Berkeley Heights added six police positions on Tuesday, Sept. 15, with the lone dissenting vote coming from Council Member Andrew Moran, a former police chief.

The ordinance creates a deputy chief position, one additional lieutenant and four patrol officers. The expansion had come before the public three times since July, drawing repeated challenges over transparency and missing data, NJ21st reported.

Council members who voted yes did not speak in support of the measure at the meeting. The positions will not be filled for at least two years and would require separate budget approval, according to the council, as Summit Area News reported Sept. 17.

Police Chief Frank Mea told the council the expansion reflected a five-year staffing plan developed after the department's reaccreditation by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. He said the department's 28 officers had remained largely unchanged for decades despite population growth and increased traffic. He also cited responsibility for Runnels, which the township took on roughly two years ago.

But Mea did not provide a public presentation connecting data to the five-year timeline. Councilwoman Margaret Illis, who voted for the expansion, pressed Mea on his decision to withhold the data he used to brief council members, with Mea citing "safety hazards."

NJ21st reported that Council Member Susan Poage appeared to rely on Mea as her sole source of information, based on her comments justifying her vote.

Moran questioned why the council would approve a staffing structure the chief acknowledged would not be filled for years. He also challenged the use of population size as the primary argument for the increase.

The debate stretches back to July. Former Councilwoman Jeanne Kingsley challenged the proposal at the July 28 introduction meeting.

"I'm not saying it's right or wrong, guys … I'm saying give us, take us there. Give us the details. Give us the support," Kingsley said at the time, as reported by TAPinto and cited by Summit Area News.

Former Mayor Bob Woodruff also urged caution at that July 28 meeting, suggesting the council require concrete data on overtime trends or call-type breakdowns before authorizing positions years in advance.

No fiscal impact statement or needs assessment accompanied the ordinance. FBI Crime Data Explorer figures cited in an NJ21st analysis showed Berkeley Heights recorded five violent crimes and 41 property crimes in 2025, down from six violent crimes and 88 property crimes in 2024. The FBI placed the township's population at 14,845.

New Jersey's 2025 violent crime rate was 193.8 per 100,000 residents, nearly 41% below the national rate of 327.6. Berkeley Heights' rate of roughly 34 violent crimes per 100,000 was a fraction of the state figure.

The department also received its second accreditation since 2022 at the Sept. 15 meeting. A county representative reported that about 54% of New Jersey police departments receive accreditation, while only about 34% return for reaccreditation.

No timeline for when the council might seek budget approval to begin hiring has been announced.