Once again it is time for Haddonfield to elect borough commissioners, and once again I am supporting Ed Borden. I have known Ed for more than 10 years. I first met him when we were both soccer parents, and he was a member of the board of education. He tackled tough issues affecting our schools, and when he was elected commissioner and took on the role of director of public safety, he tackled tough issues in that area as well.
Despite the relative safety of Haddonfield, we will face some difficult management and staffing decisions for our police in the coming four years.
Our police chief, Joe Banning, will be retiring this year. Ed has championed a collaborative and transparent process for the selection of department leadership, including the participation of local, county, state and federal experts in law enforcement. He will apply this process again in selecting Chief Banning’s replacement.
Ed’s experience as a county prosecutor and practicing attorney has given him unparalleled insight into the inner workings of local law enforcement. Why is this important? It means that when Ed says that he will never support merging our police with Camden County’s, he does so because he has seen how these different forces work and knows this option is not viable for Haddonfield. It also means that when he says he will explore shared services opportunities, it is because he knows there are areas of overlap we could capitalize on to reduce spending, without compromising the safety of our community.
Personally, I find it reassuring that Ed brings real-world public safety experience to his position as Haddonfield commissioner and hope that you will join me in re-electing him on May 14.
Linda Kuritzkes
