Study calls for merger of O'port, Eatontown police
Mahon responds: 'Over my dead body
BY JENNA O'DONNELL Staff Writer
Ajoint police department shared by Oceanport and Eatontown, with Eatontown as the lead agency, is one of the recommendations made in a study on sharing emergency services at and around Fort Monmouth following the fort's closure.

Oceanport officials were opposed to the recommendations, specifically the disbandment of their 16-officer police force, when they received them at last week's council meeting.

"This is not what we're looking to do," said Councilman Joseph Irace on Friday.

Jersey Professional Management (JPM), retained by the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority (FMERPA) in May to conduct the study, turned in a final report that was read at the authority's July 16 regular meeting.

The study looked at sharing municipal court, police, Office of Emergency Management, fire and first aid services between the 1,126-acre fort's three host communities of Oceanport, Tinton Falls and Eatontown.

The municipalities of Monmouth Beach, Shrewsbury Township, Shrewsbury Borough, Sea Bright and West Long Branch were later added to the study.

Shared services are being explored in an attempt to minimize the impact on the three host towns following the closure of Fort Monmouth by 2011. Once the fort closes, the mutual aid provided by the fort's emergency responders will no longer be available.

The study recommends that Eatontown and Oceanport effectively create a joint police department, with Eatontown serving as the lead agency, providing police services to Oceanport through an interlocal shared services agreement.

The consultants suggest in the report that a merger of the two departments should be considered immediately and the benefits of merger could be realized much earlier without consideration of the acquisition of the Fort Monmouth land area.

If approved this calendar year, the merging of the two departments could be accomplished by July 2009, consultants said.

Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo acknowledged there may be resistance to the recommendations but said they are worth considering.

"There is a home rule aspect of it," Tarantolo said this week. "I'm sure that the residents and maybe even the police departments may balk at such a move and that's another aspect that will have to be dealt with.

"But obviously, it appears that by the data collected by the consultants, that this is something that should be reviewed in more detail."

Additionally, the report recommends attrition through retirement, in which no layoffs would be required. In the two departments, nine employees are currently eligible for retirement.

Estimated annual savings, divided into police personnel, civilian personnel and other expenses, predicted an immediate savings of $188,070 and a 2011 postattrition savings of $562,323.

The study also recommends that Tinton Falls should continue to operate its police department, effectively creating an east west split at Hope Road, with Tinton Falls assuming the police response for the westerly Charles Wood section of Fort Monmouth, and Eatontown assuming the response for the more easterly portion of the property now known as Fort Monmouth.

The report further recommends the establishment of a joint court operation that would include the host municipalities of Oceanport and Eatontown, as well as neighboring Shrewsbury Township.

Small caseloads and facilities that the study termed as "inadequate" were reasons for a suggested joint court arrangement between the towns.

Contingent upon Eatontown's acquisition of Fort Monmouth's Mallette Hall as a joint court facility, the study states that the establishment of a regional municipal court and a regional police force would be a benefit to the neighboring municipalities.

Recommendations concerning the fire departments and first aid and ambulance services were to implement mutual aid in all communities and establish a consortium of first aid squads among the communities.

The local first aid squads would not be affected by the fort's closure, according to the report, but as FMERPA's redevelopment plan is implemented it would need to be enhanced, providing radios to all active volunteers, using the county E911 Center as the sole entity for EMS dispatch, establishing a uniform recordkeeping system and adding some paid service to mostly volunteer ranks.

The existing fire service stations in the Charles Wood section and the Main Post sections of Fort Monmouth should be conveyed to Tinton Falls Fire District No. 1 and the Oceanport Fire Department respectively, the study states.

JPM noted in conclusion that the number of municipalities that could actually participate in the new shared services extends beyond the three host municipalities and the five neighboring municipalities.

"The feasibility study and the final report create a solid foundation for the municipalities in the Fort Monmouth Region to begin to create and develop new shared services agreements for emergency services," the report states. "This next step would include the development of an implementation plan, which could be paid for by a New Jersey SHARE grant."

Oceanport officials were firmly against the recommendations concerning the police department, which they received shortly before the July 17 Borough Council meeting. The general consensus as expressed by Mayor Michael Mahon was "Over my dead body."

"There is a lot to learn from this study when it comes to shared services and I am amenable to looking at anything that can save the taxpayers money, but the dissolution of the Oceanport P.D. is not open for discussion," Mahon said Sunday. "I love our community and this will never happen under my watch."

Irace acknowledged that Oceanport faces many changes with the impending closure of Fort Monmouth, the challenge of meeting state Council on Affordable Housing requirements and recent cutbacks in state aid being key issues.

However, he was dismayed by the recommendations of JPM's study.

"Much to my shock and horror, this study has called for the abolishment of the Oceanport Police Department," Irace said at the meeting. "Instead, they have recommended that Oceanport pay the town of Eatontown to patrol our neighborhoods."

Oceanport and Eatontown are unequal partners with unequal demands for services, according to Irace.

"Eatontown is 5.9 square miles with 14,109 residents, Monmouth Mall and two major highways - Route 35 and Route 36," he said. "Oceanport is 3.2 squaremiles with 5,768 residents and no major highways running through town. Oceanport has 2,114 households while Eatontown has 5,780. Clearly these numbers bear out the unequal relationship between our two towns."

Irace said that while he understands the need for shared services, disbanding Oceanport's Police Department is not the answer.

"I will not stand idly by and let any state authority decide the future of Oceanport. This is not a decision for FMERPA; nor is it an appropriate recommendation," Irace said. "I urge FMERPA, our freeholders, our Legislature and all our representatives to not give this study even a passing glance. It does not warrant breath of life."

The full feasibility study can be seen on FMERPA's Web site at www.state.nj.us/fmerpa/library/rfp.html.

Staff writer Jenna O'Donnell can be reached by e-mail to jodonnell@ gmnews.com