What Just Happened with the Police Layoffs:
A lot has been going on lately with the proposed police layoffs, and I figured I'd give a little background information to help folks understand the full story. Earlier this year the State of NJ released an audit it had prepared on the Hoboken Police Department which called for a reduction in the force. In response to this audit, Mayor Zimmer proposed a plan that would reorganize the police force resulting in 19 demotions and 18 layoffs. And due to union rules, and what’s known as 'bumping rights,’ those younger officers with less service would be the first to be let go.
The police layoffs and demotions, coupled with another 18 layoffs from City Hall, were expected to save the taxpayers over $2.5M annually. However, the plan to layoff police officers was met with significant resistance from the police unions, who launched a PR campaign against the City – many of you might remember seeing the protests in front of City Hall a couple weeks back.
The layoffs were set to be effective on Friday, September 24th. During the few weeks leading up to this past Friday, the Mayor let it be known that her ultimate goal was to reduce the size of the force, whether through attrition (retirements) or layoffs. She said that the layoffs would be reduced one-to-one for each retirement announced prior to the September 24th effective date.
During a press conference this past Friday, it was announced that due to retirements and a new deal worked out with the Hoboken Housing Authority, no officers were going to be laid off. The new deal with the HHA will allocate the $0.5M they contribute to the City for extra police presence - which had been used to pay officers overtime to work extra shifts - towards a new 5-man Housing Authority bureau dedicated strictly to that zone. Additionally, 13 senior officers have either already submitted their retirement papers or at least have agreed to do so by December 1st.
The City also announced a new redeployment plan which calls for more officers actually out on the street patrolling. According to the Mayor and Police Chief, the new plan will result in a 38% increase in police assigned to the street.
A reduction in costs combined with more officers on the street is a good thing. And at the end of the day, many folks who are typically at odds with each other, came out together to show support for this plan. From my perspective, this really seems like a win-win for the City of Hoboken.
Mayor's Fundraiser:
As many of you already know, I've been a big supporter of Mayor Zimmer since back in her early days as our 4th Ward Councilwoman. There’s just something refreshing about having a Mayor who brings honesty and integrity back to the office. This Thursday, September 30th, the Friends of Mayor Dawn Zimmer will be hosting a fundraiser to celebrate a year's worth of progress for Hoboken under her strong, well balanced and professional leadership. Special guest will be Newark Mayor Cory Booker. I will be attending, and invite each of you to join as well. It should be a fun night of socializing, enjoying some drinks, and simply spending time with like-minded folks.
Please review the following for the event details:
http://zimmerforchange.com/images/uploaded/INVITErevWEB520w.jpg, or
http://zimmerforchange.com//index.php?page=events&view=eventdetail&eventid=235
Voter Registration for November 2nd Election:
With the November 2nd election just around the corner, it really is important to make sure you and your neighbors are registered to vote. October 12th is the last day to register to be eligible to vote in the November 2nd election. A strong voter turnout is always important as it shows that we care about the issues and that we hold our elected officials responsible for their actions.
Here's a link for the voter registration form:
http://www.hudsoncountyclerk.org/hudsonCTYvoterReg.pdf
(Note that if you print this two-sided, you won't have to pay for postage -- see the 2nd page for instructions)
Well, that’s all for now. I hope everyone is doing well. As always, please feel free to contact me should you have any questions or just want to discuss neighborhood issues that are important to you. My cell is 201-600-0296.
-Rami
4th Ward, 2nd District Committeeman ◦
