Hamilton Township (Atlantic County) New Jersey Police Department 6101 Thirteenth Street, Suite 220 Mays Landing, NJ 08330

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1 A. Agency Name, CEO and AM Hamilton Township (Atlantic County) New Jersey Police Department 6101 Thirteenth Street, Suite 220 Mays Landing, NJ Jay McKeen, Chief of Police Mark Cooker, Lieutenant and Accreditation Manager B. Dates of the On-site Assessment April 19-21, 2009 C. Assessment Team 1. Team Leader: Louis Moreto, Captain Manalapan Township Police Department 120 Freehold Road Manalapan, NJ Team Member: Michael J. Rogers, Captain (ret.) New Jersey Public Safety Accreditation Coalition 66 Witherspoon Street Suite 175 Princeton, NJ (908) D. NJSACOP Program Manager and Type of On-site: Lloyd Nippins- New Jersey Program Manager First Recognition through Alliance, C size (104 authorized personnel; 79 sworn, 25 nonsworn) Second Edition Recognition Standards. The agency is not participating in the CALEA Alliance Recognition program. The agency uses the CALEA CACE-R software program for its files. E. Community and Agency Profile 1. Community Profile The Township of Hamilton was incorporated on February 5, 1813 and is geographically the largest municipality in the State of New Jersey with over 115 square miles of land. The Township of Hamilton is a unique mix of rural forest and bustling suburb. The western three quarters of the township is rural pine forest protected by the Pinelands

2 PAGE 2 Commission. The eastern quarter has developed into a suburban area as part of the Pinelands Regional Growth Area. Hamilton s Regional Growth Area is home to the majority of the township s 26,000 residents. It is also home to over 3 million square feet of retail establishments including the Hamilton Mall and Consumer Square. In addition to that, the historic village of Mays Landing has the distinction of being the County Seat of Atlantic County since Hamilton Township s origins are directly tied to the Great Egg Harbor River and its tributaries, running through it. George May, after whom the village of Mays Landing was named, built a shipyard and trading post near Babcock Creek in By mid-19 th century, Mays Landing reached the height of its shipbuilding. Between 1830 and 1880, more than two hundred vessels were built along the Great Egg Harbor River with lumber from native forests and iron from Weymouth foundries. By the end of the century wood shipbuilding began to disappear. Today, the Great Egg Harbor River and Lake Lenape are recreational resources used by local residents and visitors alike. In the future, Hamilton will continue to grow, offering a modern community with all the amenities of suburban life while preserving the peaceful lifestyle of a rural community. Hamilton Township is home to some of Atlantic County s finer higher education institutions including the Atlantic Cape Community College and the Atlantic County Institute of Technology. As the County Seat, Hamilton Township is also home to the Atlantic County Justice Facility and the Atlantic County Court complies. The main branch of the Atlantic County Library is also located within Hamilton Township. 2. Agency Profile The Hamilton Township Police Department consists of sixty-nine sworn officers and twenty-five civilian employees. It also has eight class two special officers to assist during the summer months to help with the additional population and workload that the summer tourist season brings. The agency serves a jurisdiction of approximately 115 square miles. The rank structure consists of a chief, captain, five lieutenants, nine sergeants, seven detectives, and forty-five patrolmen. The agency is divided into three divisions; Operations, Support, and Inspection, Training and Standards. The Operations Division is normally staffed by a Captain and the other two Divisions are staffed by a Lieutenant. The Operations Division is commanded by Lieutenant Stacey Tappeiner and consists of sixty-three sworn officers. The Operations Division is comprised of the patrol bureau, the Investigations Bureau, the Traffic Safety Unit and the SRO/Juvenile Unit. The Patrol Bureau and is broken down into three platoons. The one platoon is assigned to the midnight shift and the other two platoons rotate between the day shift and evening shift. Collectively, all three platoons cover patrol service for a twenty-four hour operation.

3 PAGE 3 The Support Division is commanded by Lieutenant Michael Petuskey. The support division includes the communications bureau, the records section and the Court Liaison. The Inspection, Training and Standards Division includes the training section for the agency which also includes firearms, the internal affairs function, and the accreditation function. 3. Demographics The demographic composition of the service area and agency are represented in the following table: Service Population Available workforce Current Sworn officers Current Female Sworn officers Prior assessment Sworn officers Prior assessment Female sworn officers # % # % # % # % # % # % Caucasian * * * * African * * * * American Hispanic * * * * Other * * * * Total * * * * * Note: this is the agency s first assessment and prior demographics are unavailable The agency s demographics indicate that it needs to recruit and hire more minorities and females. The agency has three African Americans, one Hispanics and one other. The agency s recruitment efforts are discussed in this report, under Recruitment and Selection. The agency has embarked on an aggressive recruitment program. The agency is an equal opportunity employer and recruits at local colleges, police academies and local religious organizations via posting public notices and banners as well as using media outlets including the internet and newspapers. The agency maintains an updated recruitment file that logs all interested applicants for notification when the hiring process is initiated. 4. Future issues Chief McKeen identified the most significant area of concern for the immediate future as the problem currently plaguing the entire state. Since 2006 the ever constricting budget of the Township has resulted in a reduction of manpower within the agency and a decrease in the operating budget for the agency. The agency in 2006 had 71 officers and now has only 69 (this does not include specials). The projection is that in the future

