The mayor of North Brunswick this week called for an independent investigation of the township police department following repeated claims over the past year that officers target black and Latino neighborhoods to reach ticket quotas.

The alleged practice allegedly involves paying officers overtime as a financial reward for racking up tickets against black and Hispanic motorists.

“Any allegation of this type – no matter how unfounded I believe it to be – deserves to be independently investigated by an outsider,” Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday.

Womack said Police Chief Joseph Battagila and township Business Administrator Kathryn Monzo are involved in selecting the investigator. Battaglia and Monzo were not immediately available to comment Wednesday morning.

Veteran North Brunswick Police Officer Michael Campbell first brought up allegations of racism within the department when he filed a discrimination lawsuit in 2018.

Campbell, who is black, claims he “was subjected to racist and racially charged language, including inappropriate nicknames due to his background.”

The lawsuit, which names the police chief, police director, a lieutenant, captain and several unnamed defendants, is pending in Middlesex County Superior Court. Campbell’s attorney, James A. Lewis of South Orange, has not responded to requests for comment.

Last week, Campbell and other township police officers who were not named, told News 4 New York that white police officers abused the overtime policy and “hunted” minorities – especially on the border of North Brunswick and New Brunswick.

One unidentified officer said the majority of people who come to the town’s municipal court are minorities.

The claims allege that drivers were each given several tickets apiece so that officers could reach their quotas faster.

When allegations first arose, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office investigated, according to Womack. In October 2019, the “prosecutor’s office found no criminal behavior on the part of officers in our police department,” Womack said.

“Because of the prosecutor’s confidence in our capabilities and credibility, we were allowed to initiate our own internal affairs investigation,” Womack said. “I assure you we will continue to monitor the department and individual’s activities to ensure that no resident or visitor is unjustly involved in a traffic stop.”

Speaking about police departments in general, Womack said he does not deny that some police officers target ethnic groups for tickets.

“To say that in the United States driver profiling, targeting or ticket quotas in police departments never happened or doesn't happen is disingenuous and would insult one’s intelligence,” Womack said.

“When anyone suggests that it is happening in North Brunswick, the allegations are taken seriously. I assure you, any allegation of impropriety – especially targeting, profiling and quotas – has never been a policy or acceptable practice of this administration or (the police department)," he said.

Womack urged anyone who feels they were treated unfairly by North Brunswick police to make a complaint.

“We encourage them to come forward because we investigate every civilian complaint,” he said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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