Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Training topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trenton council approves training agreement with Ocean County Police Academy
Summary
The City Council approved Resolution 25‑3‑20 to send recruits to the Ocean County Police Academy, citing seat availability to speed recruitment; the vote was 5–1.
The Trenton City Council voted 5–1 to approve Resolution 25‑3‑20, authorizing the city to enter a law‑enforcement training agreement with the Ocean County Police Academy.
Council members moved the item up on the agenda and, after a discussion led by Police Director Steve Wilson about class availability and the department’s hiring need, approved the resolution. Vice President Edwards, Councilwoman Figueroa Kettenberg, Councilwoman Frisbie, Councilman Harrison and Councilwoman Williams voted yes; Council President Gonzales voted no.
Police Director Steve Wilson told the council Ocean County will provide seats in upcoming classes in September and November, additional seats in January, and an expanded Trenton‑only class in April 2030. "That will give us the ability to hire most, if not all, of our vacancies," Wilson said, adding the multi‑year agreement gives the department a predictable financial plan as it rebuilds manpower. He also said Ocean County offers more class capacity than Mercer County, which runs about two classes a year and offered substantially fewer seats for a recent cohort.
Wilson described the tuition and logistics: he said the Ocean County cost per cadet works out to roughly $1,500 for the 21‑week training (he also referenced a per‑day cost figure discussed in council questions), and that the city will provide transportation for cadets who lack it. Council members asked for follow‑up on retirements and future staffing needs; Wilson offered to provide a retirement estimate after the meeting.
The council first approved a procedural motion to move the resolution earlier in the agenda to accommodate witnesses; that procedural motion passed by voice/roll call before the substantive vote on Resolution 25‑3‑20. The resolution itself carried 5–1 on the roll call.
The action authorizes the city to enter a training agreement with the Ocean County Police Academy and does not itself appropriate new budget dollars in the text recorded at the meeting; council members discussed the agreement’s role in enabling the department to address current vacancies and future retirements.
The council then moved on to developer presentations on the Lafayette/Trenton Hotel request for proposals.
"If we can catch up with our manpower now within the next year, which seems like a high possibility now, we can then just send our replacements for retirements," Police Director Steve Wilson said during the discussion.
