Bordentown City - Full-Time Police Officer (Intergovernmental Transfers from NJ Civil Service Police Agencies)

Job Announcement:

Bordentown City Police Department

Now Accepting Applications for Full-Time Police Officers

The Bordentown City Police Department is dedicated to maintaining a safe environment in which our inhabitants and visitors can thrive. Our agency serves a resident population of about 4500 people (Bordentown City and Fieldsboro combined) and a larger daytime population. Bordentown City is a small town with a lot to offer, and Fieldsboro is a quiet, residential area. We are located in Northern Burlington County and our officers have the opportunity to serve a small-town community while still having convenient access to more developed areas and nearby cities.

Newly Renovated Facilities: The Bordentown City Police Department will soon be moving into our newly renovated Municipal Complex at Point Breeze. The police station is set into woodlands on a bluff overlooking the Delaware River.

Professional Development: The Bordentown City Police Department strives to provide its officers with not only the training needed to accomplish basic law enforcement objectives safely and effectively, but with specialized training as well. We want to develop experts in different areas of specialized law enforcement training to benefit our community and we encourage our officers to pursue specialties when they show interest.

Shared Vision of Success: Our officers work as a team and are supported by experienced leadership who want to help them develop. Our administration is invested in providing officers with the equipment, policy, and training needed to grow and succeed. We want to make sure our officers are healthy (physically and mentally), and we want to facilitate their growth, both as officers and as people. We believe in developing leaders and giving officers opportunities to take on leadership roles.

Specialized Units: Detective Bureau, K9 Unit, Bike Patrol, Drug Recognition Expert

We encourage our officers to identify potential problems and resolve issues while they are minor. Bordentown City Police Department officers have the agency and autonomy to affect meaningful change through their work. We understand that different officers have different skill sets and are interested in different specialties within the law enforcement field. We seek out and encourage this diversity in order to find officers to complement our current staff.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum age of 18, maximum age of 35 (unless actively enrolled in NJ Police & Fire)
• Possess a current New Jersey Police Training Commission (PTC) – Basic Course for Police Officer (BCPO) certification, possess a valid certificate (from a New Jersey PTC-recognized police academy), and be eligible for an intergovernmental transfer from a civil service agency
• Be a graduate of a high school, or vocational school, or possess an approved State of New Jersey high school equivalent certificate
• Possess a valid New Jersey Driver's License
• Be physically, mentally, and medically fit to compete in physical fitness agility testing and meet minimum agency standards and standards set by the Police Training Commission (PTC)
• Required to pass pre-employment drug, medical, and psychological screening successfully
• Meet all requirements of the New Jersey Civil Service Commission
• Be free of any psychological, medical, or physical condition, or defect that would prevent the efficient performance of the duties of the position and cause the appointee to be a hazard to himself/herself, or others
• Are required to appear before and present themselves successfully during an interview
• Must be eligible to legally possess, carry, and retain control of firearms
• Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language
• Must be able to pass a thorough background investigation

Job Description/General Duties

POLICE OFFICER

DEFINITION

During an assigned tour of duty, on foot, or in an automobile, patrols a designated area to provide assistance and protection for persons, to safeguard property, to assure observance of the law, and to apprehend law-breakers; does related work as required.

NOTE: The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

EXAMPLES OF WORK:

PREPARATION FOR WORK

• Attends roll call in proper uniform, listening to information and assignments given orally, and reads "squeal sheet," bulletin board, and/or logs of previous shifts, in order to establish presence, receive assignments, and to maintain continuity of service or action.
• Gathers together necessary equipment such as shotgun, flashlight, summons books, etc., in order to be prepared for duty.
• Inspects and maintains patrol car by visually checking and/or operating all equipment, by arranging for washing, waxing, and mechanical service, and by taking patrol car to service location in order to ensure that vehicle is ready for patrol.
• Inventories and maintains equipment carried in patrol car such as first aid kit, oxygen supply, blanket, flares, etc., by utilizing an equipment check list, and by replacing missing or damaged items in order to assure readiness for patrol.
• Maintains issued uniform and weapons, by arranging for cleaning and reassembling firearms in order to assure their proper appearance and serviceability.

FIGHTS AND DOMESTIC DISPUTES

• Separates parties involved in a fight situation by physically intervening or escorting one party out of reach of the other, in order to prevent injury to any of the parties involved.
• Attempts to calm parties involved in a fight situation by asking each party to tell or discuss his or her side, in order to gain control of the situation.
• Discusses possible solutions with parties involved in a dispute by referring parties to appropriate services and explaining legal recourse, in order to fully resolve the dispute or prevent its recurrence.
• Arrests one or more parties in a fight situation, by using standard procedures, in order to restore peace.

