The state of New Jersey, as part of their financial intervention into Hoboken, wants to pick the city’s next police chief. The city was rocked by a scandal two years ago in which it was discovered that the police SWAT team partied with alcohol and let waitresses hold their guns on humanitarian missions to Louisiana. More troubling allegations of mismanagement of the SWAT team came out later.
However, the city’s mayor, who leaves office July 1, wants the right to pick the next chief himself. There are three candidates who scored the highest on the civil service exam, and any of those three can be chosen.
A week after the city filed a motion in Superior Court to stop the state Division of Local Government Services from appointing the city’s next police chief, the court sent the matter back to the state to be heard.
The Local Finance Board will hold a hearing on the matter on June 10, according to city attorney Steven Kleinman. But Kleinman said the matter is time-sensitive – Mayor David Roberts is fighting to make the appointment before he leaves office on June 30. So Kleinman is requesting that the state schedule a special meeting between now and June 10. If the appeal to the state is denied, the city has to go back to the court for the judge to hear their argument.
Kleinman said he will request “emergent relief” from the court, because the window to have the matter settled before Roberts leaves office is very tight.
For more, see this weekend’s briefs.
Hoboken wants hearing moved up so that mayor – not state – can appoint top cop
