Middle Approves Pay Raise for Special Law Enforcement Officers Class II

COURT HOUSE – Middle Township approved an increase in the hourly pay rate of Special Law Enforcement Officers Class II (SLEO) at the June 19 Township Committee meeting. After graduating from the police academy, these officers will now receive $23 an hour, up from $20 an hour.
“Recruitment is a priority for law enforcement nationwide,” said Middle Township Police Chief Jennifer Pooler. “We are struggling to maintain our workforce level and must be aggressive in our recruiting efforts. When full-time positions become available, we will hire from our current list of SLEO II officers, so it is important that we can back-fill these positions. Increasing the SLEO II pay is one way to be competitive.”
The Special Law Enforcement Officers are important for supplementing the police department, added Pooler. They are assigned to squads and patrol the township. Their responsibilities include enforcement of criminal laws, traffic laws and local ordinances; arrestee/prisoner processing; and court security. Officers of this class are authorized to exercise full powers and duties similar to a permanent, regularly appointed full-time police officer.
The SLEO II position also is a pathway to becoming a police officer, Pooler said. After graduating from the police academy, an officer enters the Middle Township Police Field Training Program. Officers are assigned to a squad upon completion of the program. When a full-time police officer position becomes available, the township usually hires from the current SLEO II group.
Middle Township currently has two SLEO II openings and is anticipating four more in December. Candidates with SLEO II training will be given preference. The Cape May County SLEO Class II course consists of more than 460 hours of training mandated by the Police Training Commission.
For more information, visit www.middlepd.com.