Police and fire depts gain three new members Mayor Choi credits fiscal responsiblity for allowing for new hires BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer EDISON - By utilizing funds acquired mostly through attrition and creative resource management, Mayor Choi's administration announced on Monday that the township would add three new police officers and three new firefighters. According to a press release distributed by the mayor's office, the budget introduced by the mayor and amended by the council included funds for six new police officers and seven firefighters, however, Mayor Choi said in a release that in order to keep his promise of fiscal responsibility, only three of each will be hired at this time. "We need to strike a balance between fiscal responsibility and public safety," Choi said. "Today's hires strike that balance. I am unwilling to act with fiscal irresponsibility, and I am unwilling to be in a position where I have to lay off employees in the near future because I overhired." Over the last year, the police department alone has saved more than $800,000 in breakage, or the money saved by replacing those on the higher pay end with those on the lower pay end. Whether through, retirement, resignation or termination, the police department has had enough turnover to elicit these savings. On the fire department side, that number is over $600,000. "What gives the mayor comfort in this is there has been millions of dollars in savings," said Jerry Barca, administration spokesman. On top of the savings from attrition that have been realized, Barca said that some creative management of resources on the part of Police Chief George Mieczkowski has led to some $500,000 in savings. "He did some innovative things to curtail overtime," Barca said of Mieczkowski. "He shifted personnel and changed some scheduling that resulted in a huge amount of savings in overtime." Barca also said that renegotiating the township cell phone plan resulted in a 25 percent decrease in that expense. Christopher Sorber, 26, Nicholas Bayne, 27, and Brian Rossmeyer, 29, will be joining the police department. John McGowan, 30, Richard Rodriguez, 31, and Scott Disbrow, 35, will be joining the fire department. "We chose the most qualified individual applicants," Mayor Choi said in the release. "Our fiscal vigilance and restraint has enabled me to make these hires. I am pleased we are able to put more men on the public safety frontline." All six men are Edison residents and the three new patrolmen will begin the 24-week police academy training this week.