JACKSON, NJ – The police unions that represent Jackson Township’s rank-and-file police officers and commanding officers showed a display of unity against the performance of Chief of Police Matthew Kunz. At one point, when Chief Kunz took the podium to present his defense, dozens of officers stood up and left the meeting room.
Jackson SOA President John Rodriguez criticized Chief Kunz over alleged mismanagement within the department and a general lack of interest in matters of concern to officers in his union regarding proper staffing, training, management meetings, organizational structure, and communications.
Rodriguez noted that while a recently released report regarding the handling of a police detective’s sexual misconduct inside police headquarters was not the reason for the lack of confidence in the chief, it was just an example of how the department is run under Chief Kunz.
Jackson PBA 168 President Jeff Henba echoed Sgt. Rodriguez’s comments say that under Chief Kunz’s direction, the department’s morale is at an ‘all-time low.’
Chief Kunz defended himself against the allegations, stating that he believes he is doing a good job and does have the support of the police officers under him. However, those police officers left the room for his speech.
The issue of creating a Director of Public Law and Safety position has been a political hotbed since it was announced. Chief Kunz opposes the position, while most officers in attendance support the measure.
The Jackson Council voted 3-2 in favor of the position during the first reading, forcing it into a second and final reading at the next meeting.
If approved, the position would oversee the department and link the department and the governing body. Councilwoman Jennifer Kuhn dismissed claims and rumors that the position would be a political patronage job, stating that the position would require applicants to be sworn police officers with at least twenty years of experience and no less than a sergeant in rank.
The police unions asked the council, in the best interest of residents, to hire a person who has experience working as a police officer in Jackson for the position to have the most effective positive outcome.
Chief Kunz said he is talking to the prosecutor’s office to see how the matter of the detective’s sexual encounter in the town hall was ‘leaked’ to the press, a matter which was of general public knowledge at the department for quite some time.
Today, Shore News Network defended its decision to publish the factual article.
“The public has the right to know what goes on behind closed doors, especially when we are told by whistleblowers that there is inconsistency in how people are treated within the department,” the company said in a statement today. “When you are given information that a senior officer abused his authority and brought shame to his position by engaging in sexual intercourse with a low-ranking civilian worker under his charge at another officer’s desk and faced no repercussions, reporting it, or finding out who shared the information of general knowledge to the public is not the job for a prosecutor. The prosecutor’s job is to find if this custodian of the public trust acted negligently or if he was given preferential treatment because of his familial and political connections in the town hall and with the chief. The meeting tonight sounded like the chief has more important matters in his department to fix than who tipped off the media.”
Shore News Network confirmed that it was not provided any confidential information about any employment matters or disciplinary measures but was given information generally shared publicly amongst officers in the department.
The incident was never reported to the New Jersey State Police’s major discipline database.
The heads of both police unions agreed that the situation within the Jackson Police Department under Chief Kunz has deteriorated to the point of civilian oversight being necessary at this time.
