ATLANTA (CBS Atlanta) – For the first time ever, scientists have linked prescription drugs that affect the central nervous system to an increased risk of committing a homicide.
European researchers found that people who were taking a class of tranquilizers called benzodiazpines were more likely to kill someone than those who were not taking these medicines, reports Live Science.
Those drugs are used to treat anxiety, insomnia and panic disorders. Pain relievers such as opioid medications and anti-inflammatories were also found to increase a person’s risk of homicide.
“I think that these chemical substances affect the impulse control of the person,” Dr. Jari Tiihonen, lead author and a professor, told Medical Daily. “The only surprising result was that painkillers also increase the risk.”
Ridgewood NJ, According to the Ridgewood Police Department they will be conducting training at Hawes School beginning Monday 3/30/15 through Thursday 4/2/15 from 7am to 4pm each day. Expect to see police activity around the school.
This is a training exercise and thats all we know at this juncture .
I wanted to let you know that we experienced at least 6 car burglaries overnight with one car stolen. Surrounding towns have had a similar experience.
Ridgewood Police reported ,on March 16, 2015 the Ridgewood Police Department responded to six reports of car entries on Heights Road, Crest Road and Sunset Avenue. The vehicles were unlocked and unknown items were taken.
A 2009 Escalade was also reported stolen from a Sunset Avenue home. These matters are all under investigation.
The Ridgewood Police Department would like to remind residents that they should lock all car doors and never leave the keys in the vehicle. Items that may be expensive and vulnerable to theft should not be left in the vehicle. Please report any suspicious persons immediately.
Please take note of the following precautions with your vehicles:
Please do not leave your cars unlocked in your driveway.
Please do not leave any valuables in your car; if you have valuables in your car make sure they are not visible.
Please do not leave your car keys in your car, make sure they are in a safe place.
The Ridgewood Police Department is actively working on this. If you see something suspicious, please contact the Police Department. We will apprise you of any progress on this matter when available.
Be safe,
Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203
-PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS-
Fort Lee man among three charged in alleged burglary scheme targeting seniors
MARCH 13, 2015, 8:49 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015, 9:38 PM
BY ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Police have arrested a Fort Lee man and two others who allegedly ran a scheme targeting elderly people across several states by distracting them while their homes were burglarized, authorities said Friday in a news release.
The men were caught by a law enforcement task force after they allegedly attempted to run the scam in Ridgewood on Tuesday but came away from a Greenway Lane home without taking anything, said Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano. The men were arrested in Lyndhurst, he said.
The task force had been assembled in Somerset County after the three men allegedly stole a safe with $75,000 cash and an undisclosed amount of jewelry from a 90-year-old woman in Somerville late last year; one of the men had distracted her by saying he was with the water company and had come to check the pipes, Soriano said.
Ridgewood police warn residents to be proactive about preventing break-ins
March 6, 2015, 1:18 PM Last updated: Friday, March 6, 2015, 1:18 PM
By CHRIS HARRIS
The Record
RIDGEWOOD — Police officials warned residents this week to be proactive about break-ins, which have been on the rise in the village.
Ridgewood’s Chief John Ward said that so far in 2015, there have been three residential burglaries in the village and two failed attempts.
Ward said 2015 was on pace to surpass the previous three years for burglaries and break-in attempts, noting there were 44 last year, 53 the year before, and 46 in 2012.
Ward told the council Wednesday his department was taking its own measures to reverse the trend, but said there are things Ridgewood residents can do to prevent their homes from being victimized.
“We are stepping up patrols, and using unmarked cars while making positive progress on leads,” Ward said, adding he’d like to see neighborhood watch programs return to the village.
“Residents and neighbors are your best defense, and that means giving up personal space and information,” Ward said.
Police: Ridgewood man charged with criminal mischief for punching hole in police department wall
FEBRUARY 24, 2015, 2:31 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015, 3:45 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — A 22-year-old man was arrested on Monday after punching a hole in a wall inside the village’s police department, authorities said.
Matthew Boucher-Kerns, of Ridgewood, walked into the police station inside Village Hall just before 1 p.m. to complaint about a summons he had received earlier that day.
According to police, Boucher-Kerns “became very angry” inside the police station, and as he walked out, allegedly punched a wall next to an elevator.
