IRVINGTON, NJ — Irvington Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers has been helping East Orange Mayor Ted Green search to find a new Public Safety Department director of his own, to replace former East Orange Public Safety Director Sheilah Coley, who officially submitted her letter of resignation Tuesday, May 29.
While some municipal leaders and elected officials might resent having their PSD director moonlighting in another municipality, Vauss said he doesn’t mind sharing Bowers with his good friend and fellow municipal leader Green. After all, he said, that’s what friends are for.
“I’m absolutely not mad that Director Bowers is helping Mayor Green,” said Vauss on Tuesday, June 19. “Irvington and East Orange are sister cities and we help each other in any way possible.”
Bowers previously served on Green’s official transition team, after he won the June Democratic Party primary election last year and became East Orange’s unofficial mayor-elect while waiting to be officially sworn into office at his inauguration on Monday, Jan. 1. Bowers joined other current, retired and veteran police officers, members of law enforcement and the Irvington Fire Service in serving on the Green transition team’s Public Safety Committee.
So it was just natural for him to be tapped to serve with two other transition team members, Ronald Salahuddin and Williams Oliver, as well as Lt. David Whatley of the Newark Police Department on Green’s search committee. The four-man panel has already interviewed several of the 15 candidates Green said were being considered as Coley’s successor and, according to city sources familiar with the ongoing process, they have narrowed it down to three: Newark Police Department veteran John Arnold, retired NPD Deputy Chief Dominick Saldida and Jonathan Parham, a retired Linden police chief.
However, neither Bowers nor Green would confirm or deny that the original list had been whittled down to three individuals who have been invited back for a second interview. They also were mum on the identities of the three finalists.
But Green previously said one thing was certain about the search to replace Coley.
“We do have a process in place and, as we move forward, we will be announcing her replacement,” said Green on Monday, June 4. “I, the mayor, will be making the announcement about who will be the next public safety director. There is a screening process going on right now. We have 15 people that we’re looking at.”
Bowers confirmed he is involved in the search to find Coley’s replacement.
“It’s a pleasure to be selected to serve on this panel,” said Bowers on Tuesday, June 19. “Public safety is the cornerstone of any successful administration and community. Without a safe community, it’s difficult to flourish in areas like economic growth, community development, etc.”
Bowers said that’s also why it’s very important that he, Salahuddin, Oliver and Whatley do everything they can to find the right person to serve as the new PSD director.
“So the position of public safety director is very important and there must be a good fit,” said Bowers. “So that is what Mayor Green is looking for. As a panel, it’s our job to assist him in the selection process.”
Coley “decided that, during her time here, she accomplished the things she had to do, in terms of moving the department forward. There’s a lot going on there,” said Green. “We wish her very well in all of her future endeavors. She did a great job here in the city of East Orange.”
Green said once he and the search committee determine who Coley’s replacement will be, he will introduce him or her to the rest of the East Orange and present that person to the City Council for confirmation as the new PSD director. He also reiterated that he plans to keep his 2017 campaign promise to make public safety the top priority in his administration.
“The No. 1 thing is public safety,” said Green. “We want people to feel that we’re doing everything we can to draw people, commerce, investment and development to our community and improving public safety is the first step in doing that. We’ve got to make sure that people feel safe and secure when they come to our city to visit, shop, socialize or do business and we want our citizens and residents to know that their safety and well-being are important to us just like it is to them. Public safety is our No. 1 priority to grow this city.”
Coley submitted her letter of resignation after the East Orange City Council’s regular meeting on Tuesday, May 29.
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