About 100 people turned out for Monday night’s meeting on consolidating police work on the peninsula. According to a show of hands, most were officers or their relatives.
You’re not showing us any real savings. You’re creating a new bureaucracy, one that will be saddled with huge costs when the political wind inevitably shifts in Trenton. You’re ruining the “sacred relationship” between residents and cops small-town cops.
In sum, the message and tone of the second public hearing on whether to begin consolidating the police departments of Fair Haven, Little Silver and Rumson: bad idea.
“As far as I’m concerned, this whole thing is kind of the demise of three small-town police departments,” former Rumson police chief Bob Zerr told the Fair Haven council at a special meeting in the Knollwood School auditorium last night. “We’re being asked to buy something without a bottom line. I think in the long run, the taxpayers will be cheated.”
Much as it was at the first meeting on the topic last month, the audience was dominated by police department employees and their relatives. Some who spoke said they were on board with the idea of curtailing property taxes, but said the police departments shouldn’t be the first on the chopping block. The phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was uttered more than once.
But when one man claimed that “it’s broke,” as evidenced by soaring property taxes and the fact that the police are the biggest single expense for the three town, he was met with cool silence.
A Little Silver resident challenged the use of comparative data in a consultant’s report that recommends the police begin sharing some services.
Unlike the first public hearing, held in Little Silver’s borough hall, last night’s had empty chairs. That had been predicted by Fair Haven Mayor Mike Halfacre, who noted beforehand that just one resident had stopped by borough hall to pick up a hard copy of the consultant’s report at the center of the debate.
The report, by Patriot Consulting Group, a government services analysis firm, has been available online at the borough website and redbankgreen since it was published last week.
Much as the first session, though, this one was marked by a broad range of doubts about the wisdom of police consolidation in the three towns, with questions raised about the ability of cops to know and understand the needs of three towns’ residents instead of just one. Some speakers sought nuts-and-bolts answers from Patriot President Brian Valentino about staffing and cost savings.
“I am not against full regionalization, if it’s done right,” said Gary LaBruno, a sergeant in the Little Silver department. “This is not being done right.”
His boss, Chief Shannon Giblin, told the gathering he simply could not support a component of the shared services plan calling for a centralized communications operation unless it is based in his town. Otherwise, “it’s a tremendous decrease in service for Little Silver,” he said.
“All you’re doing here is building a new bureaucracy,” said Bill Chapman of Red Bank, who invoked his 15 years of experience in Wall Street mergers and acquisitions to buttress his assertion that no great savings would come from consolidation, and pointed to runaway costs from the planned shutdown of Fort Monmouth as a sign of how wrong forecasts of savings can be. “Think real hard what is coming down the track.”
“There is a very sacred relationship between the taxpayers and the policemen,” said one man. “What in the name of god are you doing? You are wrecking the relationship between the taxpayers and the people who serve them.”
Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, who initiated the the consolidation movement as a Little Silver councilman three years ago, told the audience that the sharing of detective and other services proposed in the Patriot report was the first of several “baby steps” toward a possible full consolidation. But “nothing about it can’t be undone,” he said.
Here’s the 52-page Patriot report; not yet made available in digital form are about 50 pages of supporting documents that are included in the hard copy. Download finalreport8-13-08.pdf
I'm not surprised that not many FH residents showed up to support this in a public forum. The place was filled with cops and their relatives. Most FH residents are in favor of consolidation but don't want to be harassed by police if they speak in favor of the plan in public. Put it to a private vote and you'll see.
I concur.
Giblin's comment is just ridiculous. Moving a dispatch station 2 miles down the road would decrease service? This is all about turf.
You're ruining the "sacred relationship" between residents and small-town cops.
Did someone really say that and was there laughing afterward?
The Police are against this????
In other news the sun rose in the east this morning and will set in the west tonight.
Personally, if I needed to call the police, I wouldn't care if a Little Silver, Fair Haven or Rumson cop showed up at my door. All I would care is that they showed up quickly. Lets be serious here people, these 3 towns do not have high crime rates, we're not talking about a huge risk to human life by combining the force.
where were all of you last night?
One other comment that I think the police are failing to realize. If they worked for a public company, one that relies on watching the bottom line, they may be faced with mergers. In the real world, companies merge, close, go under all the time. Interlaken police are also facing the same situation, merging with other towns (yes for different reasons but still). Do we really need 3 or 4 detectives in each town? Are there REALLY a lot of investigations going on?
heres a part of the report on page 27:
"since no New Jersey municipalities have ever regionalized police services, no one knows for certain the potential improvements in service delivery and financial savings that may be enjoyed with a regionalized service"
heres another part of the report on page 33
"While the three Chiefs of Police unanimously believe that this sharing arrangement would adversely affect their ability to effectively patrol and protect their individual communities,"
and this is the funny one;
on page 44 of the report it states the savings,
"Each community is projected to save almost $531,000 ($1.59 million in combined savings), beginning with the first year of Primary Phase II (2011). This will equal almost $11.6 million
in combined cumulative savings by 2017 versus the cost of providing the service individually during the same time period."