The Ridgewood Police Department is pleased to announce the 2nd annual Chief Michael Feeney, Jr. Police Academy
February 23,2015
Ridgewood NJ,The Ridgewood Police Department is pleased to announce the 2nd annual Chief Michael Feeney, Jr. Police Academy scheduled from June 22nd to July 1st 2015. Applications will be available on April 1st at the Ridgewood Police Station. The academy is open to Ridgewood Residents entering 6th 7th and 8th grades next fall.
The Junior Police Academy has proven to be a valuable experience for all involved and has provided a vital link between the Police Department and the youth of Ridgewood. Further, the Junior Police Academy has afforded students a deeper understanding of the Police function as well as an increased ability to see what the Police and the community can do to serve the Village. The overwhelming success of our first Junior Police Academy class has far exceeded the expectations of everyone involved. This program attracts a highly motivated group of recruits, and the Instructors thoroughly enjoy their interaction with these young people. We look forward to another great class.
scheduled from June 22nd to July 1st 2015. Applications will be available on April 1st at the Ridgewood Police Station. The academy is open to Ridgewood Residents entering 6th 7th and 8th grades next fall.
Ridgewood Resident Hit by Phone Scam
February 6,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood police report that on January 29, 2015 a Ridgewood resident reported getting a call from “American National Award” stating that she had won a cash award. The caller advised that she needed to wire money in order to receive her winnings. The victim complied and sent $539.00 to the caller. The matter is under investigation by the Ridgewood Detective Bureau.
Often, scammers who operate by phone don’t want to give you time to think about their pitch; they just want you to say “yes.” But some are so cunning that, even if you ask for more information, they seem happy to comply. They may direct you to a website or otherwise send information featuring “satisfied customers.” These customers, known as shills, are likely as fake as their praise for the company.
Here are a few red flags to help you spot telemarketing scams. If you hear a line that sounds like this, say “no, thank you,” hang up, and file a complaint with the FTC:
You’ve been specially selected (for this offer).
You’ll get a free bonus if you buy our product.
You’ve won one of five valuable prizes.
You’ve won big money in a foreign lottery.
This investment is low risk and provides a higher return than you can get anywhere else.
You have to make up your mind right away.
You trust me, right?
You don’t need to check our company with anyone.
We’ll just put the shipping and handling charges on your credit card. (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0076-phone-scams)
IRS Warns of Pervasive Telephone Scam
IR-2013-84, Oct. 31, 2013
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today warned consumers about a sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, throughout the country.
Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. If the victim refuses to cooperate, they are then threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting.
“This scam has hit taxpayers in nearly every state in the country. We want to educate taxpayers so they can help protect themselves. Rest assured, we do not and will not ask for credit card numbers over the phone, nor request a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer,” says IRS Acting Commissioner Danny Werfel. “If someone unexpectedly calls claiming to be from the IRS and threatens police arrest, deportation or license revocation if you don’t pay immediately, that is a sign that it really isn’t the IRS calling.” Werfel noted that the first IRS contact with taxpayers on a tax issue is likely to occur via mail
Other characteristics of this scam include:
Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.
Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security Number.
Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling.
Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls.
Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.
After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do:
If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue – if there really is such an issue.
If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, you’ve never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as described above), then call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1.800.366.4484.
You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant; choose “Other” and then “Imposter Scams.” If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes.
Taxpayers should be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS.
The IRS encourages taxpayers to be vigilant against phone and email scams that use the IRS as a lure. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the e-mail tophishing@irs.gov.
More information on how to report phishing scams involving the IRS is available on the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov.
FEBRUARY 4, 2015 LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2015, 1:21 AM
THE RECORD
Print
RIDGEWOOD — The Village Council recently approved spending more than $18,000 to upgrade the camera and audio systems for the Police Department’s interview room.
The current system that documents police interrogations was recently determined to be faulty, Village Manager Roberta Sonenfeld told Ridgewood’s council last week.
Remember to remove all ice and snow from your vehicle before driving, especially from the hood, windows and roof. It’s the law in New Jersey! Motorists who fail to do so face fines of $25 to $75 for each offense, regardless of whether the ice and snow is dislodged from the vehicle. If flying ice or snow causes property damage or injury to others, motorists face fines of $200 to $1,000 for each offense. There are approximately 500 fatalities in the United States per year due to icy road conditions.
