As reported by nj.com, members of the Camden Fraternal Order of Police opted to postpone until next week a vote on an offer issued by the County Freeholders that would allow all current Camden police officers to be considered for the planned countywide police force.

FOP President John Williamson stated the union vote next week will be a ballot vote.  “[The officers] want clarity on a lot of issues,” he said following the meeting, in which nearly 200 voting members of the FOP had gathered at the union’s headquarters on Federal Street.  “They are still unclear about a lot of things.”

The offer from the County would allow the bargaining unit’s full membership to be considered for employment in the new regional police department, as well as provide continuity of medical and pension benefits for officers making the switch from the city to the countywide police force.  The offer, presented in writing to the Camden Fraternal Order of Police chapter on January 15, would also allow Camden police officers with 20 years experience, rather than the customary 25, to retire with full pension and medical benefits.  In addition, the County would recognize the FOP as the bargaining unit of the new department.

In exchange, the Camden FOP would agree to drop all pending or future litigation aimed at stopping both the elimination of the city police department and the establishment of a county police force.  The union would also have to relinquish any attempt to transfer its existing collective bargaining agreement, as well as all existing rank and seniority, to the new police department, and agree not to seek interest arbitration for one year.

The FOP has until January 31 to decide whether to agree to the offer.

Camden County freeholders approved the first three hires to the new countywide police department on January 18, transferring a trip of superior officers from the current city police force.  According to officials, the first members of the regional police force will be responsible for training new officers, assisting in employee background checks and serve in a supervisor role within the department.

Tags: Articles, Camden, Camden FOP, Camden Police Department, county police force, FOP, Layoffs, shared services
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Photo of Donald C. Barbati Donald C. Barbati

Donald C. Barbati is a shareholder of Crivelli, Barbati & DeRose, L.L.C. His primary practice revolves around the representation of numerous public employee labor unions in various capacities to include contract negotiation, unfair labor practice litigation, contract grievance arbitration, and other diverse issues…

Donald C. Barbati is a shareholder of Crivelli, Barbati & DeRose, L.L.C. His primary practice revolves around the representation of numerous public employee labor unions in various capacities to include contract negotiation, unfair labor practice litigation, contract grievance arbitration, and other diverse issues litigated before the courts and administrative tribunals throughout the State of New Jersey. In addition, Mr. Barbati also routinely represents individuals in various types of public pension appeals, real estate transactions, and general litigation matters. He is a frequent contributor to the New Jersey Public Safety Officers Law Blog, a free legal publication designed to keep New Jersey public safety officers up-to-date and informed about legal issues pertinent to their profession. During his years of practice, Mr. Barbati has established a reputation for achieving favorable results for his clients in a cost-efficient manner.

Mr. Barbati has also handled numerous novel legal issues while representing New Jersey Public Safety Officers. Most notably, he served as lead counsel for the Appellants in the published case In re Rodriguez, 423 N.J. Super. 440 (App. Div. 2011). In that case, Mr. Barbati successfully argued on behalf of the Appellants, thereby overturning the Attorney General’s denial of counsel to two prison guards in a civil rights suit arising from an inmate assault. In the process, the Court clarified the standard to be utilized by the Attorney General in assessing whether a public employee is entitled to legal representation and mandated that reliance must be placed on up-to-date information.

Prior to becoming a practicing attorney, Mr. Barbati served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Linda R. Feinberg, Assignment Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Mercer Vicinage. During his clerkship Mr. Barbati handled numerous complex and novel substantive and procedural issues arising from complaints in lieu of prerogative writs, orders to show cause, and motion practice. These include appeals from decisions by planning and zoning boards and local government bodies, bidding challenges under the Local Public Contract Law, Open Public Records Act requests, the taking of private property under the eminent domain statute, and election law disputes. In addition, Mr. Barbati, as a certified mediator, mediated many small claims disputes in the Special Civil Part.

Mr. Barbati received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, magna cum laude, from Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Upon graduating, Mr. Barbati attended Widener University School of Law in Wilmington, Delaware. In 2007, he received his juris doctorate, magna cum laude, graduating in the top five percent of his class. During law school, Mr. Barbati interned for the Honorable Joseph E. Irenas, Senior United States District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey in Camden, New Jersey, assisting on various constitutional, employment, and Third Circuit Court of Appeals litigation, including numerous civil rights, social security, and immigration cases.

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