Now they just stated on page 27 that they cant predict the cost savings and on page 44 they tell you what the cost savings will be???
What a bunch of fluff this report is!!
The guy in the photo above with the green shirt and mustache is hot. I want him to come over, put the cuffs on me and rough me up!!!!
I can bet you if I came to this meeting and spoke in favor of consolidation (which I do), I'd be getting phantom speeding or broken tailight violations. I don't need that aggravation - which is why I wasn't there.
True dat why i wasnt there. shameful but true. not worth the risk.
"But when one man claimed that "it's broke," as evidenced by soaring property taxes and the fact that the police are the biggest single expense for the three town, he was met with cool silence."
When I first moved to FH I thought it a bit grandiose and fiscally extravagant that the Police Dept. had a motorcycle. I was informed, by somebody running for mayor, that it really didn’t cost the taxpayer anything because the motorcycle was bought from another PD for a dollar. I asked if it cost anything to operate and was met with silence and blinking eyes. A few years later I read that the FHPD had leased a new motor cycle to replace the old one. As I recall, somebody from the FHPD was quoted as saying that the new motorcycle was leased in order to keep costs down. Now, I must add that my experience with the FHPD has always been excellent. In fact I would rate them as the best police department I have ever personally dealt with. But does the FHPD really have any need for a motor cycle to patrol a 1 by 1 mile town? Is this an example of taxpayers being asked to pay for frivolous toys for the FHPD and is it an indicative of a mindset which has led to such a high cost police dept?
Great comments by "Really", "Not Surprised" "Really?, I mean really", "Not surprised either". All are right on target !!
We certainly don't need elaborate studies to light up the obvious municipal waste from so many duplicated town services. They will be eliminated only if the local political leaders have the courage to move ahead with consolidations in the face of predictable, self-serving opposition.
In re: to the motorcycle, that was done away with the first day Chief Breck took office. It was a toy for one officer, who has since retired. The Suburban was donated by John Mulheren. Every other vehicle is a standard PD package.
Why don't they tackle consolidating the schools? That is our biggest expenditure. Rumson/FH/LS schools are basically the same (except FH's crazy math curriculum), right?
Why does everyone keep trying to push focus away from the police departments? Why the schools?
Better question: WHY NOT BOTH? WHY NOT ALL?
The cops are to be expected to be out for themselves and themselves only but to suggest that this is not a legitimate initiative are just kidding themselves.
how about we just combine everything east of the parkway and make one big town.
one garbage system, one school budget, one set of politics, one set of police, fire and first aid.
one set of parks and rec, one set of road department, one giant salary for one guy to oversee the whole thing 24hrs a day.
hey, why did we become seperate towns in the first place?
wow, history really does repeat itself doesnt it?
If it is so economical for these towns to merge services, can someone please intelligently answer me one question? How come the tax rate in Middletown Twsp is higher than ours? Actually that goes for every other "Township" in this county also. Acoording to your logic they should be living large in those communities. Please answer.
I hope you cowards that were afraid to speak your minds arent bringing your kids up the same way.
"i too scared of the policmen if i say something bad about them" boo hoo!!
halfacre even writes on his blog that he had a few approach him after the meeting saying they were in favor of the plan, but they were scared to speak their minds…
A bunch of GUT-LESS losers.
I don't think it is fair to call these people gutless losers, particularly if they feel bullied or intimidated by their own police officers.
If these Chiefs were true professionals they would explain to their officers how inappropriate it is for public employees to inject themselves into the policymaking processes of the government. But, judging from their comments and protectionistic positions, it is clear that the Chiefs are not professionals.
cowards there is no need to go to a public debate forum if your mind is already made up. I think most tax payers have an opinion on this issue already. Call, write, and petition your local ELECTED officials. They make the decisions, not the hired help. There are more good cops than bad, no doubt. Like in all other segments of society there are the renegades as well. Your comments cowards paint a picture for me that you might be one of those renegades. I really hope my tax dollars are not paying for a badge on your chest or a revolver around your waist. Notice that the majority of the attendees at this public forum were reportedly there to protect their fiefdoms.
Suggestion, let all 3 towns create a referendum and put it on a ballot for people to vote on anonymously. Then no undue influence can be blamed for the outcome either way. Sounds rather democratic don't you think…….
Non-residents of FH, Little Silver or Rumson shouldn't be allowed at these meetings. Cops and their relatives also should not be allowed at these meetings.