Six Bergen County towns named among state’s 10 safest small municipalities
January 15, 2015, 11:23 AM Last updated: Thursday, January 15, 2015, 1:27 PM
By STEFANIE DAZIO
Staff Writer |
The Record
Six Bergen County towns were named among the state’s 10 safest small municipalities by a consumer finance website.
Old Tappan was ranked No. 2, Park Ridge at No. 5 and Emerson, Wyckoff, Waldwick and Norwood taking the seventh through 10th spots in ValuePenguin’s list of towns with fewer than 20,000 residents. In the midsize municipality category — which ranked towns with populations between 20,000 and 45,000 — Bergenfield came in seventh.
No North Jersey towns were named in the big city category, which looked at municipalities with populations above 45,000.
On ValuePenguin’s top five safest cities — which did not take population into account — Old Tappan ranked No. 2 and Park Ridge came in at No. 5.
BREAKING: Ridgewood Police : 2 Arrest made in Church Investigation
January 5, 2015
Ridgewood NJ , We are very pleased to tell you that we have made two arrests in connection with the Old Paramus Reform Church investigation. Our Police force worked tirelessly with other agencies to achieve this result in a very short period of time. I am very proud of the professionalism of our Police and the speed with which this investigation was conducted. I have attached below the press release with more details to this E-Notice.
Best Regards,
Roberta Sonenfeld
Village Manager
201-670-5500, ext. 203
On January 12th, 2015 the Ridgewood Police Department made two arrests in relation to the Old Paramus Reform church investigation.
Joseph M Galli from Somerville NJ age 21 was arrested and charged with:
2C:17-3(B)(1) – Criminal Mischief in excess of $2000 – 3rd degree
2C:39-4A – Possession of a Firearm for an unlawful purpose – 2nd Degree
2C:39-5F – Possession of an Assault Firearm – 2nd Degree
2C:39-3B – Possession of a Sawed Off Shotgun (Short Barreled Rifle) – 3rd Degree
2C:39-9B – Manufacturing a Sawed Off Shotgun (Short Barreled Rifle) – 3rd Degree
The accused is currently in the custody of the Onslow county sheriff’s department of North Carolina awaiting extradition to Bergen County.
Alexander Norrell from Ridgewood NJ age 22
2C:5-2A1 – Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Mischief [2c:17-3a(2)]
2C:5-2A1 – Conspiracy to Commit Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose [2C:39-4A]
Bail set at $75,000 no 10%. Alexander Norrell was served his complaints at the Bergen County Jail and reprocessed. This bail was in addition to the $30,000.00 previously set on the Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Paraphernalia, and possession of High capacity magazine charges. The accused is currently in Bergen county jail unable to post the updated $105,000.00 bail no 10%.
While this matter is still under investigation, we wanted to provide information of these arrests to hopefully provide some level of comfort for our community which has been understandably shaken by this event. To help further alleviate any further concerns it should be said that there are no other suspects believed to be involved in this incident.
The Ridgewood Police department would like to thank the Bergen County Prosecutors office, Bergen County Sheriff’s office, the Bergen County Regional SWAT team, NCIS, ATF, Somerville Police Department and all the other agencies who have and continue to assist with this multi-faceted investigation.
Additionally we would like to thank our community leaders and the public for their trust and patience during this investigation.
While this incident is still under investigation, we would like to reassure the public that we will continue to do everything in our power within the confines of the constitution to ensure the ongoing security of our community.
All defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
-PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS-
The Ridgewood Police Department will be holding a press conference in regards to arrests made in the shooting incidents at the Old Paramus Reform Church
January 13,2015
Ridgewood Nj, The Ridgewood Police Department will be holding a press conference in regards to arrests made in the shooting incidents at the Old Paramus Reform Church. The press conference will take place on Tuesday, January 13th at 4:30pm. It will be held in the Sydney Stoldt Court Room, located on the 4th floor of Ridgewood Village Hall, 131 North Maple Avenue Ridgewood, NJ 07450.
Village of Ridgewood Police
Office of the Police Chief
131 North Maple Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
201-251-4537
