Clerk's Office Finds No Constable Reports

If constables appointed in April 2011 followed state law and filed monthly reports through March 2015, the City Clerk's office should have several dozen on file. Results of an OPRA request: None found.

Failure to file a report for two consecutive months, unless physically unable to do so, means the office can be deemed vacant - that is, if anyone is paying attention. An inquiry a few months after the appointments turned up no reports.

At an August 2014 council meeting, former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs defended the constables and did so again in June 2015. She had former Constable Frank Rokins present a report to show the council members and said, "I know there are reports," claiming former Police Director Martin Hellwig had them. Police Director Carl Riley said he was unaware that the city had any constables and he did not recommend them.

Rokins was one of three constables appointed in 2011. The others were Sheldon Green and Tommie Ingram. Green dropped out, but Rokins and Ingram remained.

A call to the Constable Office of New Jersey yielded a callback from Philip Geron, 82, who said he became a constable in 1989. He was a font of information, starting with the distinction that a constable is a peace officer, not a police officer. A constable can be appointed for one to three years (not four) and must be bonded, he said. Activities include serving warrants, recovery and transporting, working with the DEA or serving as game warden, Geron said. A constable may be paid through the court or may become an independent contractor.

Geron said the position can be quite lucrative and added "Anybody can do this."

The municipality gives the constable a badge and collects a $50 fee. The constable must detail all activities and fees on the monthly reports and receives a 1099 tax form at the end of the year from those who use his or her services. But Geron said, "You really have to file a monthly report, even if it says 'no activity.'"

Click to see more about constables.

--Bernice

The Constable Question(s)

The mayor's request to appoint two individuals as constables has set off a flurry of questions regarding the role of a constable and how a person gets to be one.

When a quick scan of the Civil Service Commission's job titles came up blank, Plaintalker made an inquiry which resulted in the citation of NJSA 40A:9-120 as the statute covering constables. It actually included a few more, up to 40A9-127, but there it was: Information on appointment, terms of office, annual charges payable by constables, badges, vacancy, oath, bond, actions on bond, reports and "actions for money payable to or by constables."

The law still didn't say exactly what constables do - catch fugitives? round up deadbeats? - but obviously somebody pays them for their work. They only pay a municipality $50 a year and the municipality has to fork over a badge. The appointing body is the municipal council and the constable must submit to the governing body comprehensive monthly reports on all activity, including fees collected.

Plaintalker did not want to post the entire statute, but will send the information to anyone as an attachment if contacted by e-mail at the address on the right-hand side of the blog.

As Olddoc reported, there is a resolution on the March 14 agenda to appoint Sheldon Green and Frank Rokins as constables. Green has been a firefighter since 1987 and has also had OEM responsibilities. No information was made public on Rokins.

Newark has constables and there is a rather lengthy vetting process before appointment. Click here to see the process in Newark.

Given that Acting Corporation Counsel James Ventantonio did not fully explain the constable position when asked on March 7, but that it appears to be an opportunity to make money with the governing body's blessing, shouldn't there be interviews at least with these two to get their take on what they will be doing if appointed? After all, the council interviews citizens who just want to serve on bodies such as the Historic Preservation Commission. Should these two people be appointed to a little-understood but possibly lucrative position just on the mayor's say-so?

--Bernice

SRB Defends Constable, Probes City Matters

Among her many topics at Monday's City Council meeting, former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs took to the microphone in public comment to speak in support of a city constable who, she said, was suspended from the auxiliary police for an alleged infraction.

Calling him a "volunteer" and "a wonderful, wonderful man." Robinson-Briggs said it was a "sincere tragedy" that Frank Rokins was suspended from the auxiliary police for six months for writing a letter of support for someone and being told not to do it.

She alleged the suspension was ordered by Police Director Carl Riley and said she felt Rokins should be reinstated.

It was unclear what the governing body could do about it, but it was among several revelations the ex-mayor made during the evening.

The naming of Rokins and two others as constables was one of the oddities of 2011, but nothing much was heard about them until Monday's comments. They were supposed to file monthly reports on their activities, including any fees they received, but an inquiry a few months later turned up no reports.

When the nominations first came up, Plaintalker had to look up the role of a constable in the state statutes. The local PBA chapter objected to their nomination. Two names were put up in March 2011, then withdrawn and the resolution was tabled. In April 2011, the council approved Rokins and two others as constables. Their terms were to run to March 2015.

Officials could not respond on the alleged disciplinary action in the public meeting as it was a personnel matter.

