Borough of Hampton, NJ Article IV Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer

[Adopted 4-22-1991 by Ord. No. 6-91]

§ 49-11 Office created; appointment; qualifications.

There is hereby created in the Borough of Hampton the dual office of Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer. The Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer shall be appointed and removed at will by the Borough Council. The Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer shall:

A. Be a resident of New Jersey during the term of his or her appointment.

B. Be able to read, write and speak the English language well and intelligently.

C. Be of sound mind and in good health.

D. Be of good moral character.

E. Not have been convicted of any offense involving dishonesty or which would make the person unfit to perform the duties of his or her office.

F. Possess a good familiarity with the ordinances of the Borough of Hampton.

G. Have successfully completed a training course on parking enforcement approved by the Borough of Hampton or be certified by the Chief of Police conducting the training course approved by the Borough of Hampton as possessing substantially the equivalent training and background in parking enforcement as would be obtained through the successful completion of the course.

§ 49-12 Fingerprinting; eligibility and qualifications.

An applicant for the position of Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer shall have fingerprints taken and filed with the Division of State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Before any person is appointed Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer, the Mayor, in conjunction with the chief law enforcement officer of the Borough and/or the Chief of Police conducting the training course approved by the Borough of Hampton, shall ascertain the eligibility and qualifications of the applicant and report these determinations, in writing, to the Borough Council.

§ 49-13 Powers and duties.

A. As Parking Enforcement Officer, the Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer shall enforce state, county or municipal statutes and resolutions, ordinances or regulations related to the parking of vehicles within the Borough of Hampton. He or she shall possess the power and authority to:

(1) Issue a parking ticket for a parking offense, as those two terms are defined in the Parking Offenses Adjudication Act, P.L. 1985, c. 14 (N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.2 et seq.).

(2) Serve and execute all process for any parking offenses issuing out of the court having jurisdiction over the complaint.

(3) Cause any vehicle parked, stored or abandoned in the Borough in violation of a statute, resolution, ordinance or regulation to be towed away from the scene of the violation and to collect from the vehicle's owner or the owner's agent, on behalf of the Borough, the costs of the towing and subsequent storage of the vehicle before surrendering the vehicle to the owner or agent.

B. As Municipal Violations Officer, the Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer shall possess the power and authority to enforce all other ordinances of the Borough of Hampton. He or she shall, in his or her discretion, issue warnings for ordinance violations reported to him or her. He or she shall cause a complaint to be sworn out in accordance with law for violations of Borough ordinances which occur in his or her presence or which he or she personally observes.

§ 49-14 Uniform and insignia.

Prior to the commencement of his or her duties, the Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer shall be furnished with a uniform which shall clearly identify the officer's function. The uniform shall include a hat and appropriate badge which shall bear a name tag and identify the Borough of Hampton. The uniform shall also include an insignia issued by the Borough of Hampton which clearly indicates the officer's status as a Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer. The uniform shall be distinct in color from the uniform of a regular police or special law enforcement officer. The uniform and insignia shall be issued by the Borough within 90 days following the appointment of the first Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer; provided, however, that the Borough may issue a temporary insignia for use during the first 90 days of the officer's appointment.

§ 49-15 Exclusion from Police Department and retirement system; use of firearms.

No person appointed as Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer shall be a member of the Borough of Hampton Police Department, if a police department is hereinafter created in the Borough of Hampton, nor shall such person be a special law enforcement officer. He or she may not carry or use a firearm while on duty. He or she is not eligible for membership in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System established pursuant to P.L. 1944, c. 255.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 43:16A-1 et seq.

§ 49-16 Term of office; compensation.

The Municipal Violations Officer/Parking Enforcement Officer shall be appointed for a term of one year. If he or she shall be appointed after January 1 of any year, the appointment shall be deemed, for the purpose of calculating the term, to have commenced the January 1 immediately prior to his or her appointment. He or she shall serve such hours and for such compensation as the Borough shall determine by separate resolution.