WEST WILDWOOD — The borough has a new Deputy Police Chief. A resolution approving the hiring of Robert J. King to the position was approved by a majority of commissioners during the Feb. 3 meeting.

Voting yes for the resolution were Mayor Charles Frederick and Commissioner Gerald McNamara. Commissioner Scott Golden cast the lone nay vote stating the resolution did not follow state statute.

“The Deputy Chief who we hired this evening and who will be starting tomorrow…he’s a 26 year retired member of the State Police of New Jersey, he’s a retired detective sergeant first-class, he’s overseen finance crimes and investigations for two years, organized crime control bureau of the south for one year, casino intelligence for four years, eight years as a casino investigator and Field Operations section of the state police for 11 years, he’s also has extensive experience in fraud, racketeering, murder, money laundering, promoting gambling, narcotics trafficking, counterfeit, theft and assault. We look forward to the services he will provide to us,” said Frederick.

King’s salary will be $55,000 per year. According to Golden, the new Deputy Chief’s benefits include 14 paid vacation days, three paid sick, 12 paid sick days and 11 holidays. “I don’t know what that has to do with other employees,” said Golden, “I don’t know what they’re getting, but this is a summary of what the new Chief of Police is getting.”

King will take command of a police department that has not had a chief. The department has been overseen by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.

“How many officers, not being a Class II, do we have?” asked resident Maureen Smith.

“At present, with this hire, there will be two,” replied the mayor. The borough also has four Class II police officers. The borough has posted an open position for a third Class I police officer on its website.

“What ordinance regulates the police department?” asked Chris Fox? “Is it Ordinance 460? That ordinance means that you have to promote from within your police department. You cannot go outside the police department to hire anybody. So you follow the ordinance, which you followed absolutely no ordinance whatsoever, but I will tell you this, so we are on board here, I will take this farther. I am not stopping here with this. I will take this to D.C. and we’re going to follow through with this.”

The mayor replied that ordinances cannot and will not take precedence to state law.

“Hiring a police officer is not under state law,” replied Fox.