JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – The Jackson Township Council is expected to vote on and approve the new Director of Public Safety position at Tuesday’s township council meeting. The position was created after months of interviews with rank-and-file police officers and with the full support of the Jackson PBA 168 and the Jackson SOA police officer unions.
The council is expected to appoint 25-year veteran Jackson police officer Joseph Candido.
Born in Croatia, Candido moved to Brooklyn in 1968 and became a U.S. citizen in 1976. He and his family have lived in the Freehold and Jackson areas since 1981. He graduated from Freehold Township High School and LaSalle University in 1988. He was hired by the Jackson Police Department in 2000, where he served 25 years, working his way up from patrolman to sergeant in 2020.
While a handful of people have attended township council meetings to protest the new position, Mayor Michael Reina said that it is necessary for the department’s success and the township’s safety.
“This position is a force multiplier,” Reina said. “Not only does it allow the chief of police to handle the day-to-day management of our police officers and the security of the township, but it also frees him from the constant bombardment of new mandates, regulations, and bureaucratic red tape being thrown at police officers and departments statewide by the Attorney General’s Office. As some falsely claim, this position does not replace our chief of police; it compliments our chief of police and our department.”
In recent council meetings, it became clear that due to the state’s ever-changing rules and regulations against police officers and standards, it has been difficult for departments to keep their forces completely compliant while performing the duties required to protect citizens.
“This position will ensure our department complies with regulations recently imposed on our department by Trenton and to be ready for whatever Trenton throws at us down the line,” Reina said. “We have a real crime problem to deal with while Trenton is making it easier for criminals to escape justice. We have home invasions, burglaries, and car thefts in our town and neighboring towns being committed by a group of individuals empowered by these new regulations and restrictions on our police officers.”
Last month, the township lost a million-dollar lawsuit because a police officer was not properly trained in updated state regulations. While fleeing from police, the driver was killed in a high-speed crash when he lost control of his vehicle. His family was awarded the large settlement due to the department’s non-compliance when it came to police officer training and updated state mandates and guidelines for police.
“We have worked long and hard and have done our due diligence on this,” said Council President Jennifer Kuhn. “We have met with both unions, the rank and file police officers, business owners, and citizens, and all agree that at this time, this position is needed to help us avoid some of the issues we have experienced in recent years.”
Councilman Mordechai Burnstein also dismissed the small group of people who oppose the position, saying even though it is a civilian position, it is being filled by a well-respected, trusted, experienced veteran police officer who knows both the needs of the township and the operations of the Jackson Police Department.
“Mr. Candido has an exemplary record as a police officer and in our community,” Burnstein said. “As we look around at the crime targeting Jackson and surrounding towns, we need an experienced veteran to help guide us through the changing landscape in Trenton and to allow our chief to focus on the job of policing and keeping our community safe. Our department, like so many others are being bogged down by these new mandates. We would not do this if we did not have the full support of both police unions and the community.”
Burnstein said he looks forward to the council approving the position and the appointment on Tuesday and said Candido is expected to hit the ground running to alleviate the administrative burdens of the department so the police officers can spend more time keeping the town safe as organized North Jersey criminal elements continue to target Northern Ocean County residents on a weekly basis.
“There’s no better person for this job,” Mayor Reina added. “We have a veteran officer, who has lived most of his life in our community and has served our township for decades. I look forward to him becoming part of our team and bridging the gap between my administration and the police department.:”