Agreement Reached to Avoid Police Layoffs

It appears it will be a happy New Year after all for six West Caldwell police officers who were given notice last week that they would be either terminated or demoted on Dec. 31.

According to an e-mail from Police Chief Michael Bramhall to The Caldwells Patch, an agreement was reached late Wednesday night between the West Caldwell town council and the Policeman's Benevolent Association West Essex Local 81 that will avoid the termination of two township officers and the demotion of four others.

Bramhall, however, said he did not yet have details of the settlement.

West Caldwell Councilman Dominick Aiello said Friday the agreement will not be official until the council convenes for its reorganization meeting Sunday at noon.

"There's been a tentative agreement reached," Aiello said. "The police have made changes to it on their end and on Sunday we will discuss it and ratify it on our end as a council at our meeting. It's not official—not until Sunday. Nothing has been done. Everything is right where it is until we can take action and we can't take action until we're able to reconvene at our re-org meeting."

Sunday's meeting at the municipal building will include the swearing in of two new council members in addition to finalizing the town's new agreement with the police, which Aiello anticipates will have the council's support.

"It should be a fairly quick meeting," Aiello said. "The only real item on it is the swearing in of two new council people and then we have the police. We're going to have a conversation about the police first, but I think it already has council's support."

On Monday, Dec. 21, two township officers were given notice their positions would be terminated at the end of the year. In addition, two lieutenants and two sergeants were informed of their demotions, effective Dec. 31.

The following day, approximately 100 demonstrators voiced their support for the police by protesting outside the municipal building on Clinton Road.

Throughout the past week, Bramhall has remained optimistic an agreement could be reached between the PBA and the town, which is facing a projected $1.1 million deficit for 2010.

Town Administrator Andrew Katz and Joseph Maddaloni, the town's attorney, have not returned several messages and e-mails for comment during the last week.