Among other remarks, the former mayor commented on the naming of Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren as Plainfield's municipal prosecutor, noting that Mayor Adrian O. Mapp reports to Warren as he is the finance director in Orange. Earlier, SRB ally Kim Montford had characterized Mapp as Warren's "boss" here while Warren is his boss in Orange, but Corporation Counsel Vernita Sias-Hill explained that the municipal prosecutor reports to the state.

The former mayor also asked who the new assistant municipal clerk is, and whether the title of chief of staff is still in effect. The governing body cut funding for the chief of staff position earlier this year, but City Administrator Rick Smiley said Monday the chief of staff was transferred to the assistant municipal clerk position.

The council allowed Robinson-Briggs two five-minute comment periods, but she remained standing at the microphone. Mapp, who was defeated in his 2009 run for mayor by Robinson-Briggs but thwarted her bid for a third term in 2013, said Monday, "She had her time as mayor. She is the past - we are the future."

Robinson-Briggs refused to sit down and Mapp continued, "The mayor had her time. We will move the city forward despite the negatives we keep getting from the former mayor."

As Mapp said there had been full transparency on the Warren matter, Robinson-Briggs chuckled.

Earlier, Mapp had challenged Robinson-Briggs' remarks on fees for a community event. She said it was "ridiculous to have a fee," though Smiley said the fee was already waived through a municipal ordinance.

Mapp confirmed there was a "built-in exception" to waive the fee, but alleged that in the past Robinson-Briggs had illegally waived fees.

"The mayor does not have the ability to waive fees, only the governing body," Mapp said.

From her seat, the former mayor said, "I'll be back."

--Bernice

PBA Opposes Constable Plan

Plainfield Police Benevolent Association President Andre Crawford said Sunday his union is not in favor of a proposal to name two city men constables Monday.

The City Council will be asked to approve Sheldon Green and Frank Rokins as constables at the regular meeting, 8 p.m. Monday in Municipal Court. The matter came up in correspondence from Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs last week and since then bloggers and others have been busy trying to learn more about constables and what they do. Click here for Plaintalker's previous post.

Crawford said he was at a convention in Connecticut when he got a call about the proposal. His reaction? "We are adamantly opposed to anybody being able to do any police functions," he said Sunday.

Aong concerns about the proposed resolution, Crawford said state legislation is pending that will require six months of training for constables. He also questioned why Green, a city firefighter, would seek a constable position.

"We are not attempting to be firefighters," he said. of his members. "We have real issues with the whole situation."

Crawford said PBA representatives will attend Monday's meeting to get more information.

"The whole thing doesn't sit well," he said.

--Bernice

Constable Nominations Resurface

Among matters up for discussion at Monday's City Council meeting, Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs has nominated three city men for appointments to the office of constable.

Two - Sheldon Green and Frank Rokins - were previously nominated in March, but their names were withdrawn before a vote. Now the name of Tommie Ingram has been added to the list. All are nominated for four-year terms ending March 14, 2015.

Plaintalker raised several questions about the role of constables and the Police Benevolent Association took a stand against appointment of constables last month.

Click here for Plaintalker's posts on the topic. (This one will be included.)

The City Council meeting is 7:30 p.m. Monday in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave. There will be a special meeting preceding the agenda-fixing session. There is only one item for the special meeting, an appropriation of $58,000 to support operations of the Purchasing and Recreations divisions through the end of the fiscal year.

--Bernice

SRB and Council Allies Challenge Mapp Administration

As controversies over constables and official cars deepened Wednesday, Council President Bridget Rivers called for the governing body to have its own National Night Out event and newsletter in competition with the administration.

Former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs previously urged the council to reappoint two constables and to challenge the purchase of new vehicles for Mayor Adrian O. Mapp and City Administrator Rick Smiley. Both matters came up Wednesday as discussion items for the council.

Regarding the constables, Police Director Carl Riley said he was unaware that the city had any and said he did not recommend having them. Councilwoman Gloria Taylor called on Robinson-Briggs to explain. The former mayor said she sent Riley a letter in April 2014 about the constables, whose terms had expired. She said Riley told her he was reviewing the matter, Robinson-Briggs asked the council to put the appointments on the agenda for the May 16 regular meeting and read a statute on constable appointments after noting that Riley said the police force was down by 17 officers.

Riley said constables can't supplement the police force, as they do not have the same powers, and voiced other concerns, adding, "Nobody's going to tell me who to choose as my constables."

Councilwoman Rebecca Williams read another section of the statute on constables that said they must report monthly on their activities or lose their posts, whereupon Robinson-Briggs had a former constable come up and hand over a report.

"I know there are reports," she said, claiming former Police Director Martin Hellwig received them.

On the Explorers that were purchased out of the police budget, the discussion ranged from how to make sure "past practice" aligned with fiscal guidelines to Rivers' telling Smiley, "Maybe you should return the cars to Public Safety, where they belong."