GENERAL PATROL

• Patrols throughout assigned area either on foot or in patrol car, looking for anything unusual in order to increase patrol visibility and prevent crime, or to discover crime in progress.
• Maintains radio communications with headquarters by operating walkie-talkie or patrol car radio in order to facilitate patrol activities.
• Assesses situations by utilizing information received from the dispatcher and by visually and orally inspecting premises and surrounding environment in order to make decisions concerning choice of actions and equipment.
  Issues summonses for various violations of municipal ordinances and state laws by writing the required information on summons and delivering a copy to the accused, in order to enforce the law.
• Facilitates the remediation of miscellaneous hazardous conditions (e.g., road obstructions, malfunctioning signals, etc.) by direct action or by notifying appropriate agencies, in order to restore safe conditions in the assigned sector.
• Maintains surveillance of persons suspected of unlawful activity and notifies supervisor, or detectives of important information, in order to facilitate the investigative procedure.
• Reports, or receives description(s) of suspect(s) at large by radio transmission in response to, or back-up for, criminal actions, in order to aid, or to enlist aid of fellow officers in the apprehension of suspects/perpetrators.
• Following legal guidelines, stops suspicious people, asks them to show identification, and to explain what they are doing in order to detect or prevent a criminal action.
• Attempts to disarm persons threatening others with a weapon by using calming conversation and obtaining assistance, in order to neutralize a dangerous situation.
• Secures the scene of a crime, or emergency by blocking off the area with barricades, ropes, etc., and by standing guard in order to prevent damage, loss, or injury.
• Records patrol activities by filling out log sheet after each call in order to account for actions, mileage, and time on a daily basis.

SERVICE CALLS

• Promotes good will by talking casually with people, answering questions, referring citizens to other services, and learning of situations requiring police action in order to gain the confidence and support of community members.
• Controls crowd at emergency scene, following established procedures, in order to ensure that emergency services can be performed quickly and safely.
• Assists in evacuation of buildings, or areas by orally ordering people to leave or by physically escorting them from the area in order to remove them from danger.
• Examines ill or injured persons, and administers the appropriate first aid treatment in order to prevent further injury or loss of life.
• Guards dignitaries by continuously positioning self in a manner to most effectively provide protection in order to assure safe passage through the area.
• Escorts businessmen to and/or from the bank, and frightened citizens to their destination by taking them in the patrol car, or by walking with them in order to provide protection.
• Gives assistance to operators of disabled vehicles by repairing vehicle, or obtaining necessary repair service, or by transporting driver and occupants to a place where shelter, or assistance can be obtained in order to alleviate a potentially dangerous situation.
• Returns lost children by interrogating passers-by, and responsible persons in the area where children were discovered in order to restore the children to the custody of their parents or guardians.
• Transports or escorts intoxicated persons home or to the hospital in order to assure their safety.
• Blocks suicide attempts by talking to persons threatening and/or attempting suicide, comforting and reassuring them in order to convince them to give up the suicide attempt.
• Assists citizens in gaining entry to their vehicles or home when a lockout has occurred, using improvised means in order to provide a necessary service.
  
  TRAFFIC CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS
• Directs, or re-routes vehicle and pedestrian traffic at emergency scenes at high volume traffic locations, and at school crossings, using hand signals, flares, and/or barricades, in order to ensure the safety of pedestrians and the smooth flow of traffic.
• Drives patrol car in an unspecified pattern and at varying speeds in order to increase police visibility and to discourage traffic violations and other such occurrences.
• Operates radar equipment in patrol unit in order to apprehend speeding law violators.
• Pursues detected traffic violators by using patrol vehicle and equipment as required in order to apprehend violators.
• Reports action after apprehending traffic violator to the dispatcher, using the radio in order to communicate the location, request back-up (if required), and to request motor vehicle and warrant check.
  Interviews or interrogates motor vehicle operators and visually inspects operator's license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance card, in order to obtain information and admission or confession to violations of motor vehicle code.
• Evaluates statements, facts, and evidence to determine if a traffic ticket should be issued as a result of an operator's actions.
• Warns motor vehicle operators of observed traffic violations by orally informing them of their actions and explaining related provisions of the motor vehicle code, in order to discourage future violations.
• Issues traffic summons to observed traffic violators by writing the required information on the summons, giving the violator his copy, and explaining the violation and procedure for compliance, in order to enforce traffic regulations.

Observes behavior and administers appropriate test(s) to suspected violators in order to determine whether they are under the influence of drugs, narcotics, or alcohol.

MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

• Summons ambulance, wrecker, or other emergency equipment needed at an accident scene in order to provide the necessary services as quickly as possible.
• Protects accident scene from disturbance by appropriately positioning police car and by lighting and placing flares at strategic locations in order to divert traffic and to prevent further destruction, or removal of evidence.
• Removes (or assists in removing) dead or injured from wrecked and/or overturned vehicles by manually lifting them.
• Transports motor vehicle accident victims to the hospital when no other emergency vehicle is available in order to minimize time lost in.

Benefits

The salary range for a Full-Time Police Officer is $60,023 (Step 1) to $108,208 (Step 8) according to the contract that expired 12/31/2024. The patrol association is in the advanced stages of negotiating a successor agreement. Officers may enroll in the State Health Benefits Program. Officers receive free dental insurance and can be reimbursed for vision-related expenses. Officers receive paid sick time, paid vacation time, and paid personal time yearly. Sick time accumulates throughout the officer’s career. Unused sick time may be sold back to the City at half value (up to $15,000) upon retirement. Officers have the option to sell unused vacation time (up to 84 hours annually) back to the City or to have it roll over for part of the next year. Officers have the option to earn compensatory time instead of being paid overtime. Officers have copious opportunities to work side details (events, construction). Several stipend opportunities are also available.

Hiring Process

1. Application
2. Background Investigation
3. Oral Board Interview
4. Medical and Psychological Examinations

Equal Opportunity Statement

The “New Jersey First Act,” N.J.S.A. 52:14-7 (L. 2011, Chapter 70), requires new public employees to reside in the State of New Jersey within one (1) year of employment. The Bordentown City Police Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our staffing. We strongly encourage people from all groups and communities to apply.

Please direct questions regarding this position to danderson@cityofbordentownpd.com