Council considers change to police dept. staffing BY VICTORIA HURLEY-SCHUBERT Staff Writer MARLBORO - Police department administrators are looking to anticipate future staffing needs and create a table of organization for hiring purposes. "We are looking for a table of organization to project our needs down the road," Deputy Chief George Landau said, adding that township officials must create a table of organization to set the number of officers in the department, even though those positions may not be filled for some time. The police department's table of organization was a topic of discussion at the Township Council's meeting May 3. The 74-member department was last modified in 2006 to include one chief, one deputy chief, two captains, five lieutenants, 11 sergeants and 54 patrolmen. "When the council did the table of organization last year, they just put in the actual number of officers we had at that time," Landau said. "They didn't plan for the future." The modifications now being considered would include future growth in Marlboro. The police department is looking to add two lieutenants to fill vacancies and supervise the night shift, said Landau. "We can't turn around and go from a 74-man department to an 85-man department right away, we don't have the financial means to do that," Landau said. "The council controls the finances." In order to increase police staffing, the chief of police must appeal to the mayor and council, who must go through a lengthy process to approve a post. Modifying the table of organization will give the mayor and chief of police the ability to hire extra officers if the budget allows without going to the council, said Landau. "[It's] giving the police department the latitude," Councilman Joseph Per-nice said. "If [the council] does not fund it, they can't fill [the positions]. We're not staffing this now, it's strategy," council President Jeff Cantor said. The current police department budget is $8.5 million, according to Landau. Staffing is determined by Marlboro's population, calls for service, services offered by police such as school resource officers, and other factors, he said. "Do we need heavy brass on top?" that generate higher salaries and pensions, Councilwoman Patti Morelli asked before voting no on a motion to introduce the revised table of organization at the May 3 meeting. "I don't know if we need 20 supervisors for 60 officers ... why would I approve this many officers if the development isn't here yet?" Just because a position is on the books does not mean it will be filled, said Lt. Nicholas Barbella. A state Superior Court decision that came out of a case in Fort Lee in 2000 requires that all police departments have a table of organization established by municipal ordinance. The revised table of organization was introduced by a 4-1 vote with Cantor, Pernice, Councilman Steve Rosenthal and Councilwoman Rosa Tragni voting yes. A public hearing, second reading and possible vote on adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for the council's May 17 meeting.