Camden County and Gloucester County The Truth : Haddon Heights

"I’m not making any opinions one thing I will tell you I bleed green and gold and I'm for this town first, that’s what I worry about this town."

-Commissioner Jon Martin

Commissioner what in the world do you mean?

CamCo politics quotes at it's best?

During the Public Portion of the meeting Mayor Ward and Audubon Borough Commissioners responded to questions about the RFP for a study to consolidate police administrative functions among other police department issues. (The towns involved are Audubon, Collingswood, Mt. Ephraim, Oaklyn, Haddon Township and Haddonfield, Haddon Heights, led by retired Camden City Police Sgt. Councilman Rick DiRenzo and Public Safety Director Councilman Jack Merryfield led a successful effort to not join in starting the next phase of the Camden County Police Department).

Please watch and listen to the Mayor Ward when he responds to questions when the chiefs were actually consulted and then watch video 2. In video 1 Mayor Ward said there were conversations to involve the police chief months before the RFP came out. (The RFP study first came out in February). You can come to your own conclusion if something seems fishy. Also of note during the meeting the Commissioners voted to approve the November 26, 2013 minutes. After proceeding with the next item on the agenda they then voted to approve the actual minutes they were voting on, December 3rd meeting minutes. It begs to question if the three commissioners elected to run the Borough of Audubon actually look at what they vote. Not one of them saw December 3rd on the meeting minutes they read? Or did they not read what they were voting on a blindly voted yes because it was on the agenda?

One final point of interest is that Commissioner Jon Martin, who is also a Camden City Fire Fighter and union member when asked if he supported the study (which would spend tax dollars on a study which would result in essentially union busting) said:

"I’m not making any opinions one thing I will tell you I bleed green and gold and I'm for this town first, that’s what I worry about this town."

Earlier this year the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders and Camden City Mayor and Council created the Camden County Police Department. In doing so they got rid of the Camden City Police Department. Currently the state of New Jersey (our tax dollars) are funding this experiment known as the Camden County Metro Police. Next year the contract between the state and the county is set to expire. One would expect Governor Christie to direct the state to continue funding this so far failed and horrible excuse of a Police Department, however the question that needs to be asked will it be funded in full?

Camden County Freeholder Director and Norcrat Lou Cappelli has said that the pike towns are next.

Earlier this year it was announced that seven towns were going to do a study to combine/share police services. The seven towns were Collingswood, Mt. Ephraim, Audubon, Oaklyn, Haddon Township, Haddon Heights and Haddonfield came together to form the Colonial Alliance which would combine certain police services. However, sometime in April the plan seemed to have gone away after a proposed RFP for the study was released to the public but suddenly and without warning reappeared in June.

When the Colonial Alliance came back up in June the group was led by the new administration in Haddonfield as the lead agency. Haddonfield and Collingswood held elections in May. Both towns hold elections every four years in the year following a presidential election. Some local officials in Haddon Heights have questioned if the timing of the Colonial Alliance coming back up in June, was part of a plan to wait until after the May elections.

Haddonfield’s mayor of 12 years, Tish Colombi, a Republican who spent 28 years as one of three members on Haddonfield’s governing body decided to step aside and not seek an 8^th term. Her successor was Jeff Kasko, a fellow Republican who also serves as the Camden County GOP State Committeeperson. Kasko was first elected in 2009 and served with Colombi and former Commissioner Ed Borden from 2009-2013. Colombi and Kasko, although both Republicans were known to differ on many issues.

The seven mayors of the towns had agreed to move forward to do a study and look at ways to combine police administration and other services. In July the RFP for the study was released by Haddonfield without all the towns agreeing to it. What happened is that the Mayor’s agreed to it but something went terribly, terribly wrong, the likes of which you do not see often in Democrat Camden County. [Of the seven towns, two of them Haddon Heights and Haddonfield have Republican Mayors. Haddon Township has an Independent Mayor]. From documents Camden and Gloucester County The Truth received that all the Mayors assured each other that they were all on board.

Well as reported on Clearysnotebook, Haddon Heights was not on board and pulled out. The majority of the councilmembers led by former Camden City police officer Rick DiRenzo, did not support the idea. The Republican led council defeated the plan. Why Mayor Forte, also a Republican said the council was on board and he had the votes is interesting. The only member of council to express support was ----surprise--- the lone Democrat Stephen Berryhill.

http://www.gloucestercitynews.net/clearysnotebook/2013/08/haddon-heights-has-yet-to-sign-on-to-rfp-to-study-police-department-mergersby.html

Following Haddon Heights pulling out, and although the issue seemed dead and all went quiet, until last week the issue came back up as it appears the other six towns are moving forward led by Haddonfield Borough.

Take a look at the below emails, they are eye opening.

Some highlights:

1. Mayor Maley communiticating with Lou Cappelli. Why would Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson email Lou Cappelli using personal email addresses? And why would Lou Cappelli forward this to Mayor Maley?

2. Mayor Forte saying he has the votes to pass this? How'd that work out for the good Mayor of Haddon Heights?

3. Oaklyn Mayor Robert Forbes when recieved an email with a subject: OPRA REQUEST 7/23 said, "You never saw me...I was never here..." Mayor what in the world does this mean?

4. Is Lou Cappelli involved with the Colonial Allaince?

5. Mayor Randy Teague of Haddon Township actually asking a question and showing common sense. Thank you Mayor.

6. Since the Mayor's meet in a public building every month the public, that means YOU! can attend there meetings. The next meeting is in Mt. Ephraim on October 3, Oaklyn on November 7, and Collingswood on December 5. The meetings start at 6:30 (at least that has been the past practice) so show up and say Hi!

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