I've never been in a corporate meeting where cost cutting or consolidation is being discussed where those being consolidated are allowed to give an opinion. Only in la-la land of the public sector.
…'A bunch of GUT-LESS losers….Yse perhaps we are but receiving a ticket is a expensive proposition ,undoubtedly you lose in court if you plead NG (unless your a cop in RB they even get off DWI )in this economy a measly speeding ticket can cost you over $2000.00 with points for 3 years and all .Physically I'm NOT intimidated financially I most certainly am
I don't know where this great American myth began, but police seldom prevent crime. They respond to reported criminal activity, investigate the legitimacy of the situation and, hopefully, apprehend the perpetrators. Eliminating cops on the street may or may not be viable in this case. Eliminating the multiple layers of bureaucratic redundancy would certainly be welcome to the taxpayers and, probably, though few might agree in public, to a lot of cops.
OOPPS forgot, once again we citizens would be assaulted with propaganda by adds funded by The PBA, NJEA, and CWA. Regionalization by ballot wouldn't stand a chance.
Are you people kidding? Have you seen the property tax pie graph? The police equal 3 to 4 percent of my taxes. The school is 60 percent of my taxes. Are you kidding me? Take a look people! The teachers and the school administration is killing us. We are being held hostage by teachers. All I hear is THE KIDS! THE KIDS! These people work 180 days a year. Full benefits and vacation. Cops work all year and deal with the stuff we don't want to. They work in the rain, the snow, the heat, the cold, the holidays yes all the holidays when you are with your family they are NOT!
Bravo OUTRAGED! you said it!
The cops are there to see possibly their future. I would be there if it was my future. They tend to care about things that have to do with themselves. What is wrong with that?
NOBODY ANSWERED MY QUESTION - If it is so economical for these towns to merge services, can someone please intelligently answer me one question? How come the tax rate in Middletown Twsp is higher than ours? Actually that goes for every other "Township" in this county also. IF ALL YOU PRIVATE BUSINESS WIZARDS ARE OUT THERE, ANSWER THIS. Stop spouting of about tickets or cowardous. A merger and aquisition professional (from RB) stood up and said it would not work, a former councilman in Rumson said it would not work, present councilman voiced serious concerns from a business standpoint about its effectiveness. Patriot can't confirm any savings numbers. Do you need a rock to drop on your head? IF BIGGER IS BETTER THAN WHY IS IT NOT MORE EFFICIENT IN LARGER TOWNS?? PROVIDE AN ANSWER OTHER THAN RHETORIC..WAITING
Hi Outraged. I am Ditch.
I did not know we had a hostage situation down at the school!! And the school administration is killing people? That is really awful. I think we are going to need some real good police men to rescue the hostages and stop the violent administrators. I think I have an idea:
Let's take the best cops from Little Silver, Fair Haven and Rumson and combine them into one force and see if they can solve this disturbing situation. Perhaps a surprise raid on a cold, wet, holiday weekend might catch these bastards off guard!!!
Oh and Outraged, I am sorry about that terrible voice in your head that you keep hearing that says The Kids! The Kids! It sounds like it is out of a horror show.
Of course the cops showed up for this meeting. They know the jig is up and they're worried as they should be. I'm saying they shouldn't be allowed to be there.
Would I ask my accountant's opinion if I should fire him before I fire him? What do you think he would say?
Why should the cops not be allowed at these meetings? What about those who also live in the community they serve? Are they allowed no voice as a tax payer?
Many of the cops actually stand to benefit from a merger as the lower paid departments will get a hefty raise to match that of the higher paid department. Benefits too will improve. And think of the bargaining power of one large union with the deep pockets rather then three smaller ones. None of this was mentioned in the report.
Most of what I've heard from the cops is that they are not against the merger, just against going about in the way that was outlined in this report by Patriot. Patriot was obviously way in over it's head here and didn't realize it until it was too late. A better report, with a realistic approach, conducted by a more professional and experienced company would stand a much better chance.
As a result of Patriot incompetence though, it's is never going to happen. Not a chance.
Hey Jacka$$ - The reason the tax rates are higher in Middletown is that there hasn't been a property value reassessment there for years so to compensate for the lower property values they have to raise the tax rate. I wouldn't expect you to understand this though because it involves math but I've included this helpful link. Now shut your piehole!
http://www.middletownnj.org/TaxAssessor/pdf/reval-FAQ1.pdf
Hey Candy LA$$. The tax rate in Middletown and comparable townships has been higher since at least back to the 80's or longer and they get less service than we do, that is the point. Stick to the water cooler and stay out of the Board Room, your math doesn't impress me.:)
Let me get this straight. . .
1. No one gets fired.
2. 2/3 of the cops get raises
3. The cops are fighting it tooth and nail
4. But they support it at the same time
5. Taxpayers finally get a break
Why are we still talking about this? This is a no brainer!
