Council Honors Officers, Approves Salaries, Equipment Access

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown Council recognized police officers for their heroics, passed legislation governing their salaries and approved the police department’s participation in a federal program to gain access to excess military equipment Monday night.

Five police officers were rescued for a pair of lifesaving incidents during the council meeting at town hall Monday night.

Cpl. William Mann, K9 Officer Kevin Sloan and Ptl. Frank Gregorio received Awards for Gallantry on Duty for a domestic incident on May 30. The officers arrived on the scene to find that a man had picked up two knives and was threatening to take his own life.

The man began yelling at Sloan to shoot him. As Sloan attempted to de-escalate the situation, the man came closer. As he got closer, Gregorio was able to use his taser to take the man down and Mann was able to get the man into handcuffs, bringing a dangerous situation to a peaceful conclusion.

Ptl. Jason Witkowski and Cpl. Christopher Menges received Awards of Life Saving for an incident that took place at the Moorestown Mall on Jan. 26, 2018. They responded to the Moorestown Mall near the Regal Cinema for a report of a man who had suffered a stroke.

When they arrived, they found him in cardiac arrest. They performed CPR before he was taken to the hospital. The man was conscious and talking by the time he was in the ambulance on his way to Virtua. Virtua has also recognized the officers for their life saving heroics in this incident, Chief Lee Lieber said.

Earlier during Monday’s council meeting, Menges was promoted from patrolman to corporal. Ptl. Andrew Weist was also promoted, to sergeant. Two new officers were hired, as SLEO II Alex Humes and Sheriff’s Officer Luke Stewart were both sworn in as patrolmen.

Council unanimously approved the police department’s participation in the federal 1033 program, which makes excess equipment from the Department of Defense (DoD) available to municipal, county and state law enforcement agencies.

In 2017, the Moorestown Police Department acquired an armored Humvee vehicle through the program for use in emergency situations, including flooding and snow emergencies, as well as dangerous situations in which they would have to rescue officers and citizens.

Read more here: Moorestown Police Consider Acquisition Of Military Humvee Through Federal Program

Equipment is classified in two categories: controlled and non-controlled. Controlled items are items such as combat vehicles, like the Humvee, rifles and some other tactical items, like robots and aircraft.

Moorestown police are not looking to purchase any controlled items. Lieber said the police department is looking more at non-controlled items, such as office supplies, office furniture, computers, electronic equipment, generators, field packs, non-military vehicles, clothing, traffic signal systems, exercise equipment, moving equipment, storage devices and containers, tools, medical and first aid equipment and supplies, personal protection equipment and supplies, construction materials, lighting supplies, beds and sleeping mats, wet and cold weather equipment and supplies, respirators, binoculars and any other supplies or equipment of a non-military nature, if any of these items are available at any point in 2020.

Lieber said that when the department needed a new windshield for the Humvee, they were able to get it through the1033 program. Without the program, that purchase could have come at a huge expense to the taxpayer, Lieber said.

Council also approved a proposed ordinance on second reading to amend the salaries for Moorestown Police Patrol Officers, Detectives, Corporals, Sergeants and Lieutenants. This would reflect a 1.75 increase in salaries that took effect on Jan. 1.

It also gave final approval to a proposed ordinance that establishes the title and salary range for two part-time code enforcement officers as established in this year's budget. These code enforcement officers will not receive benefits.