Deputy chief a good idea

The South Brunswick Township Council is doing the right thing by creating the position of deputy chief for the Police Department.

As Police Chief Michael Paquette said Tuesday night, the face and complexity of law enforcement are changing rapidly.

The creation of the position will put a permanent person in charge of the department in the event of Paquette’s absence.

That is very important.

South Brunswick, like other Central New Jersey communities, is growing at an accelerated rate, and the demands of police agencies are often strained.

This position will ensure a consistent approach to policing by the agency in the event the top man is called away.

The position will also allow Paquette to maintain his availability to the community.

Community policing is a very important part of what makes the South Brunswick Police Depart-ment one of the best in the state.

Chief Paquette, and his vision of the agency as "a part of, not apart from" the community, has helped to make residents feel good about the officers who patrol their township.

The deputy chief, who will likely be appointed by Paquette, will keep that vision working and alive.

Many of the successes the agency has experienced in the last several years can be directly tied to this overall departmental philosophy.

We hope the council moves forward with this proposal, and eventually passes the ordinance next month.