STAFFORD TOWNSHIP POLICE RECRUITMENT PLAN

GOALS and OBJECTIVES:

The goal of the Stafford Township Police Department Recruitment Plan is to attract qualified individuals to pursue a career with the Stafford Township Police Department. The objective is to achieve an overall racial and gender composition of the department in comparison to the service population of the Township through the department’s recruiting activities. This agency will make a good faith effort to meet specific goals for recruiting a diverse workforce, in terms of people of color and gender diversity. The goals and objectives will be accomplished through various recruitment activities listed in the Recruitment Activities section of this plan.

GENERAL:

The Stafford Township Police Department is subject to the provisions of New Jersey Statutes Annotated 40A:14-118, et seq. and municipal ordinance in all facets of the recruitment and selection process. The Stafford Township Police Department recruits from a candidate pool open to all residents of New Jersey.

Stafford Township is an equal opportunity employer in all facets of the personnel process.

CURRENT DEMOGRAPHICS:

The demographics composition of the service area and agency are represented in the following table:

I. RECRUITMENT ACTIVITIES

A. The best law enforcement recruiters are personnel currently serving in sworn positions. Therefore, every member is charged with actively recruiting individuals they feel are qualified with the potential to be an asset to the police department. The Chief of Police is responsible for the administration of the Recruitment Plan.

B. This agency will take a proactive role in programs intended to attract qualified people to apply for and take the Police Officer Hiring Announcement. These programs include; but, are not limited to:

•  Establishing and maintaining contacts with police academy’s, community organizations and educational institutions and providing recruitment materials for display and distribution;
•  Participation in career day type programs at educational institutions and other public places and events;
•  Posting Police Officer Hiring Announcement announcements on the Township’s website and in local newspapers.

C. Particular attention should be paid to attracting candidates in approximate proportion to the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of the available workforce in the Township.

D. Personnel assigned to recruitment activities at career day and similar events and programs will be provided with information so that they are knowledgeable in those matters as they pertain to agency management and operation. Those topics include, but are not limited to:

•  Career opportunities
•  Salaries, benefits, and training
•  State hiring guidelines
•  Community information
•  Cultural diversity
•  Qualification and selection process
•  Physical and academic requirements

E. The following information should prove useful when participating in recruitment activities:

•  Recruitment/informational brochures
•  Agency organizational chart
•  Current contractual agreements
•  Training catalogs
•  Demographic data
•  Police Officer Hiring Announcement
•  General Employment Applications

F. Solicit interested candidates from the local police academies who are enrolled or graduates of the Alternate Route or Class II Special Officer training program.

II. ANNUAL REVIEW, EVALUATION AND REPORTING

A. The Chief of Police, or designee, shall conduct an annual review of the Recruitment Plan and shall include, but not limited to, performing an annual agency demographic review, determining whether any substantial disparities have been reduced, and if need be, revising the Recruitment Plan accordingly if the goals and objectives are not met.

N.J.S.A. 52:17B-4.10 et seq requires that each law enforcement agency must report certain law enforcement applicant data annually by January 31st for the preceding year. The data required to be reported is listed in the New Jersey Attorney General Guideline “Promoting Diversity in Law Enforcement Recruiting and Hiring” in Paragraph III.

https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/agguide/directives/ag-Guidelines-Diversity-in-LERecruiting-and-Hiring.pdf (Download PDF)  (Download PDF)

B. The reporting form can be found at:

https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/agguide/directives/Appendix-A.xlsx

 Police Officer Requirements

Be at least 21 years of age and no older than 35 years of age

• Be a citizen of the United States

• Be a resident of New Jersey and have a valid NJ driver’s license

• Be of sound moral character verified by a background investigation

• Education Requirements as outlined below (must be met by date of appointment, not by testing date)

 Education Requirements

o Must have earned a Bachelor’s degree or have earned 120 credits from an accredited college or university OR

o Have earned 60 credits from an accredited college or university AND have 2 years of active duty in the military with an honorable discharge OR

o Have earned an Associate’s degree or 60 credits from an accredited college or university AND have 2 years’ experience as a full-time regular police officer OR

o Have earned an Associate's degree or 60 college credits from an accredited college or university PLUS have a minimum of 24 months of satisfactory employment as a Class II Special Police Officer. Work experience as a Class II Special Police Officer must equate to 104 weeks of employment with a minimum of 20 hours of work per week. The 104 weeks are not required to be consecutive.

RECRUITMENT BROCHURE

*Stafford Township Police Department is an equal opportunity employer.