A policy meant to punish Morristown officers for not writing tickets during the pandemic hindered their response to a serious crash over the weekend, the PBA said on Wednesday.
Foot patrol officers stripped of their vehicles were delayed in assisting other police at a Sunday night crash that critically injured a 39-year-old pedestrian on Ridgedale Avenue, according to PBA Local 43 President Dennis Bergman.
“The officer on foot at the Green had to walk to 200 South St. to pick up a vehicle. That’s nearly a mile walk. He was then instructed to pick up the other two officers on foot and bring them to headquarters to get into vehicles in order to help deal with the scene and calls for service.
“If you are questioning that logic, so are we,” Bergman posted on social media, responding to criticism from town officials at Tuesday’s virtual council meeting, and to online condemnation from the acting police chief.
Two days before the Ridgedale accident, shift commanders directed officers to “increase productivity,” Bergman said.
When police refused to blitz pandemic-beleaguered citizens with summonses for parking and minor infractions, the bureau retaliated by dropping off officers to walk night beats, he maintains.
The PBA protested loudly on Monday in a Facebook post accusing town hall of pressuring cops to boost revenue.
Acting Police Chief Darnell Richardson fired back, calling the accusations “false… reckless, unprofessional and completely irresponsible.” While ticket quotas are illegal, he said, officers must “demonstrate productivity” on every shift to ensure residents receive the service they deserve.
Richardson authorized the evening foot patrols after residents requested greater police visibility this summer, he said, adding it was “sad” that union leaders considered community policing as punishment.
Public housing residents plagued by security concerns are grateful for police foot patrols in Manahan Village, Second Ward Councilwoman Tawanna Cotten said on Tuesday night.
Saying he has no authority over daily police operations, Mayor Tim Dougherty accused PBA leaders of “misleading” the public.
He portrayed his administration as cop-friendly, citing 25 police hires and “millions” spent on gear and patrol vehicles over the last 11 years.
Vehicles are central to this dustup, Bergman told Morristown Green.
Without a patrol car nearby, cops have fewer options in bad situations. And they don’t have quick access to defibrillators and other first-aid equipment.
“When someone goes into cardiac arrest, seconds matter,” said Bergman, a 16-year veteran of the force.
“We will gladly walk foot posts,” Bergman added on Facebook, where hundreds have posted comments of support.
The PBA’s opening salvo, he said, “was about being punished by taking vehicles from three officers for not writing enough tickets during a pandemic. That seems like the least we can do for our community during these times.”
Neither Richardson, a lifelong Morristown resident, nor the mayor have expressed similar concern, the PBA president said.
Early in the pandemic, Bergman acknowledged, police also curbed ticket writing to reduce their exposure to the coronavirus.
Bergman questioned Dougherty’s claim of non-involvement in daily police matters, noting he hired a public safety director in 2018. Regarding the mayor’s record, Bergman said replacing retired police is necessary — and the bureau has three fewer officers now than when Dougherty took office.
Replacing failing patrol cars is no cause for boasting, either, the officer asserted.
“Vehicles are tools to respond to calls for service and not rewards for good behavior,” Bergman wrote.
