A Seton Hall law study released earlier this year found evidence of racial profiling in Bloomfield's police department.
BLOOMFIELD -- About a month after Seton Hall law school released a report alleging rampant racial profiling by Bloomfield police officers, the New Jersey township is commissioning its own study of police practices.
The township, Mayor Michael Venezia announced last week, plans to hire two civil rights groups to study the Bloomfield Police Department's policies and procedures, and examine the report's findings. Township officials have questioned the validity of many of the methods used in the study, and its findings.
"The Bloomfield Police Department has made tremendous strides over the past few years with new leadership, technology and procedures reducing crime and improving performance and morale, but I firmly believe that there is always room for additional improvement," Venezia said in a release about the study.
"This study will examine our police department's procedures, statistics and structure to determine whether reforms need to be implemented and to produce an accurate and unbiased assessment of the department."
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The Seton Hall study has sparked some controversy in the Essex County town, and has become a point of contention in the upcoming mayoral election. Venezia is being challenged by Councilman Joe Lopez in the upcoming June 7 Democratic primary.
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and the National Coalition of Latino Officers (NCLO) will conduct the township's follow-up study, if it is approved by the township council, officials said.
The town has not yet seen a final presentation on the study, and so does not know the proposed cost, a town spokesman said. But, if the cost is approved, the study would take about two to three months to complete, he said.
"Maintaining solid police-community relations has never been more important than it is today and our organization believes strongly in the value of third parties taking a thorough look at police department practices to determine what steps, if any, should be taken to meet that goal," NOBLE Northern New Jersey Chapter President Jiles Ship said in the release.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.