Dear Editor:
The termination of 18 Hoboken Police Officers would be a “monumental mistake” on behalf of Mayor Dawn Zimmer and places the City of Hoboken at grave risk for an augmentation of criminal activity overnight. I supported Mayor Zimmer and voted for her in lieu of other candidates with the hope of positive change. Unfortunately for Hoboken, Peter Cammarano won and Hoboken received yet another black eye and broken rib as a result. When Zimmer was appointed acting Mayor and later elected Mayor, I continued my support but have since come to unfortunately regret that decision.
Mayor Zimmer has broken the majority of promises made to the public during her campaign and now has the audacity to lay off 18 police officers before terminating new positions she has created that are obviously politically motivated and completely “non-essential.” Consider the positions held by “Chief of Staff/Confidential Aide” Daniel Bryan and “New Media/Public Information Officer” Juan Melli totaling a salary of $121,100 not including medical and perks.
At age 25, Bryan must be the youngest appointed “Chief of Staff” in city government in U.S. History; yet holds no experience in that position nor has the actual authority to dictate orders to anyone. According to people in City Hall he gets coffee and lunch for the mayor and makes copies when needed. Enter Melli, whom is nothing more than an over-educated computer geek (definition of “New Media”) with little experience as a “political consultant” at age 29 other than a failed position under Jon Corzine. Both positions held by Bryan and Melli can be easily filled by college interns at no cost to the city at all.
Mayor Zimmer should eliminate all the “non-essential” positions first including; Public Safety Director, Crossing Guards, newly appointed Parking Utility employees, and the “no show do nothings” that get paid to loiter around the city. Most city employees multi-task and do their jobs well.
Mayor Zimmer has little understanding about public safety and is obviously unaware of Hoboken’s actual crime stats. Crime is on the rise in Hoboken and has been for some time.
Less cops on the street will leave the city vulnerable to predators and open season on anyone in town ripe for the picking. Demotions are one thing, but you cannot fire police officers while continuing to employ political appointees in the hopes that public safety will not be affected. Dan Bryan and Juan Melli are not going to come to the aid of a robbery victim at 2 a.m. on any given night. Property taxes have not gone down, so where is all that money going? Why have the HFD not been affected and only the police? If cuts must take place then make them across the board, not selectively around it. Wait until the 2011 St. Patrick’s Day Parade and watch what happens with 18 less cops on the street!
Respectfully Submitted,
William J. Carmody