"I won't be doing that," Smiley said.

"I want the mayor here," Rivers said. "I don't believe the mayor would have responded like that."

As Smiley insisted he could get any car he wanted from the police fleet, Rivers said, "I want you to give (the Explorers) back."

Regarding the Aug 4 National Night Out, Smiley first said it could not be held on the steps of City Hall because the administration had an event scheduled on the same night.

"If you have your event in the front, we will have ours in the back," Rivers retorted.

Then it turned out the administration's event was itself a National Night Out Program. Rivers said the administration should have discussed it with the governing body, adding, "If the administration is having one, we'll have one, too."

Councilman Cory Storch reminded the council that neighborhoods can organize their own events, and Smiley suggested that the council could hold them in each ward. Councilwoman Diane Toliver said people love having the event on the City Hall steps, saying to residents it's "like the White House."

In the end, Smiley suggested the two branches of government could work together.

The discussion items alone took over an hour. Near the end of the meeting, Rivers drew one more line in the sand.

"We have money in our budget," she said to the council members. "We need to work to have our own newsletter."

She said it could be used to publicize ward meetings and such, and suggested hiring someone "to do those things."

Mapp's online newsletter had come up in budget talks when some council members suspected a grants coordinator was writing it. Budget consultant Lawrence Caroselli had recommended elimination of the grants coordinator, but Finance Director Ron West said the staffer had brought in $1 million in grants. The newsletter was written by the mayor's chief of staff, who was also targeted for elimination in the 2015 budget.

The meeting was taped for viewing on local cable channels 34 and 96, so tune in to see all the action.

--Bernice

Constable Nominations Yanked

A resolution to name two city men constables was withdrawn Monday by the administration and tabled by the City Council for good measure.

The resolution would have been effective immediately for a four-year term, even though constables have to show proof of being bonded and the term on the books is only one year. There were many more questions raised by bloggers and others about what being a constable entails. Perhaps when there is more information, the item will come back.

Read Plaintalker's previous post on the issue here.

--Bernice

Constables Up for Discussion Wednesday

City constables have a friend in former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, who championed them first in 2011 and stuck up for them most recently during budget talks in May. On Wednesday, the City Council has scheduled a discussion on constables.

Specifically, Robinson-Briggs asked at a May 6 budget session for reinstatement of constables Frank Rokins and Tommie Ingram, who were appointed in 2011 to four-year terms ending March 14, 2015. Originally the constable roster had also included Sheldon Green, who has since retired from the Fire Division. The constables were appointed over objections from the police union.

In 2011, the position was little known and Plaintalker had to research it for a post on the role of a constable. The constables were supposed to file monthly reports with the city, from which Plaintalker hoped to learn more about their actual work, but inquiries to the city clerk's office in 2011 turned up no reports.

Robinson-Briggs left office in December 2013 after two terms as mayor, but asked at an August 2014 council meeting for the reinstatement of Rokins as an auxiliary policeman, alleging new Police Director Carl Riley ordered his suspension. Officials could not respond in public, as it was a personnel matter.

Other discussion items listed for Wednesday are the procurement process for the purchase of vehicles, another topic Robinson-Briggs raised during budget talks.  National Night Out and 2015-2016 liquor license renewals are also up for discussion.

Please note the agenda-fixing meeting Wednesday will be preceded by a 7 p.m. special meeting and hearing on amendments to the 2015 municipal budget. Both meetings are in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave. The meetings were previously advertised for Monday, but were rescheduled due to the reorganization of Democratic City Committee, which takes places every two years following the June primary election.

--Bernice

Changing Faces at the Housing Authority

Louise Colodne is the new state appointee to the Housing Authority of Plainfield, succeeding Mary Ann Anderson for a term to July 1, 2017.

Colodne was among 19 Housing Authority appointees chosen by Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III and approved by Gov. Chris Christie on Dec. 27.

Last month, the City Council approved the appointments of Dolly Hamlin and Joylette Mills-Ransome to the Housing Authority. Hamlin filled the vacancy caused by the resignation of Owen G. Fletcher for a term to July 1, 2016 and Mills-Ransome replaced Hattie Williams for a term to July 1, 2018.


Besides the direct state appointment, there is a direct mayoral appointment that has been held in holdover mode for several years by Rickey Williams. According to city records, the term for that appointment also runs to July 1, 2016. Having taken office on Jan. 1, Mayor Adrian O. Mapp may now fill the vacancy with a person of his choosing.

The changes come just as HAP is closing in on the revitalization of Elmwood Gardens and is part of a proposal to construct more than 80 apartments on city-owned land adjacent to the Madison Avenue playground.

--Bernice