UPDATED: Gloucester City's Police Chief Receiving $52K More Than the Average Chief in NJ and Elsewhere
Thursday, August 15, 2024
WILLIAM E. CLEARY SR. | CNBNews Editor
GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (August 15, 2024)--A CNBNews editorial released August 8, 2024 discussed the disbandment of the Woodynne Police Department and speculated that more police departments in New Jersey and across the nation might unite to address the high costs associated with union contracts for rank and file officers and salaries for top police department officials.
That CNBNews opinion included a reference to the $185,000 salary for the part-time police chief that Mayor Dayl Baile and the City Council approved. According to ZipRecruiter, the Gloucester City Police Chief is making $52,000 more than the average police chief in the state of New Jersey, who is being paid $133,018. The nationwide salary for a police chief is $133,872.
Related:
CORRECTION regarding the Gloucester City Police Chief/City Administrator Brian Morrell
IS HE SUPERMAN? --In December 2020, Mr. Morrell (right) was appointed as the temporary city administrator by former City Mayor Daniel Spencer (left). A special committee consisting of department heads, including Police Chief Morrell, the mayor, the council, and external executives, interviewed 20 candidates for the position. However, the committee was unable to find a suitable candidate. Four years later, Morrell continues to serve in the roles of part-time police chief and part-time city administrator. When he was initially appointed, a reporter asked how he could manage both positions, to which Morrell responded that he would rely on his police staff for assistance. His salary for the police job is $185,000, and $45,000 for the administrator role. Presently, Morrell's compensation for the police chief's position exceeds the average pay for a police chief in New Jersey and nationwide, as per the ZipRecruiter database.
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This raises the question of why Gloucester City has had a full-time city administrator for over 50 years if the job can be done part-time. Similarly, if the position of Police Chief is part-time, why has the city always had a full-time chief?
Simply put, the reason is that no man can perform two jobs and do them well, especially two of the most essential jobs here in the City of Gloucester City and in every other town in the USA.
In 2005, under Mayor Kilcourse's leadership, Gloucester City attempted an experiment by appointing City Clerk Paul Kain to take on the additional role of City Administrator. Regrettably, the city suffered significant losses, missing out on millions of dollars in grants due to overlooked filing deadlines.
After all this time, you would think the present mayor and council would have appointed a full-time city administrator. The writing has been on the wall for the last 48 months that the City was in need of one.
HERE ARE THE FACTS:
The Local Property Taxes are sky-high and keep increasing,
The police department can no longer release a crime report to the public. Why not? A past practice that has been in existence for decades.
A public works supervisor was arrested for stealing money from the taxpayers, the theft was hidden from residents for nearly a year,
A fireman had to be removed because of unsatisfactory behavior. A report reveal that some members of the Fire Department acted like they were living in a college frat house,
As a result, a special $140,000 position had to be created. Former City fireman was named Director of the Fire Department. His job, oversee the employees in that department. The position was never needed in the past but under the part-time city administrator another top level job has been created. Left to pick up the tab, Gloucester City residents, some of the poorest people in the state of New Jersey,
The Kilcourse Experiment in 2005 proved one man cannot do two jobs. That failed endeavor cost Gloucester City residents millions of dollars. How much will this latest Mayor Dayl Baile mistake cost City taxpayers? Will we ever find out?
How much does a Chief Of Police make in New Jersey?
According to a nationwide database, ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for a Chief of Police in New Jersey as of August 7, 2024, is $133,018, while nationwide, a Chief of Police makes $133,872. The data reveals that the present $185,000 salary for the Gloucester City's Police Chief is exhorbinant, and $52,000 more than the average police chief is making.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Chief Of Police jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high-paying job as a Chief Of Police on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Chief Of Police Jobs in New Jersey
ZipRecruiter identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Chief Of Police job is above the average in New Jersey. Topping the list is East Orange, with Belleville and Clark close behind in second and third. Clark beats the New Jersey average by 11.4%, and East Orange furthers that trend with another $19,702 (14.8%) above the $133,018.
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Using a salary of $185,000 for the Gloucester City Police Chief's position, that number was broken down hourly, daily, weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, quarterly, and annually.