Thanks, Plainfield Police!

Thanks to the Police Division for recent attention to the problem of open-air drinking in Municipal Parking Lot 7.

This lot is heavily used by members of two churches and pedestrians, including many students, passing to and from Park Avenue and East Seventh Street. But it is also a place where groups of men gather to drink, starting in the morning and continuing all day. Litter and public urination are the concomitants of this activity. Sometimes individuals fall asleep or pass out after indulging in drink for long hours.

It is both embarrassing and frustrating for the churches to face this quality of life issue when trying to attract new people or visitors to events. It leaves an impression of Plainfield that outsiders take away as they return to neighboring towns where such behavior is not tolerated.

So thanks to the police for letting these individuals know their activities will bear consequences. Alcoholism may be a disease that demands compassion, but the fact is there are laws on the books against public drinking, public urination and littering. It is these laws that the police can and must address if the city's quality of life is to improve.

--Bernice Paglia