Dover reduces detective posts, puts more cops on streets

DOVER – The mayor and board of aldermen have approved a reorganization of the police department that calls for fewer detectives, an additional lieutenant and more officers on the streets.

“This gives us an opportunity for more visibility, more police presence in our neighborhoods and in our business district and we look forward to the improved structure,” Mayor James P. Dodd said at Tuesday night’s board of aldermen meeting.

The slight reorganization of the 34-officer police department was in the form of an ordinance, known as Ordinance 11-2015, which was introduced on June 9 and adopted Tuesday.

No members of the police department were present and PBA Local 107 President James Pritchard previously declined comment.

Police Chief Harold “Butch” Valentine, who has headed the department since 2001, said Wednesday that he will review the ordinance to see if it conforms to the so-called chief’s bill of right, or law that specifies his authority to make assignments.

Under the ordinance, the chief will continue to run day-to-day operations of the department. Above the chief is the position of civilian public safety director, who oversees the police and fire departments and office of emergency management. The public safety director post was created in July 2012 and was first filled by retired state trooper Richard Rosell at a salary of $90,000, plus a town-issued vehicle.

Rosell resigned earlier this year to take a similar job in Florida. Dodd said that nearly 20 people applied to fill the vacancy and there is a list of finalists who will be interviewed by the town’s personnel committee, which includes Dodd, and Aldermen James Visioli, Cindy Romaine and Robert Rutan. The town is expected to fill the vacancy sometime in July, Dodd said.

Primarily, the ordinance reduces the number of detectives from five to two and adds a lieutenant’s position to the existing two posts. Dodd and town Administrator Donald Travisano said that three lieutenants will ensure that a superior officer is present at all hours so that overtime payouts to officers who are paid extra as “officers in charge” on a shift when a superior is not available can be reduced.

Valentine said that since he is reviewing the ordinance, he has not given thought to which officers will be removed from the detective bureau. While members of the board of aldermen did not comment publicly on the ordinance, the mayor said he believes the town will be better served by having more officers on the streets instead of working at desks in the detective bureau.

Dodd said that if major crimes occur in town, requiring additional detectives, the department can turn to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office for investigative help. After all, he said, residents pay for the prosecutor’s office through their county taxes.

“We have the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office that does an awesome job,” Dodd said. “We’re not utilizing the county services we’re entitled to.”

The number of patrol sergeants — five — will remain the same under the ordinance. The position of detective sergeant will be eliminated but the officer who holds that rank — William Woodhull — will keep his sergeant’s job. Overall, there are expected to be 23 rank-and-file officers available for routine calls and road patrol.

Technically, six Dover officers work as detectives if the detective sergeant position is counted but the ordinance states that the number of detective titles has been reduced from five to two. Detectives are equivalent in rank to patrol officers but have jobs with greater flexibility and they do not respond to routine calls or patrol streets.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettNJ.com.