JERSEY CITY — Mayor Jerramiah Healy and Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association (POBA) President Jerry DeCicco announced Tuesday that the executive board of the Jersey City POBA voted to bring a proposal to avert the layoffs of 82 police officers to the union’s full membership. The membership is scheduled to vote next week.
The layoffs, if the membership votes down the proposal, are scheduled for Feb. 15.
City spokesperson Jennifer Morrill said if the full membership agrees to the proposal, then the plan will still need to go to the City Council for approval since it is an addendum to the POBA’s existing contract.
This first step toward putting a halt to the layoffs comes after weeks of contention between the city and the POBA, including last week’s council meeting. At that meeting, police union members and members of the public blasted the Healy administration, and expressed concern that the layoffs would lead to more crime. – Ricardo Kaulessar