4 PAGE 4 they will continue to see reductions, despite the fact that the calls for service has continued to grow at a five percent increase per year. The agency has addressed this in part by being more efficient. Since 2001, five positions previously held by sworn personnel have been transitioned to civilian positions. The agency has added mobile data terminals, which have allowed for more effective patrol operations and improved the communications system. They have also computerized and modernized their records bureau and increased the use of interns and volunteers. The agency has maximized its grant applications and awards to ensure the residents of Hamilton get the most value from their police agency, but the grant funding stream has dried up since Currently, the grant funding stream seems to have been reinvigorated in 2009 and the agency is hoping to take advantage of the new funding opportunities. 5. CEO biography Chief Jay McKeen is currently serving in his twenty fifth year with the Hamilton Township Police Department. He started his law enforcement career in 1984 as a new patrolman. Chief McKeen started his supervisory career in 1992 as a patrol sergeant. Since being promoted to a supervisor, he has served in the Detective Bureau and has commanded the Operations Division of the Department. Chief McKeen has continued his leadership training beyond his movement up the ranks of the Hamilton Township Police Department. He is a graduate of the West Point Command and Leadership Program and has become an instructor for that most prestigious group. He is also an adjunct professor for the Atlantic Community College. Chief McKeen is also the past president of the Atlantic County Association of Chiefs of Police. In the belief that every individual has the capacity to continue to learn throughout their lives, Chief McKeen has continued his education outside the agency. Chief McKeen received his Masters of Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickenson University in Currently, Chief McKeen is attending college in Rutgers University and anticipates getting a Masters Degree in Arts and English in 2009 and a Masters Degree in Fine Arts and Creative writing in Chief McKeen belongs to several professional organizations including the Atlantic County Chiefs of Police Association where he was the president in 2007 and He is also a member of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Chief McKeen was an instructor for the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police West Point Command and Leadership program and is now a committee member for the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police Command and Leadership program, which replaced the West Point Program.

5 PAGE 5 F. Public Information Activities: Public notice and input are a corner stone of democracy and CALEA accreditation. This section reports on the community s opportunity to comment on their law enforcement agency and to bring matters to the attention of the Commission that otherwise may be overlooked. 1. Public Information Session The Public Hearing was held at 1900 hours, on Sunday April 19, 2009 in the Hamilton Township Town Hall located at 6101 Thirteenth Street, Mays Landing, New Jersey. The assessment team delayed the start of the meeting, as there were no persons present at the time of the meeting. The team waited until 19:20 hours and no members of the public had come. The tape was initiated to put on the standard dialogue to start the meeting and the meeting was then closed. 2. Telephone Contacts The Public call-in session was held from 10:00-13:00 hours on Monday, April 20, Two calls were received. Both of the calls had positive comments in regard to the Hamilton Township Police Department. One (1) caller mentioned that law enforcement in general should spend more enforcement efforts on specific violations such as stop sign violations, tailgating violations and use of turn signals as the caller felt targeting these violations would reduce careless driving, motor vehicle accidents and people getting injured. He also encouraged the use of unmarked enforcement vehicles as a means to increase enforcement. 3. Correspondence The accreditation manager, Lt. Mark Cooker, indicated that he did not receive any correspondence directly. He did indicate that the news media published an article about the agency going through the process. The online version had two blogs attached to it. The first comment was an entry indicating that the reason for the accreditation process was for the agency to attach the liability to individual officers. There was one additional comment, which directly attacked the first comment and was very supportive of the accreditation process. It appeared that both comments were generated by people involved with, or familiar with the law enforcement profession. 4. Media Interest The team is not aware of any media contacts.

