HILLSDALE—Information on the record is scarce at press time but Hillsdale can expect to undertake a search for a new police chief.
Mayor Michael Sheinfield announced at press time on March 20 that “The Borough of Hillsdale and Police Chief Sean Smith have agreed on settlement terms between the two parties. As such, Chief Smith’s [disciplinary] hearing scheduled to begin this morning has been canceled.”
The mayor said, “This public hearing was initially scheduled at the request of Chief Smith as was his right. In the coming days the borough’s legal counsel will prepare a resolution for consideration by the governing body. This resolution will consist of the terms agreed to by both parties as the result of extensive negotiations. The resolution will not include any of the details of the incident or incidents which led to the need for this agreement.”
He said, “We realize that members of the public have expressed a strong interest in learning the details of events in this matter. However, this is a borough personnel matter. All employees have a right to and an expectation of privacy in such instances. This right extends to both public and private sector employees. We will not be violating anyone’s right to privacy, and no one from the borough will be commenting on the matter.”
Sheinfield said, “I want to thank the borough counsel for guiding us through this process; the governing body for working together and unanimously doing what’s in the best interests of the parties and our residents; the residents of Hillsdale for their patience and understanding; the Honorable Harry G. Carroll, J.A.D. (Ret), who set the parameters for the hearing and guided us to a successful resolution; the members of the Hillsdale Police Department who conducted themselves in a professional matter over these many months; and Police Chief Sean Smith for his three decades of service to the residents of Hillsdale.”
Sheinfield said, “This is likely the last public comment to be made on this topic from the Borough of Hillsdale.”
“Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart,” said Smith to a council chamber full of supporters, who erupted in sustained applause when his morning’s business with the borough had wrapped.
Lawrence H. Kleiner, attorney for Smith, told Pascack Press, “We’re very satisfied with the resolution and how the borough cooperated in what is a fair resolution all around.” [Editor’s note: We gave an incorrect first name for Mr. Kleiner in our March 24 print version of this story, for which we apologize. We’ll print a correction next week.]
Next steps
There is considerable heat rising around the future leadership of the Police Department, with councilman and immediate past two-term mayor John Ruocco drawing the ire of PBA Local 207 over his recent response to a question by Pascack Press.
On this subject, Ruocco said “Hillsdale has been without an active chief of police for far too long. If, after the hearing process and any appeals are complete, Chief Smith chooses not to return or is not permitted to return by the Mayor & Council, it is vital that we promptly commence an external search for candidates.”
After taking withering fire from the police union’s president—P.O. Joseph Messner, a school resource officer at Pascack Valley High School—over a perception that Ruocco leveled an “unqualified and damaging opinion about the potential future leadership of our department,” Ruocco defended his remarks.
“My recommendation for an external search cannot be interpreted, under any stretch of the English language, as precluding consideration of qualified internal candidates. The borough can only benefit from taking the more expansive approach,” Ruocco said.
The Borough Council convened a second emergency meeting, the night of Wednesday, March 19, regarding what the resolution termed the “terminated” Police Chief Sean Smith, just one day before his scheduled disciplinary hearing. This followed a similar closed-session meeting on March 18, called after borough officials received unexpected settlement terms related to the matter.
Smith reportedly has been on paid administrative leave since a complaint was filed against him and investigated by the BCPO.
Smith, a 27-year veteran of the department, was sworn in as chief in January 2024, following the retirement of Police Chief Robert Francaveglia.
— By Michael Olohan and John Snyder