Helmetta tables police force restructuring Council accepts offer of out-of-town officials to help department BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer HELMETTA - Police chiefs from several area towns were among those packed into a crowded borough hall last week to support Cully Lewis remaining in his capacity as police chief. Lewis, who has been with the Helmetta Police Department for over 20 years and is eligible for retirement in two years, has faced the prospect of having his rank changed to sergeant due to an ordinance that would restructure the town's police department. The ordinance would eliminate the role of chief and create a civilian police director position. The Borough Council was set to adopt the controversial ordinance on March 13, but tabled it after members of the Middlesex County Police Chiefs Association and the county sheriff 's department agreed to provide free services to Helmetta as it seeks to address deficiencies in the police department. An efficiency study, performed last year by the Roberts Group Ltd. of Watchung, concluded that the department was deficient in key areas such as procedures, training and supervision. The Borough Council had the study conducted to determine whether there was sufficient manpower on the police force, which comprises three full-time officers including the chief, and three parttime officers. The borough also pays Jamesburg through an interlocal agreement to provide police coverage for one of each day's three shifts. The council on Feb. 27 introduced the ordinance that would replace the chief 's position with a public safety director, giving Lewis less authority, but the measure was immediately met with opposition from members of the public and law enforcement officials. In tabling that ordinance last week, the council also voted to table a resolution that would terminate the interlocal agreement with Jamesburg for third-shift police coverage. Residents said at last week's meeting that Lewis was not given a chance to make the improvements called for in the efficiency study since he is responsible for both patrol and administrative duties. Some also said they supported Lewis, who has worked for the police force for more than 20 years, because he cares for the community and its residents. Lewis' attorney, Steve Mannion, of Teaneck, has said that Lewis has tenure that protects him, under state law, from being demoted from his position as chief until he is required to retire. However, the borough's attorney, David Clark, has argued that it is not a matter of demotion or promotion, as the municipality is allowed to restructure its police department as it sees fit, and in this case that means eliminating a position. South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka, who attended last week's meeting in support of Lewis, agreed with the council's decision to table the ordinance and allow police chiefs from surrounding towns to help the department establish new procedures and assist it with any necessary training. "We consider this a victory for everybody," Hayducka said. "We believe that a police department should be led by a police chief. We are not opposed to a public safety director, as long as the chief is running the day-today [operations]." Clark told the Sentinel that the borough anticipates the chiefs' association offer for free services to be put in writing soon, and the borough's Public Safety Committee will then meet to discuss how to move forward to address the department's deficiencies. Mayor Nancy Martin said that although the ordinance is tabled for now, the council could consider it again at a later date. Martin, in defending the ordinance earlier this month, said that Lewis had been "offered avenues to fix his department, and failed to take these opportunities." Mannion, however, said the borough was requiring Lewis to patrol the town for eight hours, then return to headquarters to perform administrative duties, which he said was an unreasonable workload.