Task Force Too Forceful?
A 22-member task force brought in to fight crime got panned by some residents Monday (Aug 1, 2005) as being too heavy-handed.
The specialized group arrived in the city after a rash of 11 homicides. Called the "Save a Neighborhood Task Force," it includes local, county, state and federal police officers and was sent through the Union County Prosecutor's Office. Wearing black police T-shirts and driving unmarked cars, team members have been seen swooping down on blocks.
Resident Robert Kearney complained the officers were riding across the grass at the Liberty Village housing complex and said, “One thing that is not the answer, it’s police from other communities attempting to intimidate me.”
Kearney objected to National Night Out events such as fish fries and parties that Council President Linda Carter mentioned as she described the crime awareness effort. The city has expanded the traditional one-night event to a week of outdoor activities such as block parties and luminaria displays. Tonight (Aug. 2, 2005) residents will gather at City Hall Plaza, 515 Watchung Ave. to mark National Night Out.
Kearney said instead of holding fish fries, “Our job as taxpayers is to get out and claim your front yard.“
“We need better community relations, we don’t need rogue police,“ Kearney said.
Carter defended the festivities as a way to defy criminals and to tell them, “They can take it somewhere else.“
She said the fish fries were a way for neighbors to get to know each other.
Stephanie Alexander, whose daughter was paralyzed by a gunman several years ago and who lost a nephew to gun violence, said the task force roughed up her son.
Lafayette Little-Avant was indignant over a newspaper quoting Police Chief Edward Santiago as saying he wished the task force would stay forever. Little-Avant said he felt the quote meant there was no plan to fight crime.
“The problem we have here in Plainfield is clearly leadership,“ he said.
Little-Avant said Santiago was also quoted as saying the city would get 12 new police officers this year.
City Administrator Norton Bonaparte said seven officers would be hired to replace retirees or officers who left the force and three new ones would be hired through funding in the proposed fiscal year 2006 budget.
The task force was brought in partly to offset reduced staffing caused by police layoffs last year.
The specialized group arrived in the city after a rash of 11 homicides. Called the "Save a Neighborhood Task Force," it includes local, county, state and federal police officers and was sent through the Union County Prosecutor's Office. Wearing black police T-shirts and driving unmarked cars, team members have been seen swooping down on blocks.
Resident Robert Kearney complained the officers were riding across the grass at the Liberty Village housing complex and said, “One thing that is not the answer, it’s police from other communities attempting to intimidate me.”
Kearney objected to National Night Out events such as fish fries and parties that Council President Linda Carter mentioned as she described the crime awareness effort. The city has expanded the traditional one-night event to a week of outdoor activities such as block parties and luminaria displays. Tonight (Aug. 2, 2005) residents will gather at City Hall Plaza, 515 Watchung Ave. to mark National Night Out.
Kearney said instead of holding fish fries, “Our job as taxpayers is to get out and claim your front yard.“
“We need better community relations, we don’t need rogue police,“ Kearney said.
Carter defended the festivities as a way to defy criminals and to tell them, “They can take it somewhere else.“
She said the fish fries were a way for neighbors to get to know each other.
Stephanie Alexander, whose daughter was paralyzed by a gunman several years ago and who lost a nephew to gun violence, said the task force roughed up her son.
Lafayette Little-Avant was indignant over a newspaper quoting Police Chief Edward Santiago as saying he wished the task force would stay forever. Little-Avant said he felt the quote meant there was no plan to fight crime.
“The problem we have here in Plainfield is clearly leadership,“ he said.
Little-Avant said Santiago was also quoted as saying the city would get 12 new police officers this year.
City Administrator Norton Bonaparte said seven officers would be hired to replace retirees or officers who left the force and three new ones would be hired through funding in the proposed fiscal year 2006 budget.
The task force was brought in partly to offset reduced staffing caused by police layoffs last year.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 8:54 AM
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