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Local officers raise alarm about stalled police contract at Stone Harbor council meeting
Summary
A borough police officer and multiple residents urged Stone Harbor officials to prioritize a delayed police labor contract and staff retention, citing fear of retaliation and recent retirements; borough labor counsel said it will contact the FOP soon.
At the Feb. 18, 2025 meeting of the Stone Harbor Mayor and Council, Borough police officer Anthony Tirelli told elected officials that the police department has experienced a prolonged delay in labor-contract negotiations and that some officers fear retaliation for speaking about the issue. "The delay of negotiating the labor contract has lost the borough employees which will cost the taxpayers long term," Tirelli said, and he urged the council to compensate and treat officers fairly.
Tirelli described conversations with department employees and members of the public expressing concern; he also thanked retiring Chief Schutta for his years of service. Solicitor Anthony Bocchi responded that he had conferred with labor counsel after the last meeting and that labor counsel would be communicating with the Fraternal Order of Police in the near future.
Several residents backed Tirelli’s call for the borough to prioritize public safety staff. Geoff Woolery said town employees "should be treated as their best asset," and other speakers—including Joselyn Rich, Tom Considine, Rose Clay and Joan Petrowski—praised quick emergency response times and urged retention of public-safety personnel. Councilmember Robin Casper recounted a personal life-or-death emergency and said she holds "the highest respect for the public safety department."
Separately, residents raised staffing changes: Angelo Caracciolo asked how many applications were received for the recreation director position; Councilmember Victor Foschini said the borough had received three applicants and will conduct interviews. Several commenters also expressed disappointment that council had not publicly acknowledged the police chief’s retirement and the recreation director’s resignation.
The council did not take formal action on the labor contract during the meeting; the only official update was Solicitor Bocchi’s statement that labor counsel would contact the union. The council later moved into a closed session under the New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act to discuss employment matters.
