Police Grant Denied Due to New Officer Requirement

With concerns over the possibility of having to add another police officer, the Bridgewater Township Council declined to vote recently on a resolution to apply for a 2013 Cops Hiring Program Grant.

The grant would have been for $201,461.87, and provides for up to 75 percent funding of an entry-level salary and fringe benefits for a newly hired officer for three years. The township is required to pay the remaining 25 percent for those three years, as well as the full 100 percent of costs of a fourth year.

The grant is made available through the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Currently, township ordinance allows for 74 Bridgewater police officers, and this grant would allow for one more.

But council members said they are wary about adding another officer, and being required to pay salary.

“If we get awarded the grant, I am not in favor of expanding the police department to add an additional officer,” said councilman Matthew Moench. “I don’t want to expand the police force.”

Township administrator James Naples said the grant cannot be used to replace a retiree or someone who has resigned, it has to be for a completely new body in the department.

Councilman Filipe Pedroso asked if it would be possible to change the township ordinance to allow for the extra officer for the duration of the grant—if the township were to receive it—and then automatically revert back to the former allowance of 74 officers after the four years.

“The decision to continue the funding would be a budgetary decision made by the council on a year-to-year basis,” Naples said.

But council members were still concerned about adding the extra person.

“I am OK with applying for the grant, but there would have to be some creative way to say we are not keeping an extra cop that we don’t need after the grant expires,” Pedroso said.

Still, the resolution was not introduced by council members, and it was not approved.