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 continue to undertake initiatives to combat crime and maintain public safety services:

Crime prevention surveys and Neighborhood Watch are available to residents and are coordinated through the Juvenile Bureau..

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.　

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.

Sincerely,