Jackson names former police union leader as public safety director amid power struggle

JACKSON — For the first time in more than 16 years, a civilian is in charge of the police department.

Police Sgt. Joseph Candido was named the township's new public safety director last week, the first civilian placed in charge of the department since 2008. Candido, 57, was hired by the Jackson Police Department in 1999 and promoted to sergeant in August 2020.

Under township ordinance, Candido will collect a salary of up to $200,000 as public safety director. He collected a $163,626 salary as a police sergeant last year, according to public records.

Candido will start in his new position on May 1, Jackson Township Council President Jennifer Kuhn said.

"I didn't hear one person that didn't bring Joe's name up, because of his strong skills with budgeting and the morale he brings," Kuhn said. "He's a local guy, he's a 25-year veteran of the department and there's nobody who knows the department better than the men and women within."

Candido's appointment is the most recent chapter in a months-long power struggle over control of the police department.

In January, the heads of both township police unions issued a joint statement supporting a new position of "public safety director," a civilian job that would outrank even the chief of police. The township's current chief, Matthew Kunz, has been in the job since 2008 and has worked for the department since 1990.

At the time, the news of a potential coup at the head of the department wasn't even public yet. But in early February, the township council introduced an ordinance creating the new job and, at a Feb. 13 council meeting, police union leaders publicly criticized Kunz for not doing enough to recruit new police officers and largely being out of touch with his subordinates.

Kunz said hiring had slowed down due to a dearth of qualified candidates and said the township would be better served dedicating the salary of a public safety director position toward attracting better officer candidates. He did not return a call seeking comment on Candido's appointment.

More: Jackson council OKs public safety director job, who will oversee the police chief

In an interview, Candido said the department needed to explore alternate routes to hiring new officers as the number of applicants taking civil service exams has declined, including hiring more class II special law enforcement officers.

"We definitely have units that need to be beefed up, but that's predicated on manpower," he said. "It's hard to hire people. Nobody wants to do this job anymore, so we have to be creative in how we recruit."

The 130-member department has seen double-digit retirements the last two years, which has led to an unintentional youth movement within the department. New hiring would only exacerbate that, emphasizing the need for more training and regular communication between police leadership and rank-and-file officers.

"That's one of the things the guys and girls in the department were complaining about – that we need to open up those communications and make them more transparent," Candido said. "It's something I'm going to have to work on with the chief."

Candido and Kunz's relationship has been "sometimes good, sometimes bad," he said, which he attributed to his two terms as president and numerous terms as vice president of the Jackson Township Policemen's Benevolent Association Local 168, a union representing rank-and-file officers.

In August 2016, Candido – then serving as president of the Jackson PBA – filed a public records request seeking EZ Pass toll records and time sheets for Kunz, his secretary, two captains and a lieutenant, according to a 2018 decision from the Public Employment Relations Commission.

In February 2017, Kunz filed two internal affairs complaints against Candido alleging official misconduct, harassment and retaliation for past official conduct. Candido alleged that the complaints were retaliatory and due to anti-union animus, and the matter was elevated to the Public Employment Relations Commission.

The commission ordered the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office to investigate the complaints. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said the issue was referred back to Jackson to handle administratively, and Candido said the charges were eventually dismissed.

"Hopefully, we'll have a good working relationship," Candido said.

Jackson is far from the first municipality, in New Jersey and beyond, to go through the debate of what type of person should lead its law enforcement personnel. The arguments for and against are voluminous, but essentially boil down to police chiefs, and associations promoting them, arguing that only uniformed officers can make decisions free of political repercussion.

Civilian advocates believe that only someone from outside a department can hold its officers and leaders accountable.

But Candido's appointment was applauded by police officers in attendance and won unanimous approval by council members.

"You have made an outstanding choice," police Sgt. John Rodriguez, president of the Jackson Township Superior Officers Association Local 168-A, told council members following the vote. "There is no one better-suited for this position."

Mike Davis has spent the last decade covering New Jersey local news, marijuana legalization, transportation and basically whatever else is going on at any given moment. Contact him at mdavis@gannettnj.com or @byMikeDavis on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jackson NJ police union leader named public safety director