STONE HARBOR – During Stone Harbor Borough Council’s Jan. 18 meeting, Police Chief Thomas Schutta asked the governing body to increase the number of full-time officers in his department by one, from 17 to 18, and to allow the promotion of an existing officer to the rank of sergeant.
The moves would allow the department to staff a fifth patrol unit and end the practice of using the department’s detectives as backup patrol officers.
Schutta said the justification for his request was based on an increase in demand for police services and the added tasks associated with the state’s police reform efforts.
Presenting statistics to support his case on the increasing demand for police services, Schutta showed growth in the number of borough public events, rising numbers of incidents that require a police response, and what he termed an “uptick” in the crowds of visitors to the borough.
In terms of police reform, Schutta cited the most recent two-year period in which there were 28 police-related New Jersey Attorney General directives. He spoke of the changing nature of policing and the time demands those changes place on patrol officers.
Schutta saw positive reasons for many of the changes to a police officer’s role in the community, but he noted that they collectively led to a “slowing down” of police activities when responding to calls.
“We used to be in and out quickly,” Schutta said, “but that is no longer the case.”
He acknowledged that taking more time on incident calls can lead to a more positive outcome, but it also does not release patrol officers quickly for response elsewhere.
The traditional response to increased demand in many police departments is overtime. Budgets, however, are not always as flexible as they may need to be in terms of supporting overtime expenditures.
Controlling overtime in Stone Harbor has resulted in the use of detectives as patrol officers, removing them from the duties they would otherwise normally be assigned to.
As he did throughout his presentation, Schutta supported his assertions with statistics, showing a growing number of days each year when detectives had to be reassigned as patrol officers. He also showed the potential impact on overtime if the detectives were not redeployed.
Schutta said the creation of a fifth patrol squad, consisting of the added full-time officer requested and the promoted sergeant would allow better coverage during the peak months of May to September and greater flexibility to staff other necessary functions in the offseason months, from October to April.
The request for an additional position and a new promotion comes on the heels of the borough’s recent addition of career firefighters and EMTs to the previously all-volunteer fire department. It also follows a recalibrated salary scale for beach patrol personnel.
Together these moves show a need for greater investment by the borough in public safety personnel, as visitors increase, second homeowners stay longer, the town’s business community shows greater vibrancy, and the public events continue to increase.
Just before Schutta’s presentation, Fire Chief Roger Stanford provided the council with statistics on fire and emergency medical services (EMS) calls for 2021, which were significantly increased over the previous year.
While no decision was made, Schutta’s presentation was praised by members of the council for its comprehensive nature and the use of facts and statistics to support the argument.
Mayor Judith Davies-Dunhour asked that the costs associated with the request be included in the draft 2022 budget, “so we can get a sense of the full impact this would have on the budget.”
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
