EO police and fire promotion ceremony set for April 6

Photo Courtesy Connie Jackson
Mayor Lester E. Taylor III commended the promotees for their commitment, dedication and selflessness in making East Orange a safer place to live, work and play at a swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. A promotion ceremony for East Orange’s Department of Public Safety is set for Friday, April 6, at 6 p.m., inside the East Orange Campus High School auditorium.EAST ORANGE, NJ — A promotion ceremony for East Orange’s Department of Public Safety is set for Friday, April 6, at 6 p.m., inside the East Orange Campus High School Auditorium.

“The promotion ceremony is for the supervisors they made last year,” Maurice Epps, the East Orange Police Department Fraternal Order of Police President officer and Hillside councilman, said Tuesday, April 3. “We are still working on resolving the other issues. There has been some change.”

Elaine Settle, president of the East Orange Police Department Policemen’s Benevolent Association, agreed with Epps about the nature of the promotion ceremony, but disagreed regarding any other issues that need to be resolved.

“The promotion happened a while ago. They are just doing the official ceremony,” said Settle on Tuesday, April 3. “I heard, too, that now they are going to interview and do two new captains. I’m hearing it’s split down the middle, 5-5.”

First Ward Councilwoman Amy Lewis, chairwoman of the council’s Public Safety Committee, could not be reached for comment about the promotions by press time this week; however, 5th Ward Councilwoman and former Public Safety Committee Chairwoman Alicia Holman acknowledged that Friday’s ceremony is just for show, as the actual promotions were made last year.

“There is a promotional ceremony for Friday for police and fire,” confirmed East Orange City Clerk Cynthia Brown on Tuesday, April 3.