Cherry Hill council President and Mayor-elect David Fleisher reiterated a public a statement issued by the state controller denouncing a private police training conference sponsored by the East Windsor company Street Cop.
“The report states that the instructors of a police training conference taught unconstitutional policing tactics and undermined police reform initiatives,” Fleisher said at a recent council meeting. “They (the tactics) were incorrect based on settled case law and state law-enforcement directives, and included discriminatory and harassing comments and basically abhorrent conduct.”
Police Chief Robert Kempf later told The Sun that only one township police officer was known to have attended a training by Street Cop and that the officer has been refunded a training fee. The officer will also undergo remedial training.
“The teachings at this conference were shameful and indefensible,” Kempf explained. “We are currently working through a comprehensive review of both that controller’s report and our overall training guidelines throughout our overall department.”
Kempf also noted that Cherry Hill police started an accreditation process 18 months ago to review physical buildings, policies and practices and ensure the department is complying with best practices. In light of the report on the training, the department has also developed a five-step action plan that includes reviewing the state controller’s report, comprehensively reviewing overall training practices, and canceling future Street Cops’ sessions.
Police will also seek reimbursement of any public funds used to send officers to the conference and will ensure that the state controller’s recommendations and practices are implemented. A report of the police department’s review is estimated to be issued in February.
Also at the council meeting, it was announced that the township has authorized an agreement with Tavistock to create affordable-housing units “for an amount not to exceed $750,000” using money from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The fund can be used for “the acquisition and/or rehabilitation of real property for the purposes of creating deed-restricted and low- and moderate-income rental housing,” according to a township ordinance.
Cherry Hill has also entered into a shared-service agreement with Camden County to preserve the spring house at the historic Barclay Farmstead. The $50,000 grant from the Camden County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund will be used to replace the structure’s roofing and siding.
Fleisher also announced that there will be a meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 27, at 10 a.m., with a reorganization session on Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 5 p.m.
In other news:
- Cosmas Diamantis was appointed the township Public Agency Compliance Officer for 2024.calendar year
- The township agreed to commit an additional $98,659.29 to the development of a parking lot for the Cherry Hill food pantry at 910 Beechwood Ave., in addition to the previously committed $225,600 of Community Development Block Grant funds.
