Police Ask Council to Reconsider Eliminating Rank of Captain

Representatives from the went before the governing body Monday night to discuss the police table of organization ordinance. They said they wanted the councilmen to reconsider eliminating the rank of captain through attrition.

Police Chief Randy Ciocco, Capt. Glen Hooper and Lt. Richard Skinner went before the governing body to explain that they believe having a captain in the department is beneficial. Ciocco said, "It's very important when the boss is away everybody else knows who it is that's in charge."

Council President Fred Goetz pointed out that while the rank of captain would be eliminated with the ordinance, a newly created first lieutenant rank would take its place as the second in command.

Hooper said the police department is a paramilitary organization with a definitive rank structure that should be followed. He said that because of the clear chain of command, people often ask for a captain if the chief is unavailable and wouldn't want to speak with someone with lieutenant in their title.

Skinner called the rank of captain "an industry standard," explaining that all the departments in the Pascack Valley and most in Bergen County include a captain in their ranks.

Ciocco and Skinner both told members of the governing body that they're not opposed to streamlining the department and agreed that certain ranks could be eliminated. They just said they believed the rank of captain should be maintained.

Skinner outlined his suggestions for changes to the department. He said he would have one chief, one captain, two lieutenants, one detective sergeant, four patrol sergeants and one detective. He also said the rank of patrolman should be changed to police officer to make it the proper term. He pointed out that calling a female officer a patrolman didn't make sense.

Goetz said the governing body also had to take the future into consideration, especially the possibility of using an outside dispatch. He asked if that would change the rank structure in any way. Skinner said while going with an outside dispatch might reduce the number of police officers needed, it wouldn't change the need for ranks like detective sergeant, captain and lieutenant.

Members of the governing body reiterated that they are looking into the police organizational structure as a way to save money through attrition--when members of the department quit, retire or leave for some other reason--rather than laying off police officers.

Ciocco told the mayor and council that being a police officer in Bergen County has changed. He cited the recent shooting incidents in the township, Paramus and other places as examples.

"This job has really, really changed and it's gotten harder," Ciocco said. "If there's one thing I want to emphasize, there's got to be that regular chain that goes down with captain being number two. I think it's very, very important because I don't think things are going to get much better in the near future."

Goetz said he wanted to give members of the council time to digest what was presented and said they would discuss the issue at the next council meeting, which is scheduled for May 9.