Patrol Division

                                            Captain Christopher Marsala

PATROL BUREAU

     The Patrol Bureau is responsible for all the core police responses of the department.  It includes uniform patrol, preliminary criminal investigation and traffic enforcement, and typically accounts for the majority of its human resources.  Moreover, they have the most contact with and are the most visible to the general public.

     In 2007 the department handled almost 23,000 calls for service. This included over 1100 total arrests, response to nearly 2,500 false alarms and the issuance of over 5,300 motor vehicle summonses.  The police department responded to over 1,200 motor vehicle accidents, which included one fatal motor vehicle accident resulting in 3 fatalities.  This is in addition to the response and preliminary investigation of over 2,200 police investigations.  The police department also investigated 621 Part 1, UCR Offenses (Murder, Rape, Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Larceny, M.V. Theft, and Arson), which resulted in the loss of nearly 675,000 dollars of property.

     These continually rising obligations have been met while remaining progressive in the application of community policing standards. 

     With the increasing number of calls and increasing obligations upon the law enforcement profession, it is important that consideration be given to increasing the staffing within the police department.  The Township Committee has always been very responsive to replacing personnel lost through attrition.  The obligation to increasing the staff has been somewhat more problematic.  This commitment should be undertaken with the realization that growth needs must be determined in a methodical process over a protracted period of time. 

MISCELLANEOUS FUNCTIONS – OPERATIONS

K-9

     The K-9 Unit was incorporated into the Police Department in June 2000.  The unit is responsible for tracking missing persons, recovery of evidence, as well as criminal apprehension.  The team started with two K-9s, but one was retired due to medical reasons in 2007. 

The K-9 Unit is required to maintain a high level of training to improve and sharpen the animal’s skills.  The unit was initiated with a 16-week basic K-9 patrol course.  Currently the K-9 Officer is assigned to patrol squads. 

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CRISIS TEAM

     The Domestic Violence Crisis Team has been providing voluntary assistance for victims of domestic violence for over 10 years. The team is supervised by Lieutenant Lloyd Drucker and consists of  over 15 members that are on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Each year  the crisis team handled about 100 calls-for-service.

  GRANTS

        The police department continually attempts to maximize alternate sources of funding by applying for various grants on the Federal, State and County levels.  While some of these grants are specific with fixed termination dates, others are continual on a year-to-year basis.  The following grants were successfully awarded within the last year:

Seat Belt

        The seat belt grant provides about  $4,000 in overtime funding for police officers to specifically enforce those motor vehicle laws requiring the use of personal restraint devices in vehicles.  Since statistics have indicated that the use of seatbelts significantly reduces injury and death in motor vehicle accidents, an aggressive campaign involving hundreds of  police agencies and funded with state and federal money was initiated with the expectation that the program would result in an increased compliance level.  So far, the program here in New Jersey has been extremely successful in obtaining its goal, with voluntary use of seatbelts increasing for about a decade to an all-time high of 86%.  Lieutenant Kevin Dunckley oversees the program for the department.

Drunk Driving Enforcement Fund (DDEF)

         The Drunk Driving Enforcement Fund is financed through the collection of fines from convictions for any Drinking/Driving offense and the state’s alcoholic beverage bottle tax fee.  This money enables the police department to schedule additional patrols during evenings, holidays and other times when impaired drivers are more likely to be using our roads.  The grant can also be utilized, and has been on occasions, for the purchasing of resources that assist department personnel in their enforcement efforts, such as specialized training and equipment.  The department receives between $5,000 and $10,000 each year to carry out this task under the coordination efforts of Lieutenant Kevin Dunckley. 

 Body Armor Replacement Funds (State and Federal)

     The Body Armor Replacement Fund is a program that actually consists of two grants, one state and one federal, which enables the police department to purchase bulletproof vests for officers on a rotating basis. Since the federal government suggests that all personal body armor should be replaced every five years, these grants have allowed the department to accomplish this well in advance of this standard.  Replacing older vests with newer, state-of-the-art versions is an expensive process.  Each year the department recieves about $5,000 in State Funding.  The Federal funding varies each year.  Currently, Lieutenant Lloyd Drucker administers the grant program for the department

 Pedestrian Safety

     The department was successful in receiving a $22,000 grant to increase pedestrian safety along the Route 9 corridor.  This grant will allow for an education campaign followed by an enforcement campaign.  While this program has received some negative comments from the commuting public, it is hoped that this will work to reduce the devastating accidents involving commuters crossing at inappropriate times and locations.  These accidents are almost always fatal to the pedestrian. 

Domestic Violence Reimbursement Grant

            The Domestic Violence Reimbursement Grant was established for the purpose of repaying law enforcement agencies for the training of police officers and/or the purchasing of items to assist victims of Domestic Violence (DV).  In 2006, the police department received approximately $1,500, which was put towards a lap-top computer which can be utilized for restraining orders and Domestic Violence Training.  Lieutenant Lloyd Drucker oversees the grant.

 You Drink & Drive, You Lose Campaign

     Launched in December of 1999, the national You Drink & Drive, You Lose campaign is a partnership of criminal justice and traffic safety professionals in all 50 states that are committed to reducing deaths from impaired driving. 

     For most Americans, the summer season is a time to enjoy with family and friends. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most deadly times of the year on our highways for impaired driving.  As one of the most commonly committed crimes, impaired drivers randomly kill someone in America every 30 minutes, or nearly 50 people a day.  Nationally, impaired driving fatalities are on the rise with almost 18,000 people killed each year.

 Research has shown that the key to deterring impaired driving is through a highly visible enforcement approach.  Prevention and not arrest is the goal of the You Drink & Drive, You Lose campaign.  Drivers must perceive that the risk of being caught is too high before their behavior will change.