[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Oxford 2-3-1964; amended in its entirety 3-16-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-2 (Ch.
24 of the 1974 Township Code). Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire Department – See Ch. 43.
There is hereby created in and for the Township
of Oxford a Police Department within the County of Warren, State of
New Jersey, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118. This
chapter is intended to ratify the existence and operation of the Police
Department, which has historically operated within and served the
Township of Oxford, and at the same time satisfy statutory requirements
of the legislation as amended in 1981 and 1988.
The Police Department shall preserve the peace;
protect life and property; detect, arrest and prosecute offenders
of the laws of New Jersey and the ordinances of the Township of Oxford;
direct and control traffic; provide attendance at and protection during
emergencies; provide appearances in court; cooperate with all other
law enforcement agencies; and provide training for the efficiency
of its members and officers; as well as perform all other duties and
fulfill all other responsibilities normally associated with the operation
of a Police Department.
Said Police Department shall consist of one
Director of Police and such Police Inspectors, Captains, Lieutenants,
Sergeants, police officers and civilian employees as deemed necessary
and appropriate by the Director of Police, in his discretion and judgment,
with the approval of the Township Committee. The Director of Police
and/or the Committee may, from time to time, leave one or more of
the above positions vacant, as they see fit. The express purpose for
identifying these offices is to establish a statutory line of authority
from all police employees to a higher elected authority. Whenever
any such office is intentionally left vacant, it will be deemed not
to exist, and it will be passed in the chain of command. The Director
of Police, with the approval of the Committee, may therefore recreate
or resurrect an office that has been so abolished by naming a person
to fill said office. No personnel may be appointed to the Oxford Police
Department until they have satisfied all statutory requirements and
have complied with the selection process and standards established
by the rules and regulations adopted by the appropriate authority
to govern said Police Department. In the event that the abolishment
of an office results in a decrease in the members of the Police Department
or demotion in rank, any termination or demotion shall be in the inverse
order of appointment pursuant to and for the reasons established by
N.J.S.A. 40A:14-143. Any promotions shall take into account due consideration
of the length and merit of service of existing members of the Department
as required by N.J.S.A. 40A:14-129.
The Oxford Police Department shall come under
the jurisdiction of the appropriate authority, which is hereby created
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118. Said appropriate authority shall
be the Director of Police. The appropriate authority shall be directly
responsible to the Township Committee. The Director of Police, in
addition to those powers and duties enumerated in this chapter, shall
be responsible for the operation of the Police Department pursuant
to policies established by the Township Committee and shall be responsible,
with the advice and consent of the Committee, for the promulgation,
updating and/or ratification of rules and regulations for police personnel,
which shall be known as the "Rules and Regulations for the Police
Department of the Township of Oxford."
In the event of any disciplinary proceeding
against any member of the Police Department of the Township of Oxford,
the said appropriate authority or his/her designee shall be the sole
hearing officer and person in charge of all such proceedings. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the Township Committee may, in its discretion, elect
to designate a hearing officer other than the Director of Police or
his designee for the purpose of conducting the hearing, receiving
evidence, preparing a record and submitting findings and a proposed
recommendation of penalty to the Township Committee.
Only the Director of Police, pursuant to the
powers vested in said office by this chapter, his designee or the
Township Committee may initiate disciplinary charges against any member
of the Police Department.
All disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted
in accordance with the requirements of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-147. The Director
of Police or his designee shall schedule a hearing no sooner than
10 calendar days nor later than 30 calendar days from the date of
service of the charges upon the employee. A notice of charges served
upon any employee shall contain the date, time and location of the
hearing on the charges. The terms of any disciplinary action imposed
shall be set forth in a written resolution adopted by the Township
Committee.
The Director of Police, as the executive head
of the Police Department, shall be responsible for the administration
of the Police Department and shall be directly responsible to the
Township Committee for its efficient operation. The Director of Police
shall be appointed annually by the Township Committee.
The Director of Police for the Township of Oxford
shall:
A.
Administer and enforce the Rules and Regulations of
the Police Department and any special emergency directive for the
disposition and discipline of the Department and its officers and
members.
B.
Have, exercise and discharge the functions, powers
and duties of the chief executive officer of the Police Department.
C.
Prescribe the duties and assignments of all members
and officers.
D.
Delegate such authority as may be deemed necessary
for the efficient operation of the Police Department to be exercised
under the direction and control of the Director of Police.
E.
Administer funds and property resulting from state
forfeiture actions in accordance with established state and federal
law, regulations, directives, guidelines and standard operating procedures.
The Director of Police shall submit reports
to the Township Committee concerning the operation of the Police Department
as may be requested by the Committee.
A graphic table of organization shall be maintained
by the Director of Police to show the divisional structure of the
Police Department. The function and duties of each position in the
table of organization shall be defined by policies established by
the Director of Police.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118, the Director
of Police shall issue any operations orders, general orders or standard
operating procedures or policies as the Director deems necessary for
efficiency and operation of the Police Department.
Nothing contained herein shall infringe upon
or limit the duty and authority of the Director of Police to act to
provide for the health, safety and welfare of the Municipality in
an emergency through special emergency directives pursuant to the
provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118 and 40A:14-146.9.
The Director of Police shall, with the approval
and consent of the Township Committee, appoint civilian members to
the Police Department. Said civilian employees will provide dispatch
services, clerical duties and logistical services in support of the
Police Department and shall perform other duties as specified by the
Director.
A.
The appropriate authority (Director of Police), pursuant
to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-118, is hereby authorized to update, adopt and
promulgate rules and regulations for the government of the Police
Department and for the discipline of its members. Said rules and regulations
shall govern the conduct of and be binding upon the entire membership,
sworn officers and civilian employees, of the Police Department. Said
rules and regulations shall be in manual form and shall be called
the "Rules and Regulations of the Police Department of the Township
of Oxford."
B.
Each sworn officer and each civilian employee is duty-bound
to be thoroughly familiar with the provisions of the Police Manual
and Rules and Regulations of the Police Department.
