The Wall Township PBA Local #234 is the union of police officers employed by the Wall Township Police Department in Wall Township, New Jersey. As a non-profit labor organization, the PBA is funded by member's dues, donations by Wall residents, and fundraising activities conducted on an annual basis.

The Wall PBA donates tens of thousands of dollars each year for benevolent causes to include scholarship funds, charities, financial assistance to families of fallen or critically ill officers, and for worthy causes that better Wall Township.

We are proud and faithful servants of the wonderful residents of Wall and sincerely appreciate the overwhelming support and acts of generosity that we receive.

If you would like to contact a member of the Wall PBA, please send your request to webmaster@wallpba.org and indicate the name of the member and your message will be forwarded.

The latest and most disturbing "cost savings" plan unveiled by Mayor Newberry is a program purported to save the Township of Wall hundreds of thousands of dollars, the creation of a "Construction Unit" within the Wall Township Police Department.

In the February 11th, 2010, edition of the Coast Star, Mayor Newberry is quoted:

"Now, Mayor Newberry said, the PBA and the committee have come to an agreement to eliminate “construction overtime” in the police department.
Officers are often needed at construction sites where work is being done on roads. For instance, the mayor said, a roadwork project will soon begin on Sea Girt Avenue, and a police presence will be needed to ensure the safe flow of traffic.
Instead of paying officers overtime to work at construction sites, the officers will be stationed at the sites during their normal working hours, the mayor said. It will provide “significant savings” to the township, which the mayor estimated will be about $300,000 based on past overtime payments."

While $300,000.00 in savings sounds like a great idea, the truth is that not only will the Township of Wall not realize significant savings from the "Construction Unit," the creation of this unit has come at a very significant cost to the citizens of Wall.

The fact is that neither the Town nor the Committee have ever had any discussion with the PBA regarding construction overtime or the creation of such a unit.  For Mayor Newberry to make such a statement shows a reckless disregard for the truth.

President Heath Bono has issued a press release on behalf of the Wall PBA 234 memberhsip. The purpose of this press release is to correct misinformation being publicly disseminated by Twp Mayor Newberry.

Press Release 2-16-2010

The PBA has reported throughout the past several months that the number of officers in the Wall Township Police Department continues to decrease. At full strength, the Police Department employes 71 full time sworn officers and a Chief of Police.

The manpower of the Department had dwindled to 64 in late 2009 and Township Officials were threatening layoffs of up to an additional nine police officers! Following public outcry by Wall Twp residents, Township officials have publicly stated that no officers would be laid off. However, Mayor Newberry recently announced the creation of a "Construction Unit" within the Wall Twp Police Department which will have two officers assigned to direct traffic on a full time basis.

Based on the already depleted staffing levels of the Police Department, the creation of the Construction Unit means that the Police Department will no longer have any School Resource Officers assigned to the Intermediate and High Schools.

The PBA has taken great exception to what it views as mismanagment of the Police Department's resources which it feels puts school students at a greater and unnecessary risk. In his recent press release, President Heath Bono expresses concern over the safety of Wall students.

The most disconcerting facet of the construction unit is the fact that it will not save Wall Township any money. As a result, there is no gain by Wall residents from having School Resource Officers reassigned to direct traffic at road construction sites.

"This will lower municipal bills because officers will only be paid their normal salary for working construction sites, instead of being paid overtime, as they were in the past." - Mayor Newberry

Historically, off-duty officers have always worked at construction or traffic control sites.  The cost for officers has been paid for by the contractor or entity performing the work, not the Township of Wall.  In fact, the Township of Wall bills contractors an additional hourly surcharge for off-duty officers which they refer to as an "administrative fee."  As a result, the Township has always profited from officers working in an off-duty capacity.

In 2009 approximately $270,000 was brought in from contractors; money that was not an expense to the town, but rather, revenue. For 2010, the Township wants to maximize the income potential of officers working for private contractors. 

The plan to accomplish this goal is to assign officers to construction details while on duty.  Instead of answering 9-1-1 calls and crimes in progress calls, officers will be assigned to construction details.  The contractors will be billed and that money is 100% income, none goes to the officer since taxpayer dollars already paid the officer.

What this means is that the Township is attempting to pay for the salaries of two officers by billing their work hours to private contractors. While the idea may seem like a savings to Wall residents, the creation of the Construction Unit has resulted in the elimination of the School Resource Officer Prorgam.

Most importantly, why is the attempt to save money necessary? Wall Township has realized absolutely no decrease in its tax collection rates and had terminated the "furlough" program of employees based upon a lack of necessity. So if Wall Township doesn't need the money and isn't in a financial crisis, why would elected officials trade the safety of school students for the salaries of two police officers that it has no problem paying?

To the Wall PBA, attempting to generate revenue from directing traffic at construction sites is uncomfortably similar to establishing quotas for writing tickets, especially at the cost of a police officer in the High School.  It is our hope that the citizens of this Town will attend the next Committee Meeting armed with facts about how the elected Mayor of their town is seemingly running the ship of Wall aground.

The 2010 Fundraising campaign will kick off in March of this year.

The PBA would like to thank our supporters in advance for your continued generosity.

Online donations are currently being accepted, however, gifts for qualifying donations are in the final stages of preparation and won't be mailed out until late next month or early April.

Wall Township Police Department
Township of Wall
Monmouth County Police Pipes and Drums
New Jersey State PBA
Wall Foundation for Educational Excellence
MADD of New Jersey