Township Starts Its Search for Public Safety Director

Cinnaminson is advertising for the new post, and township committee members hope the position can be filled by June.

Resumes will be accepted until April 29. After that, a committee, comprising Mayor , Committeeman John Rooney, police officials and others, will continue the interview process.

“We are looking for a very strong management type,” said Rooney, who’s also the liaison to public safety. “The public safety director position has got to go to someone who can affect change—because this is a big culture change we’re going through right now.”

Rooney said committee is looking for someone with at least an associate’s degree and a relatable background. Usually, a public safety director is a retired police chief or officer.

Interviews should be finished in May, Rooney said. The final candidates need to meet in front of the entire committee, most likely during a special meeting that month.

Committee members are keeping an eye on a recent bill proposal in North Jersey that would prohibit a former public employee receiving a pension to keep another full-time public position.

The public safety director position here would be making his or her pension if he or she were a retired chief or officer. Rooney said members haven’t had a chance to talk about that just yet.

Township committee members also said with the hiring of a public safety director, a new officer would be brought on board, since the chief’s position was eliminated. Committee will have initial talks with the Cinnaminson Police Association starting later this month on that issue.

The position would be offered first to a Cinnaminson officer who was laid off last year.

“We hit a little bit of a snag from a budget standpoint we have to take into account,” Rooney said. “It’s just a matter of when, not if.”

The extra officer is needed on the force since the chief position was eliminated. Steven Fowles April 1 after an agreement on post-retirement benefits could not be reached between him and township committee.

Fowles had been acting police chief since last May.

The ordinance for the position, including a description, can be found here. The next township committee meeting is Monday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m.