6 PAGE 6 5. Public Information Material A news release announcing the on-site, the public meeting, and the call-in session was prepared and distributed by April 3, 2009 to the usual media contacts for the area which included the Press of Atlantic City, The Current & Gazzette News, the Record Journal, WMGM-TV 40, and WIBG Radio. 6. Community Outreach Contacts The assessment team had the opportunity to interview agency personnel of all ranks and positions. Each employee, regardless of rank, seemed genuinely proud that they were going through the accreditation process. During the initial assessment period, various agency members participated in the static display and discussed their individual assignments, equipment, etc., and specifically covered accreditation standards. The fact that agency members did this led the assessment team to believe that the accreditation process is firmly ingrained in the agency. The assessment team discussed with the agency the value of going for the full CALEA accreditation, based on both the apparent success of this initial assessment and the fact that their directives already cover a large number of the additional standards which the full CALEA accreditation will require. G. Essential Services Law Enforcement Role, Responsibilities, and Relationships and Organization, Management, and Administration (Chapter 1-17) Prior to sworn status, officers swear to an Oath of Office to enforce the law and uphold the constitution of the United States and the State of New Jersey. They are also subject to a detailed Code of Ethics, which acts as a supplement to the rules, regulations, and agency orders of the Hamilton Township Police Department. Rights of all parties relating to arrest, interviewing, access to counsel, and search and seizure are stated in policy. Officers are allowed certain levels of discretion in making an arrest on misdemeanor offenses, except cases involving domestic violence. The Hamilton Township Police Department, like all police departments in the State of New Jersey, is encouraged to utilize station house adjustments for minor offenses involving juveniles. The Hamilton Township Police Department utilized this diversion sixty one times between 2006 and The diversion was utilized six (6) times in 2006, forty two times in 2007 and thirteen in When practical, and under certain circumstances, members of the Hamilton Township Police Department utilize consent searches in their efforts to complete their law enforcement function. All consent searches are conducted in accordance with New Jersey state law and case law. As a result, all consent searches are conducted

7 PAGE 7 voluntarily, intelligently, and knowingly. In the State of New Jersey, these requirements mandate that the consent be in writing, with the person giving consent understanding that he or she is not required to consent and can in fact refuse. The agency had forty consent searches in 2006, thirty-seven in 2007 and fifty in The requirement for a strip search and a body cavity search is obviously much more intrusive to the potential target of the search. The State of New Jersey puts significant restraints on these types of searches. The Hamilton Township Police Department has conducted only one strip search during the time frame of this initial assessment period. That strip search was conducted in 2007 and was in fact an unauthorized search according to the Attorney General Guidelines and the agency policy. This resulted in an internal affairs investigation in which three (3) officers were disciplined. The agency did not have any body cavity searches during the time frame of this initial assessment period. Bias Based Profiling Bias Based Profiling Complaints Complaints from: Traffic contacts: Field contacts: Asset forfeiture: The Hamilton Township Police Department does not collect or track bias based profiling data related to motor vehicle traffic stops. The agency s policy clearly prohibits officers from making traffic stops or pedestrian checks on the basis of the subjects, race, ethnicity, age, gender, and residency by county or state, sexual orientation, or handicap. All officers receive annual training concerning bias based profiling or policing. The Internal Affairs Officer, Lt. Mark Cooker, analyzes available data and any bias related complaints that are received by the agency. The Internal Affairs Officer also conducts an annual administrative review of any information received and forwards it to the Chief of Police. The administrative review indicates there are no policy, discipline or training issues to address and there does not appear to be any pattern developing. Use of Force Use of Force Firearms ECW Baton Oleoresin Capsicum Weaponless Total types of force

8 PAGE 8 Total Use of Force Arrests Complaints Custodial Arrests The agency s code of ethics specifically forbids officers from employing unnecessary force or threat of force, and restricts them to utilizing only that force which is necessary and reasonable in the discharge of their duties to achieve their lawful objective. Lethal force is restricted to the apprehension of felons, who in the course of their crime threaten the use of deadly force, or when the officer believes there is imminent danger that the person whose arrest is sought will cause death or serious bodily harm if apprehension is delayed. The agency had one (1) fatal use of force incident during the time frame of this initial assessment period. On April 30, 2007 Detective Leo Rudolph shot a suspect. The suspect died as a result of his injuries. The incident was investigated by the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office and was presented to a grand jury. Detective Rudolph was determined to be justified in his use of force and was cleared by the grand jury. Types and specifications of less than lethal weapons approved for use by the agency include chemical agents and batons. It should be noted that according to New Jersey law, agencies within the state can use less lethal ballistic weapons which are approved by the New Jersey Attorney General s Office, but up to the time of this assessment, no less lethal ballistic weapons have been approved. These less lethal ballistic weapons can only be used where deadly force would be approved. The State of New Jersey currently does not allow law enforcement agencies to utilize electronic weapons such as Tasers. All use of force incidents are reported to the Internal Affairs Officer, Lt. Mark Cooker, who compiles an annual report and review, which is distributed to the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office and the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey. While not required by the State or the County Prosecutor, these reports are utilized by the agency to determine if there are any trends, equipment requirements, or training that might be beneficial to the agency and the community as a whole. It is also utilized to determine if there are any specific officers who might be using force significantly more than his or her peers and to determine if there are any training needs or policy modifications, which might be required. The agency has determined there are no trends developing. Personnel Structure and Personnel Process (Chapter 21-35) The agency has a total of seventy-nine sworn officers. The agency has eight (8) special police officers (reserves) and fifteen officers have some degree of supervisory authority. The Hamilton Township Police Department has had one (1) promotional examination during this initial assessment period in In that year the agency promoted three (3) people, all Caucasian males to the rank of sergeant and lieutenant (one (1) lieutenant and two (2) sergeants).