My brain hurts. . .
What has this come to where we are now pitting one another against our police and our teachers? WE NEED THEM BOTH!
Our three peninsula towns should return to our original goal of getting rid of wasteful duplication and find the most effective and efficient use of our combined law enforcement services. We should also have the same goals for ALL of our other municipal services; DPW, administrative, judicial, etc. We also need to carefully review our education services and costs which now make up about 60 % of our total property tax bill.
Those three towns already share some type of services. When Rumson PD or Fair Haven PD has only one officer working the midnight shift, officers from the other towns back him. (It's a start but that's sharing). Then you can start with the fire departments. When has there been a fire when all of the fire trucks have been used at one time. Look how many fire trucks the Red Bank Fire Department has. 5 pumpers, 2 ladder trucks and they want to purchase another million dollar ladder. Fire Department services should be shared first, evaluate that and then look to see how things are going.
This is where many here are misinformed. The problem with the merger is not about whether or not to do it. It's about actually implementing it in an efficient manner without a loss of service to the communities.
So far, Patriot has failed miserably in demonstrating how it can be done. Their Phase I recommendations make very little sense and they completely fail to show where savings will be realized without loss of service, as they were tasked to do. Forget about cops vs councils, or resident vs resident. Just read the report. then make a decision.
Sure, they say eliminating officers through attrition will save $2M in 10 years. Yet they can't guarantee those numbers. They fail to demonstrate how exactly service will be improved under a weakened combined force. They say implementation costs will be covered by grants, but they assume that grant money will still be available 3, 4 or 7 years from now.
Keep working towards a regionalization plan, but scrap this report from Patriot and start from scratch.
There are no voices in my head. It is the sound of the crybaby teachers an the NJEA wining about how bad they have it. Get a real job! The cops should go to the meetings because they are taxpayers also. Watch the super smart teachers chime in tonight. They don't have work tomarrow and can stay up late.
Patriot Consulting website shows this study as one of their success storys. I clicked on previous clients and it's a dead link. Is this their first study? Are they one of O'scanlon's political buddies? Looks like it's CEO has been run out of several towns around the county.
Outraged,
You should have listened to the super smart teachers.
T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W
It seems the argument against the reorg has switched from "we won't get adequate coverage" to "hey we're not against but this plan is flawed". Nice use of talking points local PBA!!!
Patriot showed the bloat and waste currently and projected possible savings. Now it's time for our officials to put together a plan and implement without foot dragging.
You know, my mother used to tell me that you know you are right when the best your enemies resort to name calling.
The talking points have changed for sure but the cops message still doesnt make sense. . . and the name calling is hysterical! Who is posting these comments? Second Graders?
Anyone with business sense can read this report and see there is no backbone to its financial arguments. Waving the 2mil flag, but it cannot be "guaranteed", nor broken down sufficiently by Patriot.
The savings also rely wholly upon finances being given from the SHARE grant program. They may NOT provide all the money needed, if they dont guess who foots the bill? Thats right taxpayers, and if the projected savings that cannot be guaranteed by Patriot dont come, and taxes possibly raise if this idea crashes and burns, guess who foots the bill? Thats right, taxpayers.
How about some common sense on here.
I think part of what makes the plan flawed is that we won't receive adequate coverage, so thanks for making the point.
Bottom line is, it's never going to happen. One town has quietly already pulled out of all but one facet of the plan, and the other two are not going to agree with their terms, so it'll be a dead issue within a month or two.
To the fine young men and women of the Fairhaven, Rumson and Little Silver Police Departments, you now know what everyone else has known for years. Your residents are A$$HOLOES
The above message has been brought to you by your local Policeman's Benevolent Society.
Keep up the good work!!!
I've lived in Red Bank on a border street between Fairhaven and close to Little Silver for almost ten years. We have Red Bank and Fairhaven officers patrolling our sreets and occasionally Little Silver Cops.
I'm happy we have had no crime in ten years, I know the state is broke, but why is no one talking about dividing the towns into even smaller towns. Then I could have five or six police departments patrolling my street instead of two or three. My property taxes are high, but who cares this is New Jersesy we do not do things that make common sense. I know every cop hopes to be a police cheif with a six plus figure salary. As a State we already can not meet our pension obligations, but why should that matter!?!
Regarding the people who blew off this meeting out of supposed fear of retribution, I would have simply shown up on my bicycle so no one could get my plate number (and hence the ability to trace my address, because, sad to say, you KNOW they would do it). Unless you know them personally, how would the cops know who you are? It's not like you have to show ID and a utility bill with your address on it to attend one of these things, do you?
You people are afraid of the schools not the police department. Sorry for my last post no spellcheck or grammer button on this machine.