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Date: 2008/06/04 Wednesday Page: 021 Section: ESSEX Edition: ESSEX Size: 801 words

Politics of the absurd in Orange

Hackett gone, but chaos reigns now

By KEVIN C. DILWORTH
STAR-LEDGER STAFF

Acting Orange Mayor Lisa Perkins has appointed herself Orange's new police director through the end of the month, replacing Aric Webster, who returned to the police department as a captain.

Perkins, the city council president, became acting mayor when Mims Hackett resigned last week following guilty pleas in state and federal court to political corruption charges.

It was not immediately clear when Webster resigned, and if Perkins, in her acting mayoral capacity, had the authority to take such action without the approval of the city council.

Perkins did not return calls for comment, and neither did Jewel Thompson Chin, the city's outgoing business administrator.

City Clerk Dwight Mitchell said he had no knowledge of Webster's resignation or new position, and neither did a spokeswoman for the state Department of Personnel in Trenton.

It also is not clear how Webster, a one-time lieutenant who served as a captain for 90 days two years ago before he was nominated by Hackett to become civilian police director, can return to the rank of captain.

The police department already has four captains — all with more time in rank than Webster — and the department's table of organization limits the number of captains to four.

"Effective (Monday, June 2), through June 30, I will serve as the Orange police director," Perkins wrote in an inter-office memo to an unspecified police department division commander. "During this period, I have delegated the daily supervision of the police department to Aric Webster, who will serve as the executive officer for the department."

The move left some officials bewildered. "What is this?" Councilman-at-large Donald Page asked, after learning of Perkins' memorandum and actions. "I think it's ridiculous. What experience does she have in running the police department? She has none. I think this move is going over the top.

"I have not been called or told anything about this," Page said. "I'm actually dumbfounded as to why Lisa Perkins is even serving as acting mayor, and question why she would make herself the police director, without council approval and without even notifying or conferring with the council."

Councilman Edward Marable echoed similar sentiments.

"It is a self-interest move and it benefits a few selfish individuals, and not the residents of Orange," Marable said. "Additionally, the people have elected a new mayor and he can and should take over immediately."

Eldridge Hawkins Jr., 28, a West Orange police officer who moved to Orange's Valley neighborhood a year ago, won a six-way mayoral race on May 13. He officially takes office July 1.

Marable said it appears individual appointees of the scandal-ridden Hackett administration are trying to protect those who served under the former mayor.

Hawkins, the mayor-elect, said he, too, is concerned about the latest dealings in Orange municipal government operations.

"I found this change to be surprising," Hawkins said. "I would hope that acting mayor uses caution in making drastic changes, and (instead) holds off until July 1, when the new administration takes office."

Last week, when Hackett made appearances in court, Webster — who was assigned an unmarked police vehicle — was seen personally escorting Hackett and Hackett family members from U.S. District Court in Newark to state Superior Court, also in Newark.

City attorney Marvin Braker, along with assistant city attorneys Lou Childress and Ronald Thompson, also were in Superior Court when Hackett pleaded guilty there.

The latest move involving Webster appears to be "about his career and his security in his position," Marable said. "There must be some timing issue here, maybe they are trying to pad his time or prevent him from being dealt with harshly, in terms of a potential demotion or being given an inferior assignment."

Marable said he telephoned Thompson Chin yesterday morning to get an understanding of what happened, and was told that Webster had resigned from his civilian post and returned to the police department's uniformed ranks.

Sherri Jones, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Personnel in Trenton, said her office has asked Orange city officials to answer some questions about what is going on. She said she did not expect answers before today.

The Orange City Council has scheduled a 5:30 p.m. special meeting today to deal with who should serve as acting mayor until Hawkins officially takes office, but it was not immediately clear if the meeting was properly advertised.