9 PAGE 9 The agency has hired three (3) full time officers during the time frame of this initial assessment period. The Hamilton Township Police Department is not a civil service jurisdiction and as a result has a different hiring process then the majority of law enforcement agencies in the state. This is explained both under the Recruitment and Selection section and the Promotion section of this report. Two unions represent agency employees in collective bargaining with the Hamilton Township governing body. The New Jersey State Patrolman s Benevolent Association Local 77 represents all sworn agency members with the exception of the Chief of Police. The Teamsters local 331 represents all civilian personnel with the exception of the communications supervisor. The Chief of Police and the communications supervisor are not represented by a union. Provisions for medical coverage, appropriate disability/death benefits and retirement/pension plans are covered by the Hamilton Township Governing Body, the State of New Jersey, Township ordinances, as well as the union contracts. Liability protection is also covered for members of the agency through the Township of Hamilton. The agency does not currently have an employee assistance program for its employees. The agency encourages its members to maintain a level of physical fitness to perform the functions of police work. The agency does not have a mandatory physical fitness program for its employees, but it strongly recommends that its members maintain a high level of fitness to meet the requirements that police work often entails. The agency meets the standards for evaluating its personnel. Non-probationary, sworn employees are evaluated quarterly which concludes with an end of year evaluation. In addition to this evaluation each employee is required to complete a 360-degree evaluation consisting of a self-assessment, an assessment of the Chief of Police and an assessment of the agency. Civilian employees are evaluated annually. Officers in the Field Training Officer Program are evaluated daily. Employees are properly advised of poor performance about ninety days in advance of the completed evaluation, and provided with the opportunity to improve their work related behavior. Outstanding scores and/or scores that do not meet the standard are properly explained further along in the evaluation. The employee rated is giving the opportunity to view, comment on, and appeal the evaluation. During the time frame of this initial assessment period, there have been no appeals. It should be noted that the agency s directive was modified to ensure the evaluations are conducted pursuant to the standard. While the evaluations were completed quarterly, the directive referred to periodically for ranking police officers.

10 PAGE 10 Grievances Formal Grievances Grievances Number Procedures relating to the filing and resolution of grievances are detailed under the various memorandums of understanding between the Township of Hamilton and the respective unions for the sworn and civilian personnel of the agency. Final responsibility for all grievances within the agency rests with the Chief of Police. Department members can then appeal to the Township Administrator and then to the New Jersey State Public Employment Relations Commission. During the time frame of the initial assessment period there was one (1) grievance each year for 2006 and Discipline Personnel Actions Written Reprimand Suspension Demotion Resign in lieu of termination Termination Other Totals Commendations Officers are guided in their conduct and appearance by a number of policies, the code of conduct, dress code and appearance, agency rules and regulations, and township ordinances. The agency rules and regulations apply to the conduct of both sworn and civilian personnel of the agency. Harassment in the workplace is specifically prohibited by agency policy and Hamilton Township Municipal Ordinances. The agency utilizes progressive discipline, which includes: Positive discipline-verbal counseling, written counseling and training; Negative discipline- suspension, demotion or termination may be imposed for the most serious violations. All employees involved in an investigation of a complaint against an employee, regardless of the origin of the complaint, are required to provide a written or oral statement to the investigating officer. When the investigator has completed the

