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Lower Seeks More Eyes and Ears to Report Crime

Crime | Thu, 05/14/2009 - 3:32 pm | Read 1136 | Commented 10 | Emailed 0
Tags: Lower Township, Lower Township Council, Lower Township Police, Neighborhood Watch

By Jack Fichter

Capt. Brian Marker

VILLAS — Lower Township police and Township Council are revitalizing Neighborhood Watch to supply law enforcement with many eyes and ears in the community.

Mayor Michael Beck, told an audience of about 50 residents at a Town Watch meeting May 13, the program helps the police and their neighbors.

“No matter how many police officers you have, it’s not going to be enough,” he said. “The neighborhood has to get involved.”
Beck, who served 25 years as police lieutenant in Philadelphia, said the township has an existing Town Watch program it wants to strengthen.

Lower Township Police Captain Brian Marker introduced the public to a new Web-based service that will allow citizens to receive automatic updates on a daily, weekly or monthly basis via email when police activity occurs near their home, office or child’s school.

The Web site: www.crimereports.com provides a map of the U.S.. Residents can click on New Jersey and then click on Lower Township and type in the area of the township where they wish to view recent police activity.

According to Lower Township Police Chief Edward Donohue, the police department has participated in Neighborhood Watch Program for years and holds semi annual meetings.
Donohue has established a Safe Neighborhood Tip Line where residents may call with information regarding criminal activity. Messages can be left anonymously at 886-1619 ext 156.

Marker reminded residents to make it tough on burglars by:
• Upgrading locks, lighting and installing alarms if possible.
• Training family members to keep valuables secure and to lock doors and windows when leaving the house.
• Asking neighbors to watch for suspicious activity when their house is vacant.
• Marking valuable property with an identifying number such as a driver’s license number with an engraving tool.
• Keeping shrubbery trimmed near doors and windows.
• Having a neighbor bring in mail and newspapers when you are on vacation.
• Installing new locks when moving into an apartment or previously owned home.
• Starting a buddy system with a neighbor to watch each other’s homes. Watch for movers or repair persons a when no one is home.
• Identifying your neighborhood with Neighborhood Watch decals and signs.
• Using the police department’s property check program when you plan to be away at length.
Marker advised residents to be tuned into their surroundings and be observant of unfamiliar persons or vehicles in their neighborhood. He said residents should not let persons into their home they do not know without seeing identification.

“Trust your instincts,” said Marker.

Beck asked if residents could call police without giving their name to prevent it from being reported to the source of their trouble. Marker said while communications officers are trained to ask lots of questions, residents can tell the dispatcher they are calling anonymously.
Residents may also request that an officer not come to their home or give their address over police radio.

Marker advised residents when observing suspicious activity to be specific and write down details such sex, race, age, build and clothing, direction of travel and license plate numbers.

Beck, who lives near Mulligan Field, said he keeps binoculars handy to observe activity in the park.

Marker said residents should not confront suspicious persons or take action themselves.
He said the township has curfews for young people. Those under 14 years old should be off the streets between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Teens 14 to 17 years old have a curfew of 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. September 15 to May 14 and from midnight to 6 a.m. from May 15 to September 15, he said.

For homes where drug activity is suspected, Marker advised residents to call police.

“We don’t ask you to become a secret agent but we do ask you to become involved by giving us some basic, initial information,” he said. “We’ll take it from there.”


Print | Email Updated 38 weeks 4 days ago

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Comments (10)

We welcome your thoughts, stories and information related to this article.

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Tue, 05/19/2009 - 8:41am - Posted by: Vader

Hey Irish...last I checked, the Beck and McPherson already made their way through the PD with cuts. Beck already has gone back on his word to keep the PD at 46 officers. Then after the recent cuts to the PD, he said that he would move on to something else and that he was done messing with them. Two weeks later, a letter was sent to the PD asking the PD if they were interested in opening up their new contracts to talk about more cuts no doubt. LOL!!!!! What a clown!!!!! As soon as he got elected, he bought computers for council, gave MV a big check and brought McPherson in too soon, paying both her and the old Manager at the same time. I made the point of going back to the old pay because as you say, fair is FAIR and the PD as well as other TWP. departments were already hit with cuts. WAS TOWN HALL HIT YET!!!??? Beck made a big stink about those raises that Craig and Nolan set because he knew it was a win win situation for him. If he complained, the citizens would rally around him. However, he knew that the money was coming his way anyway and he couldn't do anything about it. You think he really cared? If he really did, he has the power to go back and save some more money for us citizens right?

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Sun, 05/17/2009 - 6:41am - Posted by: TommyR

A way to increase the PD manpower without costing the town/taxpayers too much would be to hire part-time/full-time recently retired police officers. It is a tremendous cost saving measure being employed in other parts of the country. The retired officers are still relatively young, have the experience and since they are already collecting a pension & benefits, they don't require a large salary or benefit package. It's a win-win for everyone. There are many in the area who have second homes here.

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Sat, 05/16/2009 - 12:17pm - Posted by: IRISH

All be it. So, if Mayor and Council agree to go back to the wages of two administrations ago, should we also require this of the Police Department as well as all of the Unions working in Lower Township? Fair is FAIR. Let us all just pull together as a community to make our daily living enviroment the best it could be. We can not live in the past, be realistic, it is the future for us and our children, to clean up the streets and to get rid of the criminal element. To better the community, is to better oneself.

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Fri, 05/15/2009 - 7:52pm - Posted by: Vader

Yeah Irish! Financially impossible!? Since that is the case, maybe the Mayor and council should take pay cuts! Remember when Craig and Nolan got in and gave themselves and council raises? They were the bad guys and Beck was the good guy because he was against it. He did not think the raises were necessary. Well Mr. Mayor...get it done! Go back to the pay scale that existed before Craig and Nolan got in! The one that you were fine with! Hello.......Hello.......anyone here!? Cricket-Cricket...Cricket-Cricket. Yeah, that's what I thought.

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Fri, 05/15/2009 - 9:49am - Posted by: IRISH

Instead of bashing the Mayor, how about the community coming together to better, our community. The issue of more officers on the streets is financially impossible because of the last administrations irresponsible control of our tax dollars. Town Watch works if you have the community behind it. Maybe 50 out of thousands in the community were at the meeting, that is a disgrace. How about becoming more involved in the community to make it a better quality of life for everyone?

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Thu, 05/14/2009 - 7:47pm - Posted by: sumdumguy

i've been with lower for over 12 yrs now, and never been more embarassed to work for such a shoobie politician...................BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!......now retiring will be harder then ever...thank u Mr. Beck

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Thu, 05/14/2009 - 6:00pm - Posted by: SnapshotCapeMay

Count on my Eyes and Ears. Remember someone said once it takes a village.

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Thu, 05/14/2009 - 5:08pm - Posted by: TommyR

Beck must have did his 25 years on Philly PD behind a desk because he certainly doesn't seem so sharp.

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Thu, 05/14/2009 - 4:45pm - Posted by: theSHADOW

from the article

"Beck, who lives near Mulligan Field, said he keeps binoculars handy to observe activity in the park"

Did he get a birds eye view of the recent masterbater?

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Thu, 05/14/2009 - 3:45pm - Posted by: whataboutbob

Give me a brake!!! If Beck wants to help the cops put more cops on the street! Now your going to swamp them with calls?? Where did they find this guy?





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