Runnemede and off-duty police work

Why this is published at all

New Jersey is the only state where you can look up what a patrol car costs on a detail, town by town, and the reason is statutory. The Attorney General and the Division of Local Government Services determined that municipal officers may work off duty for private parties — and state law then requires that the assignment be arranged by contract with the municipality, not with the officer. So the town has to set the price, and it sets it in an ordinance that anyone can read.

So what follows is not a policy manual. It is Runnemede's own ordinance, and it says what the town charges.

What the ordinance charges

What the officer's time costs: Vendors/other $90/hour; church/schools/nonprofits $65/hour; 15% administrative fee; four-hour minimum. Minimum per job: as stated above where verified; otherwise not stated Hours: no officer may exceed approved/requested hours where stated; otherwise not stated

The car, and what it costs

The vehicle is priced separately: $15 per hour for vendors/other

Whether the car may go at all: provided, included, or not separately stated as described below.

In the ordinance's own words: “vehicle provision recorded only where supported by the cited code”

66 of the 141 New Jersey towns here price the car by the hour, from $5 to $60. Runnemede sits below the middle of them at $15, with 21 charging less.

How the work is arranged

Who approves it: Chief of Police How a job is arranged: Chief approves estimated hours; requester funds Borough CFO escrow; third-party off-duty administrator permitted. How the officer is paid: municipal payroll/escrow procedure where stated What is barred: work may not interfere with regular/emergency police duties and remains subject to Department approval where stated

Vehicles

Set by Runnemede's own ordinance, which is how New Jersey prices off-duty police work — the town contracts with the employer, so the town sets the fee.

• $15 per hour for vendors/other

Every agency here, side by side on vehicles →

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Common questions

What does an off-duty Runnemede police officer cost?

Vendors/other $90/hour; church/schools/nonprofits $65/hour; 15% administrative fee; four-hour minimum.

Does Runnemede charge for the police vehicle?

$15 per hour for vendors/other

Who arranges an off-duty job in New Jersey?

The municipality. State law requires the assignment to be arranged by contract with the town rather than privately with the officer, which is why the town publishes a rate at all.