“snooki” photo by ArtChick
Christie Confounded as Jersey Police Stay After People Go
At the height of tourist season, 150,000 people vacation on Long Beach Island, an 18-mile stretch of New Jersey shore. The crowds are gone by October, when the traffic signals blink amber along the main boulevard.
Just 7,500 residents remain year round, and with them the police forces for six towns. For the next eight months, about 75 full-time officers, earning $7.1 million annually, are responsible for repeated checks of 18,000 empty vacation properties on a barrier island where the median home value is $782,900, double New Jersey’s average. (Young/Bloomberg)
Maybe the man is confounded but is he going to do anything about it. I have found when it comes to police and fire personnel the governor generally looks the other way.
Good article and perhaps shared service agreements should be in place with towns who see their residents flock to the shore in the summer.
Its unfortunate that the laws in NJ do not allow for part time police officers (with full arrest powers and gun carrying rights). Ridgewood used to have a bunch that were mature and helped out when necessary.
Its part of the crazy laws in this state with ‘home rule’. Each town wants their own school boards, police depts etc. And we all get stuck with the property tax tab to pay for it. The only way to reduce property taxes significantly and fairly is to require the STATE to fund the schools instead of putting the burden on property owners. Since Ridgewood does not get much state aid, I am forced to subsidize my wealthy neighbor’s kids.
#2 that’s an interesting idea but I don’t know how it would be implemented. I’m pretty cynical about “shared services” in the corporate world: somehow the service level always goes down and overall costs go up. I think it’s because the service organization takes on a life of it’s own and loses connection with the business and therefore the P&L. Happens in government too.
Unfortunately, the proper solution for LBI will never be adopted. They should consolidate to two governments: LBI North and LBI South. Route 72 would be the dividing line. Two police forces, with a core of year-round police who are supported by seasonal security.
Anyone who has a vacation home that sits empty for stretches of time, and doesn’t have an alarm system installed is crazy, by the way. Shore houses are low hanging fruit for amateur burglars.