Christie, Sweeney Talk Regionalization in Camden County

Gov. Chris Christie and Senate President Steve Sweeney were in South Jersey Wednesday to discuss the proposed public safety regionalization with municipal officials during a closed-door meeting at .

The biggest players in the state's Republican and Democratic parties are on the same page on this subject.

"I think this is a moment that we have to look for efficiencies in policing, both in terms of effectiveness of the policing and also cost," Christie said during a post-meeting press conference.

Christie and Sweeney both dismissed the notion that residents in affluent towns would resist police and fire service regionalization.

"We have more government (in New Jersey) than you can possibly imagine having, or need," Sweeney said. "The time is now to start looking at things differently."

Sweeney (D-West Deptford) noted the average annual property-tax bill in New Jersey stands at $7,200.

While serving as Gloucester County's freeholder director, Sweeney spearheaded an effort to consolidate ambulance services, bringing most towns into what he described as a better service.

The former union leader knows it will not be easy to bring about regional police and fire services in Camden County.

"For people to say it can't be done—they're wrong," Sweeney said. "It can be done."

Thirty-five of Camden County's 37 municipalities were represented at the meeting at Camden County College, officials said. Tavistock and Pine Valley—two small, golf-course communities—were not represented.

"I wanted all of the mayors—and there were Republicans and Democrats in that room—to understand that I am completely supportive of this project," Christie said.

Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. indicated he expects regionalization to begin in four to six months. Two committees have been formed to examine police and fire service consolidation options, he said.

"That is not to demonize those who currently serve in those roles," Cappelli said. "The matter of fact is that municipalities throughout the county and across the state are laying off police officers, they're laying off fire personnel."

A local government wishing to bring its town under the protections of the regional police and fire service would first have to dissolve its own departments, then enter into a shared-services agreement with the county.

The move would not require a referendum.

The all-Democrat freeholder board facilitated Wednesday's meeting, as well as several others this year.

County mayors, including Collingswood's Jim Maley, indicated they do not expect regionalization to happen overnight, or to initially involve all of the towns it may ultimately include.

Maley expressed his hope local officials will be given the opportunity to do what they feel is right for their towns, including the possibility of joining the regional police force but opting to keep its own fire service, or vice versa.

"I want all of the options on the table," he said.

The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJACP) is concerned the public answers elected officials are giving about regionalization plans aren't mirrored by what's actually being discussed behind closed doors.

"I can confirm that there is a very strong push for a single countywide (police department) in Camden County," NJACP Executive Director Mitchell Sklar said in an email. "It has been, and is being, discussed and is in fact being advocated by very influential political players."

NJACP would like to see a smaller scale shared-services effort succeed before a countywide police force is put into place.

Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer attended the closed-door session, but was not made available to reporters at the college following the press conference. 

Mayer previously has expressed interest in exploring ways to save the township money through regionalization efforts, including equipment-purchasing cooperatives, but expressed misgivings about larger towns like his disbanding their local police forces.

Somerdale Mayor Gary Passanante hopes county residents, including police officers and firefighters, will remain "open-minded" about the regionalization proposal. He noted many smaller municipalities are "already working regionally, but paying locally" through mutual-aid agreements.

"I don't believe the solution will be eliminating municipalities and their identities," Passanante said. "That's why people move to different municipalities. They want that identity. They want that local planning and zoning capability.

"What I do believe will happen is the successes like we have here in Camden County with 911. We have a central dispatch. It has worked. It has saved money."

Attorney General Paula Dow and Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Lori Grifa participated in the meeting.