11 PAGE 11 investigation, a report it is presented to the Chief of Police. The Chief of Police is the officer within the agency who imposes discipline. The agency recognizes employees who perform outstanding acts of heroism or quality service. During the time frame of this initial assessment period, three hundred and one awards and commendations were bestowed on employees of the Hamilton Township Police Department. Seventy-eight were awarded in 2006, one hundred and twenty three were bestowed in 2007 and a hundred in The awards for 2009 have not been issued as of the time of this initial assessment. The awards and commendations ranged from meritorious service to valor. The Internal Affairs Section is the primary body investigating complaints of misconduct on the part of police agency employees, both sworn and civilian. The mission of the Internal Affairs Section is to protect the public, the employee and the Hamilton Township Police Department, through fair and impartial investigations of alleged misconduct. Discipline appeal is conducted through the grievance procedures as outlined in the respective collective bargaining agreements. During the time frame of this initial assessment period there was one (1) grievance in regard to discipline in That grievance is still currently pending resolution. The assessment team is unaware of any media coverage or lawsuits relating to discipline. Conversations with agency members and union members indicated that the union was generally in agreement with the discipline practices within the agency. The written reprimands during the period of this initial assessment period have been fairly stable with fifteen reprimands issued in 2006 and sixteen and thirteen issued in 2007 and 2008 respectively. While there have been no demotions or resignations during this initial assessment period there was a termination in In general, the amount of discipline is relatively low for a agency this size. There does not appear to be any trends that have developed during the course of this assessment period. Recruitment and Selection Sworn Officer Selection Activity in the Past three years Race/Sex Applications received Applications hired Percent hired % of workplace population Caucasian/Male % 31.6% Caucasian/Female % African-American/Male % 7.6% African-American/Female % Hispanic/Male % Hispanic/Female % 6.8%

12 PAGE 12 Other % Total % 100% The agency is committed to the idea that the demographic composition of the agency should approximate the demographic make-up of the community. The Hamilton Township Police Department is looking to increase the number of Hispanic officers within the agency. Currently the agency has five (5) females, three (3) African- Americans, one (1) Hispanic and one (1) Asian (the last one being classified as other). The agency is committed to changing the ethnic and gender composition of the agency as it recognizes that it does not meet the makeup of its service area. The agency has instituted a recruitment plan which includes the hiring of already certified police officers from other organizations as well as the Alternate Route program, hiring special police officers and advertising in the media. The agency has planned for a review and evaluation of its recruitment plan at the three year mark to determine if the plan is successful and if not, what could be done to revise the plan to make it more successful. The agency has hired three (3) full time officers during the time frame of this initial assessment period. In 2007 the agency hired five (5) full time officers and the agency hired four (4) full time officers in In addition to those hirings, the agency also hired seven (7) special officers, five (5) in 2006 and two(2) in Due to the current economic environment, there have been no personnel hired in 2009 and there are currently no officers in any police academy. The selection process for new hires is initiated with a written test, physical agility test, writing or essay test and an oral interview. All four (4) components are scored and weighted equally to provide a numerical ranking for the candidates. The agency then conducts a background investigation on candidates they elect to hire. Once the candidate has successfully completed the background investigation, the applicant is provided a conditional offer of employment. That conditional offer is based on successful completion of a medical examination (which includes a drug screen) and a psychological examination. Training The Hamilton Township Police Department does not operate its own police academy, but instead utilizes surrounding county agencies to provide training for its new officers. The selection of the academy is based on timing and availability. The agency has used County Police academies to include Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May and Gloucester County police academies to conduct police training. There are no agency members currently in the police academy, but a Class Two special is currently scheduled to attend the Cape May Police Academy in May of The agency has a very aggressive in service training program. Chief McKeen makes the training of his personnel a priority. The training function is normally staffed by a

13 PAGE 13 non-ranking officer of the agency, but is currently staffed by a Lieutenant. The training is based on a combination of supervisor and commander recommendation, officer request and specific job assignments and responsibility. The agency currently has twenty-three graduates of the West Point Command and Leadership/NJSACOP Command and Leadership program. The Chief has indicated that he has been successful in quadrupling his training budget in the last eight (8) years. This will be a difficult to maintain in the current budgetary climate. In addition to this, the agency also has forty officers who have a bachelor s degree and twelve that have a masters degree. In addition to the above training, all personnel, both sworn and civilian, are given an orientation upon starting with Hamilton Township, in order to provide them with the tasks and functions of their jobs. Also, employees are provided with written directives and expectations on what is expected of them during their employment. Promotions Promotions GENDER/RACE TESTED Caucasian/male Caucasian/female African-American/male African-American/female Hispanic/male Hispanic/female Asian/male GENDER RACE ELIGIBLE AFTER TESTING Caucasian/male Caucasian/female African-American/male African-American/female Hispanic/male Hispanic/female Asian/male GENDER RACE PROMOTED Caucasian/male Caucasian/female African-American/male African-American/female Hispanic/male Hispanic/female Asian/male 0 0 0

