BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The Bridgewater Township Council approved a shared cost agreement with Somerset County to continue funding the position of Community Police Alliance Coordinator currently filled by Dameon Stackhouse.
The agreement stems from a pilot program launched by the Township and Somerset County in 2021. The program has a social worker work with Township police to help residents who are struggling with mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence and more.
In the beginning, Somerset County paid 100 percent of the costs associated with the program including salary, providing a car and phone, and more.
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“The new agreement calls for a gradual increase in Bridgewater’s contribution so that they are contributing 50 percent by year 3,” said Somerset County Chief Communications Officer Brad Fay to Patch.
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The new agreement requires Bridgewater to contribute:
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Both Bridgewater and Somerset County have praised the success of the program.
“We think it’s been extraordinarily successful and certainly on that basis we are extending it. And we are also looking to expand to other municipalities,” said Fay.
“We feel strongly that this has been a successful endeavor. That this would be an enhancement and certainly regularly report to the council about its continued success,” said Township Administrator Michael Pappas at the Aug. 17 Council meeting.
Stackhouse has served in the position since it was created as a pilot program in Bridgewater Township in 2021.
He has collaborated with the police department to proactively assist the underserved populations in the Bridgewater community, especially with mental health-related calls and residents and those at risk for drug addiction and overdose, homelessness and other potential harms.
Acting as a liaison, Stackhouse both connects residents with critical assistance and services, and improves police-resident interactions for at-risk populations in our community.
“He responds to any type of psychiatric issues we have. He follows up on a lot of calls that we don’t. We go and solve the problem temporarily and Mr. Stackhouse follows up behind us and if its a day or a month he follows up to assist the people with help,” said Bridgewater Police Chief John Mitzak.
Mitzak added that Stackhouse has helped in situations at Somerset Academy in the Finderne section of town where the police department would get a lot of calls.
“Mr. Stackhouse frequently goes down there and interacts with the students and calls for service have gone down dramatically,” said Mitzak.
“Even if he is not in the building he has a phone and radio to hear the calls. He answers at all times of day or night and responds out to any calls we need service with,” said Mitzak.
Stackhouse, who holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers, grew up in the Hobbstown section of Bridgewater. He spent more than a decade in prison before his release in 2016, and he began his pursuit of higher education while still incarcerated. He has since passionately devoted himself to the betterment of his community, especially those most vulnerable.
“This is a program every single member of our community should be proud of and is something that I have advocated for since my time on the Township Council,” said Mayor Matthew Moench. “Sometimes as an elected official, you have the chance to fund a life-changing program that inarguably transcends politics or partisanship. This is that program, and the work Dameon is doing could not be more important to the most vulnerable in our community. This program will have the full and unqualified support of Bridgewater Township for as long as I am the Mayor.”
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