Sea Isle Approves New Policy for Cops Working Off-Duty

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Police officers are often seen directing traffic around road construction sites. Some of them are picking up some extra money on the side. Under a new policy, off-duty police officers in Sea Isle City will now be able to earn $70 per hour by providing traffic control at road projects in town. Mayor Leonard Desiderio explained that for many years, road contractors and utility companies have asked for Sea Isle’s officers to direct traffic around their construction sites. Sea Isle usually accommodates those requests, and then bills the contractor for the cost of paying police officers overtime for working during their off-duty hours, city officials said. However, a new ordinance approved by City Council on Tuesday establishes a standard rate of $70 per hour that will be paid by contractors to the officers for their services. The city will also charge the contractors an additional $29.50 per hour to help defray administrative and overhead expenses, such as having a police car assigned to a construction site. “Adoption of this ordinance will ensure that the city, in addition to the officer, is fairly reimbursed for these off-duty services,” Desiderio said. The ordinance stipulates that outside employment for police officers cannot interfere with service for any other of the city’s operations. It must also be approved by Police Chief Anthony Garreffi. Road contractors are required to have some form of traffic control at their construction sites, including setting up detours or paying for police officers. City Solicitor Paul Baldini said Sea Isle’s new ordinance is similar to the policies of other towns that allow police officers to provide traffic control at construction sites during their off-duty hours. Having police officers directing traffic at construction sites will also help the city to maintain safety, Baldini said. Road contractors are required by law to have some form of traffic control at their construction sites. The options include having a flagman, setting up detours or paying for police officers. For the past four years, Sea Isle officials have wrestled with the issue of whether to even allow police officers to work off-duty at construction sites. In 2019, Council introduced an ordinance rescinding a 2011 Sea Isle law that allowed off-duty officers to work as traffic cops at road projects. During that time, city officials expressed concerns that having traffic officers stationed at construction sites was an added cost to taxpayers because contractors include that expense in their bids for city projects. In 2019, construction contractors were paying Sea Isle a fee of $60 per hour for traffic control – with the police officers getting $50 and the city keeping the remaining $10 as an administrative fee. But the ordinance approved by Council on Tuesday establishes a new policy regarding off-duty employment for police officers at road construction projects, including the standard fees of $70 per hour paid to the cops and $29.50 per hour that goes to the city for overhead.