14 PAGE 14 The agency s promotions are regulated by comprehensive township ordinances. When the agency seeks to promote personnel to supervisory positions they announce a test. The test includes a written examination, an essay test and an oral examination. The agency has promoted three (3) officers in 2008 and these are the only promotions for the time frame of this initial assessment period. Those applicants who are not initially promoted remain on a list for three (3) years in case additional promotions are needed within the time frame. The supervisory staff is all Caucasian males since the retirement of a female Captain in Law Enforcement Operations and Operations Support (Chapter 41-61) The Hamilton Township Police Department has a very good patrol operation. There are three (3) platoons, which comprise the Patrol Bureau. Each platoon consists of squads, which are supervised by sergeants. Two (2) squads rotate between day shift and evening shift. The midnight shift is permanent. The officers work an 8.5-hour shift with four (4) days on and two (2) days off. This patrol staffing results in 24-hour coverage for the patrol function. The Investigations Bureau consists of five (5) full time detectives and two (2) rotational detectives from the Patrol Bureau. The Investigations Bureau is commanded by Detective Sergeant Anthony Alcott. The Hamilton Township Police Department, for the most part, is a self-sufficient police agency. However, on large-scale incidents the agency is supplemented by the Atlantic County Prosecutor s Office. The agency does not have a structured crime prevention unit, but the agency does believe in the community policing philosophy and all of its members strive to be responsive to the needs of the residents and business owners within the Township. Crime Statistics and Calls for Service Year end crime statistics Homicide Sex Offenses Robbery Aggravated Assault Shooting into a dwelling Burglary-Residential 31* Burglary-Commercial 13* Burglary-Auto 26* Theft-Felony Arson

15 PAGE 15 * 2006 statistics reflect total number of burglaries, but breakdown of type of burglary did not begin until April of that year, as a result individual numbers may not be accurate. The Hamilton Township Police Department is committed to the philosophy of community based policing. The agency did not have any individuals attend the public hearing. While some people may view this as a negative, the Chief indicated that he viewed this as things going well. He went on to explain that he feels that people will come out to complain when there is something to complain about, but they are much less likely to come out to be complementary to an organization. The Township of Hamilton has an annual report, which provides statistical data to its governing body and the administrator. The annual report is not currently posted on the agency web site. Vehicle Pursuits Vehicle Pursuits Total Pursuits Policy Compliant Policy Non-Compliant Accidents Injuries (Officer/suspect/third party Traffic Offense Felony Misdemeanor The agency pursuit policy is written in accordance with the New Jersey Attorney General Guidelines, with appropriate controls and guidance for officers and supervisors. The pursuit reporting system, which captures both vehicle and foot pursuits, is restrictive for motor vehicle offenses. The agency had issues with agency members not adhering to the policy and disciplinary action was taken as a result of these policy lapses. The agency has the Black Horse Pike as a major transportation artery through its jurisdiction. This roadway was the precursor to the Atlantic City Expressway. Also located just outside the jurisdiction is the Garden State Parkway. All of the pursuits were reviewed by command staff of the agency. Some of the pursuits were determined to be compliant with Attorney General Guidelines, but were determined to be in violation of agency policies. These issues were dealt with internally by the agency s internal discipline procedures. The agency has conducted an analysis of its pursuits and has determined that there are not current trends or patterns that need to be addressed at this time. Specifically the agency had two (2) pursuits (one each for 2006 and 2007), which were not compliant with policy. Each incident resulted in letter of reprimands. The 2006

16 PAGE 16 incident resulted in a letter of reprimand for both the patrol sergeant and the officer. The 2007 incident resulted in a reprimand for the patrol officer. Critical Incidents, Special Operations and Homeland Security The Hamilton Township Police Department has very comprehensive policies for personnel planning and responding to unusual occurrences. The agency actually has a very large regional mall, which results in significant transportation and crowd control issues, especially at the initiation of the Christmas Shopping period. For instance, on black Friday the agency considers this a special operation and assigns thirty-four officers specifically to this detail. The agency also activated a special operation plan in February of 2008 for a planned visit by Governor Corzine. The agency utilizes the incident command system for all of its events, planned and unplanned. Internal Affairs and Complaints against Employees Complaints and Internal Affairs Investigations External Citizen Complaint Sustained Not sustained Unfounded Exonerated Admin Closed Internal Directed complaint Sustained Not sustained Unfounded Exonerated Admin Closed Cases still pending The Inspection, Training and Standards Division performs the internal affairs function for the agency and its commander, Lt. Mark Cooker, is the Internal Affairs Officer. The agency meets the requirements of the standard in this function without exception. Officers accused of misconduct are notified in writing of the allegations as well as their rights and responsibilities. The agency is responsive to officer and community needs by investigating within time frames specified by the agency s labor agreements. Citizens are provided with information on how to make a complaint. All of the internal affairs

