New Chief Seeks to Boost Manpower in 2013 Budget

Police Chief David Paprota proposed seven new hires to the Committee as the township is reaching an all time low in manpower.

Factoring in the retirements of a police chief and sergeant, Paprota was able to include new hires and potential promotions in the 2013 budget, he said at the township’s first budget workshop meeting Thursday.

If approved by the Committee, the township would experience a savings from year to year, Paprota said.

“That’s something I want to point out tonight that is nice in years to come,” he said. “I projected out through December 31, 2016 that our attrition rate and the savings related to attrition will far outpace any expenditures in salary related to new hires to not only replace but expand if the township so decides.”

The police department’s budget includes the hiring of four new officers, a part-time dispatcher and a part-time clerk.

With 25 uniform patrolmen currently, there is a projected loss of six more police employees by July 2014 due to retirement. Two officers are currently injured and the police department typically loses one every two years to termination or resignation, Paprota said.

The township could reach a “desired strength” without utilizing additional funds, he said.

“If we lose six more officers by next July 1, we will be dependent on Class II Specials to help us out a little in the interim while we get people trained,” he said.

Even with four new officers, the department will remain in dire straits staffing wise through 2013. It could take up to 18 months before a new hire is on the road, Paprota said.

“We’re going to have to look aggressively at hiring as these proposed or possible retirements become a reality,” he said.

The township is already in the process of hiring the four new officers, Paprota said. The new hires would account for $122,375.

“We have four exceptional candidates,” he said.

Overtime is also expected to increase in 2013 with the shortage of manpower, Paprota said. There was $151,000 in patrol division overtime in 2012, which is “extreme.” There was an additional $10-12,000 in overtime due to Hurricane Sandy.

“To make it through 2013, we’re going to have more overtime out of necessity,” he said.

Paprota proposed hiring two dispatchers and a clerk incrementally as part-time employees to train and assess the employee’s abilities before extending a full-time position, he said.

The township would see an increase in salaries for dispatchers and clerks since there were no retirements in those areas in 2012, he said. But the department is down to six dispatchers from nine. The department also had an "experienced" clerk retire two years ago, he said.

A clerk would cost the township $20,462. A part-time dispatcher would be $12 an hour at a maximum of 20 hours per week.

Paprota also said that historically the educational line item for the police department has been underfunded. There hasn’t been a promotion within the department for eight years. With retirements, there will be a potential for promotions.

“Officers, right now, are very excited about the future,” he said, adding that six have committed to taking college courses and completing advanced degrees. The township would be responsible for tuition reimbursement, which could be as high at $27,000.

‘The List Keeps Getting Bigger’

More than $1 million in capital requests was proposed by the Lacey Township Police Department and emergency services.

A priority capital request for the police department is an eight-foot security fence surrounding the back of the building. Material costs are $38,000 and public works would install the fence.

Since Wawa has been in business next door, there’s a higher volume of motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic — some of which are there just to eavesdrop, he said.

“We bring arrestees in, we bring victims in. There’s no privacy, there’s no discrete type way to get them into headquarters without people literally sitting in the Wawa parking lot observing everything that’s going on,” he said.

Paprota also asked for three Ford Explorers at $81,000, a door access security and tracking system, a digital copier, a Polaris Ranger ATV and two defibrillators.

Lacey’s fire departments and emergency service squads made the majority of capital requests, many standard request such as hoses, air packs, turnout gear and radios. But big figure items were also pitched.

The Lanoka Harbor Fire Company would like a command vehicle at $45,000; the Forked River Fire Company asked for a $675,000 tanker pumper; a $35,000 vehicle for the Bamber Lake Fire Company; $125,000 to rebuild a Lanoka Harbor EMS ambulance and approximately $20,000 for an electric stretcher for Lacey EMS.

Many of the operating budgets remain approximately the same from the previous year, along with the township’s $11,000 donation to each fire department and $35,000 to the EMS squads (of which $5,000 goes to the county for dispatching).

Lanoka Harbor EMS did ask the township for an additional $10,000 donation to cover the cost of utilities since residential donations are at an all time low due to Hurricane Sandy.

The Committee will consider each of the capital requests, with only several making it into the 2013-14 budget.

Kevin Flynn of the Forked River Fire Company said the township relies on grant money to pay for fire and EMS requests but those funds are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain.

“Every year that list keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger,” he said, adding that much of it is basic firefighting equipment. Many items are aging and “falling a part” because the township is not replacing them.

Each of the fire departments will need new trucks in the upcoming years, he said.

“You got to buy stuff somewhere along the line,” he said.

“We also think that we can share and I think now’s the time to think as one unit instead of five separate units,” Township Administrator and Municipal Clerk Veronica Laureigh said.

The Bamber Lake Fire Department has a fairly new pumper truck, Mayor David Most said.

“The pumper truck is not too far down the road,” he said. “We have three fire companies. We’re trying to do the best job we can. We’ve got to manage the town.”

In addition to grant money, the township is asking the emergency squads to participate in Revenue Rescue, a service that would help fund and support the departments.

“We’re looking at ways to develop revenue in this township so we can try to offset it and not put it on the back of the taxpayers,” Quinn said. “If we borrowed the money for a truck, we’re putting a long term bond in place which is on the back of the taxpayers.”

In 2012, Lacey Township funded $281,500 for the operating expenses of its emergency services, Chief Financial Officer Adrian Fanning said.

“It ain’t gonna get any cheaper than that,” Flynn said. “So we’re providing a service for free, give everybody here in the building the equipment they need to do the job. That’s all we’re asking.”

The average Lacey homeowner is looking at an estimated $474 tax increase between schools, municipal and county, Most said.

“There’s a lot of people that are hurting right now,” he said. “I wish we could fund everything on your wish list. It’s just not going to happen.”