The Harding Twp. Police Department – New Jersey – seems to have a ticket quota. Here’s the story:
HARDING TWP. – A 40 percent increase in the number of traffic summonses issued by the 12 -member township police force in the last year has the Township Committee concerned.
Mayor Marshall Bartlett and members of the Township Committee said they have been approached by residents concerned with an overzealous police force.
Bartlett expressed concern at about the amount of tickets being issued at a police presentation to the committee in December where the Township Committee learned of the 2,840 police stops in 2010, 87 percent or 2,470 resulted in tickets and 1,600 of those were for speeding. The numbers reflect a 40 percent jump in tickets over the previous year.
Bartlett addressed the issue again Tuesday night at the Harding Township Civic Association’s annual Meet the Mayor night with about 30 residents at Town Hall.
Township Committeeman Nicolas Platt said the township is gaining an unwanted reputation.
“I am uncomfortable. Is this the town we want to live in, where we are getting stopped all the time? Why aren’t we issuing more warnings? There is no ticket quota here, so why is there a 40 percent spike? It’s very concerning to me,” he said.
“They (the police) are doing this on their own. We can give them some direction,” he said. “I don’t want to live in a town that has this “gotcha” mentality, and I don’t like seeing a 40 percent jump,”
Later, after the meeting, he said, “We were all surprised by the increase in ticketing which seems endemic in municipal police forces.”
Bartlett opened Tuesday’s discussion by saying “We have a fine police department. They do a great job, and we can’t control their day to day activities, but this is concerning to us.”
Township Committeeman Ned Ward said that he and Platt serve as liaisons to the police department, and said that, according to Police Chief Kevin Gaffney, there have been no issues with manpower within the department since the number of officers was reduced.
“He has indicated to us that they are meeting all of their obligations without difficulties. We have 12 now. If we wanted to add 13, 14, or 15, it would be very costly,” Ward said.
“But, I am also very concerned about the spike (in summonses), but I also think we are on thin ice. We can’t tell them not to stop as many people as they are stopping, but I think a ticket for a broken taillight is stretching it, in my opinion,” he said.
“But, we can’t tell them only to stop someone if they are going over five miles per hour over the speed limit,” he said.
Ward also said that the county prosecutor’s office has been asked to look at the department to ascertain if there are any aggressive enforcement issues.
“We are trying to keep this process transparent, but the fact is that the number of summonses are up by 40 percent, and those are primarily for speeding,” he said.
Bartlett said the issue may be tied to the township’s latest crop of what he called “younger and more aggressive” officers.
“We have told them that we want them to enforce the law, but it’s a big, big increase,” he said. “And it’s safe to say that people just driving through town are at higher risk than residents.”
Bartlett said the committee has indicated to Gaffney that this is not the way the township wants to raise revenue.
Committeewoman Regina Egea said the chief has indicated that the frequent stops are part of a comprehensive “crime prevention strategy” to keep undesirable elements out of town.
Some residents suggested the newly imposed 25 mph speed limit in New Vernon center may be a reason for the spike but Platt said that was not the only area where stops and subsequent ticket writing have increased.
Ward said he has asked the police department about why the big jump in tickets and has been told “they are doing their job.”
He paused and then added, “Of course, then you think, “oh, so before you weren’t?””
Glen Alpin
Speaking on another controversial topic- the Glen Alpin mansion that the township owns- Bartlett said there are few answers.
“We are good and stuck, but it’s not for a lack of trying,” he said.
He said he plans to meet with Jill Hawk, the new head of Jockey Hollow, to see if a federal takeover would be feasible.
“We are constantly working and thinking of ways to make something work there,” he said.
“The New Vernon Cemetery is full. People like me can’t get in, so what about a cemetery at Glen Alpin?” Bartlett said.
“We could have a rule that the tomb stones can only be two inches high or something like that,” he said. He said that since grant funds were used for the purchase, however, that may not be feasible.
Primrose Preserve
The 129 acre tract, located off Brookside Drive South, the mayor said, is another ongoing challenge.
“The Trust for Public Land and the Harding Land Trust are trying to raise money to buy the land. Morris County gave us $2.5 million, and those groups are looking for new funding partners,” he said.
He said the town would contribute $700,000 in Green Acres money, but said that’s still not enough.
Touching on the subject of revitalizing the “downtown” historic New Vernon area, Egea said a full report should be made available to the Township Committee within the next few months. The committee formed a subcommittee to explore options, including attracting businesses to town, improving lighting and parking and making the building permit process easier for potential businesses to relocated to town.
Policin e Harding Twp. New Jersey have a ticket quota. Here’s the original story.