everybody in town wants to to be properly protected. Why hire additional officers? I don't see rampant crime in this township."

The new administration should determine whether positions are needed in all township departments and not just fill them through attrition, Semiraro said.

"When we hear that word (attrition) it's something that causes the hair to rise on the backs of our necks," Semiraro said. "Some officials would rather not make difficult decisions to furlough. That happens."

But Township Council President said attrition is the best way to go.

"It's my opinion, that it's the only way to cut a workforce," he said. "Nobody gets hurt."

"You can say that when you are spending our tax dollars," Semiraro replied. "That's a difficult attitude for us to accept. If it were your tax dollars instead, I think you would make a different decision."

"It is my tax dollars," Byrnes said. "I live in Glen Cove on the water. We will make the hard calls. The best way is through attrition."

Councilman Thomas Grosse — who is a Toms River police officer — said hiring more officers is a savings to the township.

"We are replacing officers that are retiring," Grosse sid. "You have officers that are leaving at a much higher rate. We are simply replacing officers who are needed."

"It really goes back to the question of need," Semiraro said. "We have to justify do we need that person?"

Brian Gingrich, president of the Holiday City at Berkeley Homeowners Association, said he and his wife were victims of a burglary in 2009.

"Our house was broken into while we were away," he said. "It took 35 minutes on a 911 call. If it takes 35 minutes for an officer to arrive, I would say hire as many police officers as you could."

Grosse said usually people who haven't needed the police department's services say no more officers are needed. Conversely, those that have needed the police say hire more, he said.

"There's no right answer," he said.

"Apparently I gave the impression I was attacking the police department," Semiraro said. "I was not. My point was we should hire people because of need, not because of available funding."

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