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Council hears limited police training slots and lease renewal need for emergency services unit
Summary
Council discussed requests on the agenda for breaching and active-shooter training and a lease renewal for the police emergency services unit; deputy chief said training slots are constrained and the department lacks in-house breaching instructors.
Council members reviewed several public-safety items scheduled for the council agenda, including training authorizations for police personnel and a lease renewal to house an emergency services unit.
The public-safety calendar items referenced an ordinance authorizing two members of the police department to attend a mechanical breaching instructor school at the Passaic County Public Safety Academy (July 22–24, 2025) and an ordinance authorizing one department member to attend initial response to active shooter training (July 10–11, 2025). The items were listed as on the agenda; no formal votes were recorded during the work session.
Deputy Chief Edison (identified in the transcript as participating online) told the council that some statewide trainings are space-constrained and that allocations for certain sessions limit how many officers can attend. He said the breaching instructor training is specific to the emergency services unit and is important because the department currently has no breaching instructors; as employees become eligible to retire the department must train new instructors to avoid a skills gap. Edison said the department was sending officers with roughly 10–12 years of service to maintain institutional knowledge.
Councilwoman Gleason asked why only one officer was attending active-shooter training; Edison replied that most department trainings are open to all officers but require a request showing why the training is pertinent. For the breaching instructor course, which is specialized, participation is limited to emergency-services personnel.
The council also discussed an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter a lease renewal agreement with parties listed in the agenda packet for Suite 407 (lease details and the full address were referenced in the packet). Gleason noted she had previously supported the lease because the city lacks a property that is publicly accessible 24 hours a day suitable for the unit; Edison confirmed there was no suitable city-owned space that met that requirement.
No formal action or vote on these items was recorded in the transcript at the work session; council members asked for clarification on training availability and police staffing for upcoming sessions.
Why it matters: Training for specialized emergency services and continuity of housing for the unit relate to the department’s operational readiness and public-safety response capacity.
What’s next: The items remain on the council agenda for formal consideration; staff and police leadership will provide additional details as requested.
