Embattled Palisades Park police chief will get $115,000 payout as he retires

PALISADES PARK — The embattled chief of police will walk out with a $115,000 payout after his last day with the department on Sept. 30.

Chief Mark Jackson, a 35-year veteran, told borough officials last month that he intended to retire. The news came after the release of a scathing report that outlined a list of deficiencies in the department, including weak leadership and outdated internal affairs and disciplinary policies that break state guidelines.

Jackson will be using terminal leave days until his official last day with the department, Borough Attorney John Schettino said at a council meeting Aug. 27. 

Jackson, who has served as chief since 2016, did not mention the report as a reason for leaving, Borough Administrator Dave Lorenzo said. 

The chief's payout, which still needs to be formally accepted by Jackson, is a combination of terminal pay, balance of vacation and sick days. His current salary is $154,000, Lorenzo said. 

Jackson did not respond to requests for comment on his retirement. 

The council has appointed Capt. Anthony Muccio as the department's officer-in-charge. 

The borough hired Chicago-based security risk management firm Hillard Heintze to review the department after the collapse of a school security program that sought to staff district buildings with armed guards. The school board withdrew the program after a NorthJersey.com and USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey investigation found that borough officials did not do background checks on the nine retired police officers they hired.

The council had tasked Jackson with overseeing the program, and the school board blamed him for its failure after conducting its own investigation. 

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The 12-page report, which was commissioned after Jackson ignored Mayor Chris Chung's requests to file weekly reports with officials, was built from information during two days of interview with officers, officials and department brass. 

The report found that the department does not uniformly apply its rules and does not thoroughly document its internal investigations. 

The report also noted that Jackson rarely held meetings and has been working with obsolete policies and procedures. 

The administrator said the borough will not appoint another chief until Hillard Heintze revamps the department’s policies and procedures.

Email: cattafi@northjersey.com