To all Linden Citizens
and the Linden Business Community:
In the Linden Police Department, we pride ourselves on providing our
residents and businesses with strong and effective public safety
services. Clearly, the value of feeling safe and secure in one's home,
business, neighborhood and community cannot be overestimated.
During my tenure as Police Chief, we have undertaken
a number of initiatives to combat crime and expand public safety
services:
We have revitalized our crime prevention activities by assigning two
full time officers, who are also responsible for the popular DARE
Program that has expanded to strengthen our message to Linden students
about the danger of drugs and alcohol. These officers are presently
working diligently on a program that will coincide with the DARE
Program. The Gang Resistance, Education and Training Program (G.R.E.A.T.)
is a school-based, law enforcement officer-instructed classroom
curriculum. With prevention as its primary objective, the program is
intended as an immunization against delinquency, youth violence, and
gang membership.
We have created a Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT)
comprised of community volunteers who provide critical support to
domestic violence victims. The Linden Police Department has been at the
forefront of this initiative, and has been enlisted by the Union County
Prosecutor’s Office to assist other Departments in Union County in
organizing their own teams.
A host of service-oriented programs are available to
community members such as free business or home security surveys to
ensure personal safety, and much more. With the assistance of community
volunteers, Linden Police officers have successfully helped clean up
graffiti at area businesses.
We have continued to strengthen public safety with a
Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU) for high risk
situations. This unit has undertaken a number of new initiatives in a
partnership with educators in the schools. Active Shooter Training has
already begun with school principals. Other school violence prevention
measures are underway. Training is currently underway to increase the
number of School Resource Officers (SROs) in order to adequately provide
staffing for the High School and both Middle Schools.
Our Community Policing Unit (COP) places the
uniformed officer in close contact with people in the area that he or
she serves. In doing so the police become more cognizant of the needs
of the community, and citizens become more aware of how they can assist
the police in resolving problems of mutual concern. A “no tolerance”
approach to Quality of Life enforcement has been instituted within areas
that have experienced such problems. The proven success of these
efforts can be seen through the favorable community reaction. The
Linden-Roselle Joint Patrol initiative consists of Linden and Roselle
Officers patrolling together along the border section of the East St.
Georges Avenue area. This initiative has been quite effective in
addressing issues of mutual concern through a problem-oriented approach.
The Linden Police Department Juvenile Bureau has also
entered into a unique partnership with the State of New Jersey –
Probation Division – Vicinage of Union County. This program is termed
“Operation Night Watch.” With the Juvenile Probation Division acting as
the lead agency, probation officers team with Linden juvenile officers
and jointly conduct field visits to the homes of juvenile probationers
in high-risk areas during non-traditional hours. In addition to home
visits, inspections and family meetings with probationers, the teams
conduct curfew checks, attempt to serve outstanding warrants, follow up
on probation violators and observe probationers in targeted areas.
Our Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism efforts
continue to remain a priority in order to afford our citizens and
business community the best prevention, detection, and defense available
to combat threats. The Linden Police Department is one in only a
handful of municipal police departments who presently holds a permanent
seat on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorist Task Force
(JTTF) in the State of New Jersey.
I would like to commend and thank all Police
Department personnel, both sworn and civilian members, along with all
members of 911 Central Dispatch for their efforts, cooperation and
professionalism. All members continue to be a source of pride to the
Mayor, the Governing Body and myself. I have confidence that we will
continue to serve our City with diligence, professionalism and
compassion.
