The Peapack-Gladstone Police Department currently makes up one-third of the borough's annual budget, according to Mayor William Mueller.
PEAPACK-GLADSTONE -- Residents of this tiny, upscale borough have long appreciated having a police force.
But, with the rising cost of maintaining the police department, the low crime rate and a recently-commissioned study that said it could cut the cost to have a police presence in half by contracting the service out to neighboring Bedminster, the borough is contemplating disbanding its police department, which serves approximately 2,600 resident.
Peapack-Gladstone Mayor William Mueller said the issue will be discussed at the May 10 Borough Council meeting. He said the rising cost of maintaining the police department, which takes up one-third of the borough budget, has been difficult and he wants to see changes in how the department is run.
"It's the old chicken and the egg theory," said Mueller. "Do we have a low crime rate because of excellent police work or is it that this area just isn't a high crime area. Which is the answer?
"I don't want to make it all about money, but we're trying to control taxes. The annual two percent budget cap puts limits on what we're permitted to do. With health and liability insurance for our officers, our taxes are going out of sight."
Bedminster Mayor Steven E. Parker said he hasn't had any discussions with Peapack-Gladstone officials regarding a shared police service, but he's open to the idea. He said Bedminster already has shared services with several surrounding municipalities on various services.
"We have a good relationship with our surrounding neighbors," said Parker. "Our shared services agreements have a varying history but most of them seem to work. Of course, every situation is different. This looks like an internal issue with Peapack-Gladstone. I think we have to see what Peapack-Gladstone decides to do."
The idea of Peapack-Gladstone contracting out its police service was prompted by a Staffing Analysis Utilization of Current Manpower Study commissioned by the borough officials to examine its police department. The study was done by former Belmar Police Chief and Administrator Richard Lynch.
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The Peapack-Gladstone police department currently has eight full-time officers, one part-time officer and one secretary. The borough, which split with Bedminster in 1912, covers 5.8 square miles.
It's 2016 police department budget totals $930,634, slightly down from last year's budget of $977,970, said the mayor. The decrease was because the borough didn't buy a new police cruiser this year, the mayor said.
In the report, Lynch recommended several changes to the running of the department, including having the sergeant lessen his administrative duties and be put in the patrol rotation, and contracting out police services.
The report also said that contracting police services with Bedminster would provide "an increase in manpower coverage, which may be two or three times the coverage the borough has now considering that many times, including weekends, when there is only one officer covering the entire borough."
Lynch wrote that Route 206, which runs through Bedminster and Peapack-Gladstone, is often traveled by Bedminster police in responding to calls and the added workload would be "minimal" if Peapack-Gladstone contracted out its police services to Bedminster.
Peapack-Gladstone Police Chief Gregory Skinner, who has been in the department for the past 29 years, the last 13 as chief, is against the move. He said that disbanding the police was brought before borough voters in a referendum in the early 1990s and defeated by a 4-to-1 margin.
"I don't think it's a good idea as a taxpayer and the police chief," said Skinner, who lives in the borough. "Our community knows its police officers. They're comfortable with them, with their quick response. If they don't know them by name, they know them by face.
"Everybody wants to save money but there's something to be said for the comfort level the community has with this police department."
Asked about the mayor's request to have him relieve his sergeant of some of his administrative duties and put him in the patrol rotation, Skinner said, "I'm running the department the way I feel is the most efficient."
Currently, Peapack-Gladstone has shared services with the Somerset Hills School District with Bedminster, Bernards and Far Hills. It shares sewerage services with Bedminster and Far Hills, road maintain with Bedminster, vehicle maintain with Far Hills, public health services and animal control services with Bernards and municipal court services with Bedminster and Bernardsville, which meets in Bedminster courtroom.
"We just want the police department to run as efficiently as possible," said Mueller. "We don't want to disband our police department. The two percent cap on the annual budget is forcing us to share services. We're just looking into ways to provide services at a lower cost."
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.