Photo by Jack Fichter

ERMA — Members of the public and other law enforcement agencies offered positive comments on the performance of the Lower Township Police Department at a public meeting Sunday, Oct. 5.

A team of assessors from the New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission to the department arrived here Oct. 5 for a three-day assessment of all functional areas of the police department.

The assessment team, which is made up of current and former law enforcement executives, is sponsored by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police in alliance with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

The CALEA accreditation program has identified 112 standards that must be met in order for police departments to receive state accreditation including the updating of all department rules and regulations, general orders and special orders.

The assessment team was lead by Chief Glenn Miller, of the Stockton College of New Jersey Campus Police Department and retired New Jersey State Police Lieutenant Colonel Al Kernagis. Miller is also a retired Major with the New Jersey State Police and a former Troop Commander of Troop “A”.

Chief David Dean of Avalon police said Lower Township police has provided a leadership role in providing special weapons and tactics training to the county as a whole. He said Lower’s initiative allowed neighboring very small police departments to be part of a larger team and to gain valuable experience.

Lt. Chris Leusner of Middle Township police acknowledged the hard work of Lower Township Police Chief Edward Donohue, Capt. Russo and Lt. Mastriani in making the Cape May County Regional SWAT Team a success.

Rev. Jack Howard, pastor of Tabernacle Methodist Church who serves as a police chaplain, said he has come to appreciate the openness of the Lower Township Police Department from the chief to the patrol personnel. He said Officer Macomber rescued two elderly parishioners from a smoke filled home this year.

Resident Joe Winters said the department “does an excellent job.”

“Over the years, Lower has been on the cutting edge of policing,” said James Rybicki, chief of detectives for the county Prosecutor’s Office.

He said Lower Township police were the first in the county to create a special room at headquarters for domestic violence victims and were one of the first departments to set up a sexual assault response team.

“They actively strive to be the most professional department in this county,” said Rybicki.
He urged the team to approve the accreditation.

Pastor Scott Durbin of Seashore Community Church, who also participates in the police chaplain program, called the officers “men of integrity.” He thanked the department for helping with Christmas toy drives.

Former Lower Township Police Chief John Maher said he was pleased the groundwork he laid for accreditation was continuing and took the department to higher realms.
He said it was a positive step to leave a department better than you found it. He said the current administration has taken the department and “continued to make it better than the way they found it.”

Chief Donohue said it was good to bring in an outside team to judge what the department was doing wrong, doing right and what can be done better. He held up a standards and rules and regulations book that was at least a foot thick.

Miller said his team would complete a report, which would be sent to the state Chiefs of Police Commission on Accreditation, which would make the final decision.

Lower Township Police Department will only be the 30th police department in the state to receive accreditation status.
Contact Fichter at (609) 886-8600 Ext. 30 or at: jfichter @cmcherald.com