Council voted in February to restore the position of police chief
HIGHTSTOWN -- Hightstown's new top cop is a familiar face on the force.
Lt. Frank Gendron, who has been the department's officer in charge since November 2014 when the police director resigned, was named the borough's police chief Monday night.
Gendron's appointment, which was unanimously approved, follows a decision by council in February to restore the position of police chief.
The borough's last police chief was James Eufemia, who retired in September 2011 after 30 years with the department. During his last year, he had locked horns with the governing body over the sharing of police documents on overtime pay, hiring policies and a state police report on gang activity in the borough.
As Eufemia was on his way out, council members began thinking about creating a civilian police director position -- a move they said would save the borough an estimated $100,000 and give them more control.
In August 2011, council voted 3-2 to replace the chief with a director.
The following February, James LeTellier, a 25-year law enforcement veteran, was appointed to the job with a $75,000 annual salary. But he resigned in November 2014 after reaching a $60,000 settlement with the borough in an unrelated lawsuit.
Unlike a police chief, the police director was not able to make arrests, use a gun on the job, or perform other duties that can be handled only by sworn officers.
Gendron's term runs retroactively from April 18 through Dec. 31, 2019, according to the resolution approved by council. He will make $129,200 a year, with the base salary increasing 2 percent in January 2017, 2018 and 2019. He will also be given a car that can be used whenever he's carrying out his duties as chief.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find NJ.com on Facebook.