17 PAGE 17 files, both active and closed are maintained in a locked file cabinet in Lt. Cooker s office and are clearly labeled as confidential. Detainee and Court Related Activities; Auxiliary and Technical Services (Chapters 70-84) The Hamilton Township Police Department has a holding facility, which contains three (3) secure cells. The cells are located directly in the booking area and are within sight of the officers who have custody of the detainee. There is an accordion style separation, which can be utilized to close off one cell as a juvenile holding area. All three (3) cells are sight separated from each other and have no standard bars, but is closed in with glass. The cell area is also video monitored from the Communications Center. The agency s holding facility was examined by the New Jersey State Department of Corrections, which conducted an annual inspection, about a month before this initial on site assessment and was noted to be in good condition. The Hamilton Township Police facility has direct access to the court from its building and the agency is responsible for the security function within the court. This function is staffed with two (2) full time special/reserve officers and one (1) is located within the court at all times that the court is in session. The Hamilton Township Police Department s Communications Section is a fully operational call center. The Communications Center has two (2) dispatch stations, there are two dispatchers working most times, but during periods of low activity, the communications center can be staffed with one (1) dispatcher. The communications supervisor has a separate office, which has a fully functioning dispatch station, and also has an independent mobile radio set up which can perform as a fully functional dispatch station if the main system becomes inoperable. The redundant communication system was noted to be very impressive. The Communications Center is clean and orderly, has medical dispatch cards readily available, and has monitors to track activity both inside and outside of the police facility as well as a map of the entire service area of the agency. The agency s Record Section is well staffed and the public is able to obtain copies of public information from the records section personnel. The agency requires reports for all incidents and supervisors review these reports. Written reports are filed into the records section. Juvenile records are maintained with the adult records but are clearly marked as juvenile in large red letters on the case jacket. The agency computer systems are audited annually to ensure that unauthorized personnel do not have access to the system.

18 PAGE 18 Property and Evidence The agency processes almost all crime scenes in their entirety, but notifies the county for more in depth and complex investigations. The agency has in-depth policies to cover the processing of crime scenes and any crime scene investigative work is properly documented in agency reports. There are times that the personnel who are working do not have the ability to process crime scenes; but the agency does have a procedure to call personnel in for this assignment when they are needed. The property and evidence function is clean, neat and orderly. There are two (2) separate rooms, one (1) for property and one (1) for evidence. The fact that the property and evidence function is so well maintained is a credit to the dedication of the personnel assigned to this function especially since it does not currently have an evidence bar code system. This volume of evidence and property should require that the agency make the acquisition of an evidence bar code system a paramount priority. Such a system will allow the agency to be more efficient both in dropping and storing the evidence as well as to more efficiently perform their audit and inventory functions. The agency currently does not have narcotics separated from other evidence. When this issue was brought to their attention they immediately initiated an inventory and the narcotics will be separated as part of that inventory. This is one (1) of the items listed below in future performance issues. The items entered into evidence are properly logged and easily located. Items of evidence are turned in when seized or by the end of the seizing officer s shift. All of the storage is located within the two rooms. Evidence is logged in by the officer seizing the evidence. Safeguards are in place to ensure the integrity of this function. The evidence area is video monitored twenty-four hours a day by the dispatchers at the Communications Center. The agency also is in the process of installing an audio alarm system in the evidence room. Personnel are not allowed unescorted access to the evidence vault. All required inspections, quarterly, annually and unannounced, have been completed. The evidence officer completed quarterly inspections. The unannounced inspection, at the direction of the Chief of Police, was completed by Lt. Mark Cooker. Two (2) inspections of the evidence function were conducted during the assessment. The first was planned by the agency as part of the static display and building tour. The second was unannounced on day two (2) of the assessment. Both inspections found the evidence room to be neat and orderly with nothing out of place. During the unannounced inspection, over thirty items were cross-referenced to ensure the paperwork matched up to the physical evidence and vice versa. This test of the evidence function was completed without any issues.

19 PAGE 19 H. Applied Discretion and Compliance Discussion This section provides specific information on standards found to be in compliance after the on-site adjustments were made. Adjustments may include modifying agency policies and directives, creating documentation, and/or an alteration of the physical plant. The agency has four (4) standards in applied discretion: : A written directive requires a performance evaluation of each fulltime employee and reserve officers be conducted and documented at least annually with the exception of the agency CEO, constitutionally elected officials, or those employees exempted by controlling legislation. Problem: Fix: Agency directive did not specify annual performance evaluations for all personnel. Agency modified their performance evaluation directive to require minimal annual performance evaluations on all personnel with the exception of the Chief of Police A written directive specifies the procedures to be followed when using confidential informants, to include: e. Criteria for paying informants, if applicable. Problem: Fix: Agency provides for this function, but does not have the criteria listed in their written directive, however, the agency had not paid any confidential informants during the time frame of this initial assessment period. The agency modified their current policy to provide for criteria for paying informants bringing this standard/bullet into compliance A written directive requires examination at the beginning of the shift of all vehicles used for transporting detainees and the search of any transport vehicles prior to and after transporting detainees. Problem: Fix: Written directive did not require a search of the rear compartment of vehicles used for prisoner transportation at the beginning of each shift. Agency modified its written directive to require a search of the rear compartment at the beginning of each shift.

