Is Cranbury getting their money's worth from our Police Department?

[anon;oqs6-054q]

It has come to the attention of many folks in Cranbury that we may not be getting our best value for our Police Department tax dollars considering our extremely high rate of pay for what the officers discretely call "Country Club Duty". This subject has become a very significant concern for many of the taxpayers.
Although the department does a number of good things in the community; are they properly supervised?, and is the Chief doing his part to insure we get our taxpayer money's worth?
If anyone pays attention to how professional the department is run all they would have to do is watch the Traffic Patrols[or the cell phone videos]. For example, the traffic directing during bridge reconstruction. During that time period we had numerous officers, including the Chief, performing traffic safety duty. Well, what we did get was officers including the chief playing with their cell phones and sitting in the patrol cars --not directing traffic. Recently there was an event at Camelot Horse Auction. Cranbury supplied three patrol cars and two officers and the Chief. Needless to say an employee of Camelot was left to direct traffic into the event while the three officers gabbed with each other and did not direct traffic.
One other issue is the use of our patrol cars for personal business. Today I went to Robbinsville to do some errands and what do I see? It was one of our officers and our SUV patrol car in a bank for at least a half hour conducting family banking business along with a member of his family? How about the lunch trips out of Cranbury to East Windsor and Monroe; is that the best and most efficient use of our resource? Another concern is parking the patrol car facing in toward the cemetary behind the church and sitting there and in the woods off Brickyard road just to kill the clock late at night?
Maybe its about time to get the Mayor, who is liasion to the Police Department, to bring this issue up along with the other Committee members the next time the Chief shows up to give a report to the Committee.

[anon-s6p5]

Wow. I am not sure what I am more surprised about:

- the seeming stalking of our police officers by this poster
- the fact this poster can spy on a police officer to know what business they were doing and where
- or that this poster had more than 30 minutes of free time to sit and monitor a police officer.
- if you think the officer was truly improper file a complaint.

Camelot:

This is private duty work not tax payer work. So perhaps they paid for certain services and not others.

Road work:

Road work is paid for by the contractors not tax payers. But what would you want them to do that the contractor who knows the concerns did not?

Lunch

We only have one quick take out in Cranbury - Cranbury Pizza. If there is a major call then they need their patrol car. It would create a major delay if they had to leave their car at the station when they went on break. Here is the scenario, threat of strange armed person on Main st. Two officers on duty one on break. Under you scenario to go on break they would have left their patrol car at the station. Now they have to get in their personal car, drive back to the station, get back in their patrol car and respond. Seems like a lot of wasted time and critical time.

If your complaint is they are leaving town at all on personal time then you must be ine of the few people who don't leave an office for lunch, don't go on facebook or do any personal things at work.

[anon-01s7]

Wow you seem to have quite an agenda. An officer in nearby town running an errand? An officer in the church cemetery in center of town? Officers speaking to each other at Camelot Stables? The cops are there for security not traffic control. Officers have been seriously assaulted and numerous arrests have been made during these events. 2 years ago at lake bridge officers were on their cell phones? Both of these jobs officers are privately paid by contractors. What's next? The police are in the center of town and in Teddys?(like they have been since ..well forever) Instead of making anonymous accusations on the internet why don't you try talking to the officers. The officers also saved someone's life a few weeks ago. They are very approachable and part of our community. So is the chief. Just stop it already.

We have an excellent police department. They are deeply integrated into the town. Instead of anonymously posting on the internet why don't you just talk to the officers. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of your "concerns" would be clarified and if not then address to the proper channel instead of just anonymously posting allegations.