Are Police Shortages Approaching?

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COURT HOUSE – Around the same time headlines declared New Jersey’s school closures, another form of education also closed to less fanfare – police training academies.
With restrictions on the public easing, beaches are reopening, visitors are arriving in large numbers, and shore police departments may be shorthanded.
Each summer, municipal police departments across the county augment their numbers with Special Law Enforcement Officers (SLEO), many of whom are new to policing and are required to pass training programs offered at various academies. With the training programs closed, departments face new challenges in staffing for the expanding populations in their towns.
In Seaside Heights, the borough administrator has said that the shortage of SLEOs is hindering reopening plans. SLEOs have varying police powers, depending upon level and training.
A SLEO class I completes an 80-hour training program and is generally authorized to perform routine traffic detail, spectator control, and similar duties. No class I officer is authorized to carry a weapon.
Class II SLEOs are authorized to exercise full police powers and duties. They must complete an 11-week training program.
A SLEO Class III is a retired police officer, under the age of 65, who previously was a fully trained full-time police officer in the state. These officers are primarily used in college or school settings.
At a recent Stone Harbor Borough Council meeting, Police Chief Thomas Schutta reported that the borough’s 17-member police force is typically augmented by three SLEO I and 10 SLEO II officers for added support in summer. Schutta said the closure of the county’s police academy leaves the department with reduced summer staff.
With the Cape May County Police Academy closed, for what Schutta termed “an indeterminate amount of time,” local departments will have to devise staff arrangements that best fit their circumstances.
“We have two staffing scenarios, neither of which is good,” Schutta told council. Under one scenario, the department would have two Class I officers and one Class II. Under the second, there would be eight Class Is and two Class IIs.
Schutta added that a number of the individuals who would have been Class II officers have agreed to serve as Class I, if that shorter training program reopens. The chief is also dealing with one vacancy among the full-time officers. Filling it also depends on the academy’s reopen schedule.
When a small community, like Stone Harbor, with less than 1,000 permanent residents, faces a summer influx that can augment the population to as much as 20,000, the police force needs to flexibly expand for the busy months.
Neighboring Avalon is also seeing difficulty in hiring its normal contingent of SLEOs. Police Chief Jeffrey Christopher said if training courses hadn’t closed, Avalon would have three Class II officers graduated and beginning work along with two Class I officers. The borough would also have nine additional Class II officers attending the academy, with an anticipated end-of-June graduation.
Christopher said the academy director is working to complete the training of the three Class IIs, who already completed most of their program. The remaining nine officers who would have been in Class II training will likely convert to Class I and be ready by late June.
This year, the issues facing the police departments across the county have increased with the added responsibility of enforcing COVID-related violations. Add to the mix the potential loss of officers to isolation if exposed to the coronavirus and the picture can get worse.
The state’s police departments were already facing challenges when the training academies closed. The state has taken steps to provide options for municipalities needing to increase police staffing.
In a five-page letter, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal told law enforcement officials that limits on the number of Class II officers were “inapplicable during periods of emergency.” Grewal also proposed a route for converting Class III officers to Class II.
Through executive orders, Gov. Phil Murphy created an ability for retired police officers to return as Class II officers, without harming their retirement benefits. The governor has also increased the flexibility of departments seeking to use mutual aid agreements with non-contiguous police departments.
Grewal’s letter also advised police departments on the possibility of delaying charging decisions on crimes that do not threaten public safety.
The Police Training Commission can also issue waivers of training for individuals who have completed an equivalent police training program either in this state or another state, including federal service. In the county, the departments will find ways to use the staffing they have available to cover an uncertain summer season.
Avalon’s police chief said he does not envision police operations to be significantly impacted. “We will have the staff we need,” he said.
A copy of Attorney General Grewal’s letter on law enforcement guidance during the COVID-19 Pandemic is available on the Herald website.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.