20 PAGE A written directive establishes guidelines and procedures used for collecting, processing, and preserving physical evidence in the field, and includes the documented transfer of physical evidence while in the field. Problem: Fix: The written directive did not cover the documented transfer of physical evidence while in the field, even though the agency was performing this function. Agency modified their policy to match their practice thereby bringing the standard into compliance. I. Standards Noncompliance Discussion This section does not apply. J. 20 Percent Standards This assessment is for the State program and as a result all standards are mandatory. K. Future Performance/Review Issues The most significant future performance issue for this agency is the evidence and property function. The agency was more than willing to assist the assessment team in the performance of its task of assessing the agency. The fact that it had not separated its narcotics within the evidence and property function is obviously an issue that needs to be addressed. The entire team was impressed with the fact that the agency immediately initiated an evidence inventory as a result of this omission, knowing that this is a significant undertaking, but that the issue could easily be addressed in this fashion. Obviously, this was not an undertaking that could be completed in short order, let alone during the period of the onsite assessment. As noted earlier in this report, the agency should make the purchase of an evidence bar code system a priority. L. Table: Standards Summary TOTAL Mandatory (M) Compliance 112 (M) Noncompliance 0 Waiver 0 Other-Than-Mandatory Compliance 0 (O) Non-Compliance 0 (O) Elect 20% 0 Not Applicable 0

21 PAGE 21 TOTAL (Equals number of published standards) 112 M. Summary The agency s files were well maintained, well organized and compiled in a manner that made the assessors review easy and efficient; it was obvious the agency s accreditation manager took great pride in the preparation and maintenance of the files. Five (5) files were returned for additional proofs of compliance that were already in possession of the agency. The agency had four (4) files in applied discretion. The assessors reviewed all of the standards and found them to be in compliance with agency practices meeting the intent of the standards. All of the comments concerning the agency were positive, stressing cooperation, professionalism, and community policing. N. Recommendation The assessment team has reviewed every standard contained in the Second Edition of the Standards Manual for the CALEA Recognition Program, toured the agency s facility, viewed its equipment, observed its operation and interviewed its personnel, both sworn and civilian. The assessment team found the facilities and equipment to be well maintained and the employees to be professional, enthusiastic, and well trained. The assessment team is unanimous in its recommendation that the Hamilton Township Police Department be awarded its initial accreditation. It is understood that the findings of the assessment team may be modified or rejected and that the Commissioners will make the final decision. Captain Louis Moreto Team Leader

22 PAGE 22 Section C: File Maintenance Log A written directive establishes a field training program for all newly sworn officers with a curriculum based on tasks of the most frequent assignments with provisions for the following; Problem: Fix: Agency did not provide standardized evaluation guidelines in the file. Agency provided a copy of the required standardized evaluation guidelines A written directive governs pursuits of motor vehicles to include; c. designating secondary unit s responsibilities. Problem: Fix: No proofs for this bullet for any year. Agency provided pre-existing documentation as proof for this file/bullet bringing this standard/bullet into compliance A written directive establishes a system of case file management for the criminal investigation function to include; d. procedures for purging files. Problem: Fix: File had proofs from 2005 and no other proofs. No purge has been conducted since 2005 and a memo to file was inserted into the file bringing this standard/bullet into compliance The agency has a written all hazard plan for responding to critical incidents such as natural and man-made disasters, civil disturbances, mass arrests, bomb threats, hostage/barricaded person situations, acts of terrorism and other unusual incidents. The plan will follow standard incident command system protocols, which include functional provisions for: Command (46.1.3), Operations (46.1.4), planning (46.1.5), logistics (46.1.6) and finance/administration (46.1.7) Problem: Fix: The directive did not cover planning. Agency inserted pre-existing policy covering this portion of the standard bringing this standard into compliance A written directive requires all complaints against the agency or its employees be investigated, to include anonymous complaints.

23 PAGE 23 Problem: Fix: The agency did not have any proofs or memos in regard to anonymous complaints. Agency inserted pre-existing proof on an anonymous complaint bringing this file into compliance. Section F: Administrative Issues The date and times the assessors arrived for the assessment: Assessor Arrive Date Arrive Time Leave Date Leave Time Moreto 04/18/ hours 04/21/ hours Rogers 04/18/ hours 04/21/ hours