Rockaway Township police chief retiring with $423K payout after disciplinary notice

Rockaway Township Police Chief Martin McParland will retire effective Sept. 1, ending a nearly four-decade run on the force that began in 1986.

McParland, who was appointed chief in 2015, received a retirement settlement package from the town that includes retroactive pay raises for the past four years. His total payout, including compensation for unused vacation and sick days, will be $423,000, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by the Daily Record.

"The chief’s retirement comes after 38 years of dedicated service to Rockaway Township and its citizens through every rank in our police department," Mayor Joseph Jackson said.

Chief's departure follows disciplinary notice

The agreement, dated July 9, was forged after the town issued a preliminary notice of disciplinary action against McParland, dated Sept. 23, 2023. The settlement agreement does not specify the allegations leading to that notice. The township denied an Open Public Records Act request by the Daily Record seeking more details, stating that "personnel records, including records of any grievance filed by or against any individual are not government records and not subject to access."

Jackson also declined comment on the notice, stating, "It is inappropriate to comment on the existence or nature of any disciplinary action."

McParland did not respond to a message seeking comment.

McParland is currently on a leave of absence, leaving Capt. Robert Scherr as officer-in-charge of the department and its 53 officers and 12 civilian staff.  A new chief will be appointed after McParland's retirement takes effect Sept. 1. That person "will be selected from the command staff after an appropriate review process," Jackson stated.

Retroactive raises from Rockaway Township

The charges contained in the notice will be dismissed as part of the "irrevocable" settlement agreement, the document states. It details retroactive raises of 7% apiece for 2021 and 2022 and 8.75% in 2023, raising the chief's annual salary from $165,515 to the current $206,100.

McParland's final payout will be distributed in equal amounts of $141,000 over the next three years.

The settlement also forbids McParland from disparaging the township, employees or government officials in the future.

Jackson said the pay raises were to make up for McParland being "underpaid during the prior administration."

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"[He] was, in fact, earning less than the senior member of his command staff," Jackson stated. "That was inappropriate and the raise given to the chief was appropriate under the law and also commensurate with what other police chiefs in police departments of similar size were earning in Morris County."

Jackson praised McParland for staying on to lead the department long after he could have retired with a fully vested, 25-year pension. McParland took over following the retirement of Chief Walt Ardin in February 2015.

"Very few chiefs of police in New Jersey exceed the 25 years required for full pension eligibility," Jackson stated. "Chief McParland’s 38-year tenure is extraordinary. Because of his long-term employment, the chief was entitled to significant retirement compensation for unused time in a number of areas."

"To put things simply, the chief received what he was entitled to, no more and no less," Jackson concluded.

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .

Email: wwesthoven@ dailyrecord.com

Twitter/X: @wwesthoven

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Rockaway Township police chief retiring with $423K payout after disciplinary notice