Town looks at ways to diversify OBPD Squad's 104 officers include two women, one African American BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer In an effort to create more diversity on the police force, officials are looking to make changes to Old Bridge's police hiring ordinance. Proposed changes include allowing for the chief of police to recruit officers from other municipalities on a limited basis, and heightening requirements for potential officers. "We want to have a force that's more reflective of our population as a whole," council President Pat Gillespie said. "Our town is certainly more diverse than our department." Gillespie, along with councilmen Reggie Butler, Kevin Calogera and Richard Greene, sit on a subcommittee formed to address the issue. Calogera is a retired New York City police officer. According to Gillespie, the committee was formed last fall in order to take a proactive approach to creating more diversity in the department. The amended ordinance, which had its first reading at the council's April 23 meeting, proposes that Police Chief Thomas Collow be given the ability to recruit two existing police officers per year to come and work on Old Bridge's force. These officers would not have to undergo the written and physical tests associated with becoming an officer, but would still be subject to a physical examination, psychological tests and interviews, Gillespie said. "There is a benefit to that to the taxpayers, that you don't have to train the person," Gillespie said. Another modification would create more stringent requirements for police officers. A potential officer would need to have completed either 60 college credits, or two years of military service in order to be considered for the job, Mayor Jim Phillips said. Considering the desirability of the position as the highest paid of township employees, the new requirements would be reasonable, according to Gillespie. "The 60 college credits is sort of an industry standard now," Gillespie said. According to Phillips, the first reading of the amended ordinance faced no opposition from the council. At the council's next meeting, May 7, members of the public will have the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns about the changes. The Old Bridge police force is at its full strength of 104 sworn officers, but there are only two women among them, and only one African American, Phillips said. "We have to do something to address that," Phillips said. Soon after taking office in 2004, Phillips proposed, and succeeded in, bringing the department to full force by hiring seven additional officers. Although the new hiring practices being proposed aim to change the current lack of diversity, Gillespie said it is unclear whether it will provide a solution to the issue. "I don't think there is any guaranteed formula," Gillespie said. "This is a problem a lot of police departments have, and it's not easy. It's not something you can easily accomplish." The proposed changes will not have any effect on the promotions process in the department, Gillespie said. The current police ordinance was the subject of litigation in 1990s, when then-Police Chief Jerry Palumbo and the former township administration grappled over the issue. "We're mindful of the issues that have been litigated in the past," Gillespie said. "A lot of these issues are behind us ... and we're not looking to revisit them."