Montville Township

Your 42 member Police Department provides around-the-clock coverage to our 20,000 residents, covering 19 square miles of territory with approximately 110 miles of paved roadway. The police function is separated into three divisions:

Administration
The day-to-day operations of the police department are the responsibility of the Chief of Police. The powers of that position are directly derived through state statute and local ordinance.

The Chief of Police, as a department head, is directly accountable to the Township Administrator. His responsibilities encompass the whole of the police function from delegation of authority and assignments, to serving as the final authority in disciplinary matters, budgeting and departmental policy. The officers under his command derive their police powers from his legislated authority.

Operations
Operations involves the every day interactions which are most visible to the public and commonly considered to be the heart of police work. Included are the Patrol Bureau, Detective Bureau and Traffic Bureau.

Patrol Bureau - The uniformed patrol, utilizing marked police vehicles, is the backbone of the force with the task to "Protect and Serve" the residents of, and visitors to, our fair community. This largest complement of officers accomplishes the task through a Township-wide patrol of four sectors. The normal road patrol consists of four uniformed patrol officers and one road sergeant. They are all professionally trained and provide first-responder coverage for our residents and visitors. Patrol officers are the first on the scene to provide emergency medical treatment to the injured through our Emergency Services Unit (ESU), the first to evacuate a burning building and coordinate the fire department response, the first to respond in defense of individuals who fall victim to criminal activity, and the first to become involved with any problem our public may encounter, police or non-police related.

Detective Bureau - The basic function of the Detective Bureau is to conduct plainclothes follow-ups of serious crimes, vice activities, and juvenile matters, and assist to the Patrol Bureau with supplemental investigations. The Detective Bureau also prepares cases for prosecution, collects evidence at crime scenes, interviews and interrogates parties involved in criminal situations, and processes criminal and non-criminal fingerprinting. The Detective Bureau also acts as liaison between this police department, the Courts and all other law enforcement and professional agencies on the local, county, state and federal levels.

Traffic Bureau - The Traffic Bureau's primary function is to provide traffic-related services to the community in the form of accident investigation, traffic direction and enforcement, traffic flow surveys, school crossing and other special assignments of similar nature. They also supplement the Patrol Bureau by actively patrolling the Township.

Emergency Services Unit - The Emergency Services Unit (ESU) was formed in 1994 in conjunction with the Montville Township First Aid Squad to address the community's need for a more immediate response to medical emergencies. The Unit consists of one Paramedic and several Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who are specially trained to bridge the gap between normal first aid and the advanced service provided by the first aid squads. An ESU officer is assigned to each patrol squad and utilizes marked vehicles with the caduceus insignia. The purpose of this specialized unit is to provide rapid response and the highest possible standard of care to the residents of the Township, 24 hours a day. Their higher level of training permits them to assess a victim's condition and relay that critical information to other responding medical units within minutes of arrival.

The ESU officers are trained in the use of the defibrillator, a portable electronic shocking device used to correct heart arrythmias. ESU officers utilize conspicuous police vehicles that are specially equipped with medical kits, multiple oxygen tanks and a defibrillator unit.

Services
Less known and less visible but equally important is the support function that provides our public with the necessary services to make life easier and safer through programs, projects, crime prevention and records retention.

The support function of the department is vital to the total operation. Records maintained for public access include incident reports and accident reports. Other documentation involving individuals or their property are retained for legal and insurance purposes. A variety of programs and projects are provided at no cost to the public through the Community Policing Unit.

Community Policing Unit - The Community Policing Unit was established in 1989. Although not named "community policing" at the time, the Unit was already taking steps toward bringing the residents and police together. The Unit began as a one-officer operation. That officer performed as the Juvenile Officer and doubled as the community liaison and handled a variety of jobs from school lectures to neighborhood watch coordinator. With the inception of the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program, a new direction was evolving in the area of police/community relationship.

The Montville Township Police Department was among the first in Morris County and the State to accept and train officers in the DARE Program. With the official inception of Community Policing, the Unit grew to 3 full-time officers. Their goal is to bring the public and the Police Department closer and to improve the quality of life within the Township. We believe that by better educating the public as to the role of the police and educating the police as to the needs of the public, we can better serve the needs of all.

The community policing effort currently involves the following programs. If you have friends, neighbors or family that may benefit from any of these services, please contact the Community Policing Unit at (973) 257-4300.

Life Link Program - The Life Link Program was developed for residents who are at risk. This program is geared toward individuals who are living alone, those without family nearby, senior citizens or any homebound resident. Our goal is to periodically visit those residents to check on their well being, as well as to offer a warm, friendly "hello," and to arrange for assistance when needed.

Vial Of Life - Vial of Life is a national program designed to aid emergency personnel in obtaining medical history when a patient is unable to provide that information. The vial is a specially marked plastic medicine container that holds important medical information including medications, allergies, physicians' names and phone numbers and other important background information .

The participant completes a form and places it in the Vial-of-Life and then the vial is taped inside the resident's refrigerator. A sticker on the refrigerator as well as on the house's front door alerts the responding emergency personnel to the patient's participation in this program and the availability and location of the vital information.

This program is provided at no cost to Montville Township residents who are age 60 and older, as well as those who qualify as a result of their special medical history. If you are interested in this program, please contact us so we may schedule a time to assist you in registration.

D.A.R.E. Program - The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program is a 17-week curriculum that is taught to 5th grade classes, before the students enter the middle school. DARE has been taught in Montville Township schools since 1989. A uniformed police officer visits the students in a teacher/student environment to discuss topics such as decision making, peer pressure, substance abuse and violence. It is currently being taught in five Township elementary schools and one parochial school. A Parent Program is being considered which would educate parents about the DARE Program so they can discuss issues with their children. It also focuses on detection of drugs and abuse prevention. For more information about DARE write to: rblasi@montville-township.org

Explorer Post - The Explorer program is geared toward youths between 14 and 21 years of age who are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. Explorers are certified in C.P.R., basic first aid and radio communications. This allows them to ride along with our police officers on patrol. Explorers participate in community service activities, fund-raising, trips and many aspects of special police type-training and community services.

Lectures - Safety, home security tips, drug trends and other topics of interest are presented to organizations and schools in lectures or informal gatherings upon request.

Home Security Surveys - Home surveys are available to all Township residents at no charge. Surveys are completely confidential and offer tips on making your home or apartment less of a target to burglars and thieves. This service includes an inspection of all doors and windows, and tips on exterior lighting and foliage and engraving or photographing of valuables for future identification.

Vacant House Checks - We provide, at no cost, vacant house checks to all Township residents. You may stop at Police Headquarters to fill out a Vacant House Check form. We will periodically check the perimeter of your property, including doors and windows. This service is provided year-round.

Police Trading Card Program - The Montville Township Police Department provides our young residents the opportunity to collect police trading cards. These cards are similar to the traditional baseball trading cards. They provide a photo of the officer on the front with information on the back, including a personal safety message. This is a great way to meet your local police officers. Simply ask an officer for his or her trading card when you see them around town or stop by the police desk and ask our dispatcher.

Meeting Your Community Policing Officers - The Community Policing Unit covers a wide variety of programs in addition to the ones listed. If you are out and about the Township, you can expect to see police officers at many Township events and recreational activities. Should you encounter officers in these community events, please feel free to stop and talk to that officer. They are there for you.

Police Blotter - Scam Information: Starting in the spring, the "Travelers" saturate the Northeast with various scams that involve proposals for driveway paving, roof repair and general home maintenance. The intent is to defraud and victimize residents, especially the elderly.