Glen Rock NJ, Glen Rock Police Department – ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY: This morning at approx 06:59 hours, an unknown white male in his early 20s allegedly took a baby Jesus from a Nativity Scene in the front yard of a home on South Highwood. Anyone who can help identify the suspect or has additional information is asked to contact the GRPD Detective Bureau at 201-670-3948 or 201-670-3947.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Senator Anthony Bucco (R-25) said Governor Phil Murphy’s talk of advancing “tax fairness” is really just an excuse to tax more to spend more.
“Governor Murphy’s interest in ‘tax fairness’ is just an excuse to tax more to fund an expensive progressive agenda that New Jersey will never be able to afford,” said Bucco, the Senate Republican Budget Officer. “If the governor were truly concerned about ‘fairness,’ he would find ways to lift struggling people up by cutting their taxes, instead of pulling down those who have managed to succeed in New Jersey by increasing tax burdens that are already excessive.”
Bucco suggested cutting taxes for lower-income workers or increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit as non-punitive tax policy changes that the governor could pursue with bipartisan support.
“If the governor continues to equate ‘tax fairness’ with ‘tax increases,’ that should be seen as a clear sign that his rhetoric is nothing more than convenient cover for a money grab that would allow him to spend more.”
file photo by Boyd Loving
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office warns of “diversion burglaries ” .A diversion burglary is a specific type of theft that involves one or more suspects portraying themselves as public utility workers, inspectors, or officials of some kind who need to enter your home under the pretense that they are there to help.
They aren’t there to help. In fact, they are hoping you won’t ask too many questions or verify their identity. They are hoping you’ll simply allow these strangers into your home so they can distract you a while.
As one of the bogus utility workers keeps you busy in one room or on the front steps of your home, the other will wander off to steal jewelry, money, or other valuables inside.
Don’t fall for these con artists. Always be wary of strangers dropping by.
Ask for identification and keep them waiting outside while you call your local police to verify. Don’t permit unknown visitors into your home. Keep in mind the diversion style burglary method next time your doorbell rings.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 252 months in prison for robbing 14 hotels in New Jersey and New York, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Tremone Burnett, 46, of Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court on Sept. 12, 2018, to two counts of an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit robbery and threaten physical violence, and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 24, 2014, through June 19, 2014, Burnett robbed 12 New Jersey hotels and two New York hotels at gunpoint. The New Jersey hotels were located in Carteret, Lebanon, Newark, Rockaway, Secaucus, Avenel, Parsippany, Paramus, Weehawken, and Edison; the New York hotels were located in Airmont and Nanuet. In each robbery, Burnett wielded a handgun and, in some instances, tied the victim’s hands and feet. During one of the robberies, Burnett discharged his firearm.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Burnett to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; and the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Carteret, Edison, Lebanon, Rockaway, Parsippany, Weehawken and Woodbridge Township police departments in New Jersey; the Clarkstown and Ramapo police departments in New York; the N.J. State Police; and the Bergen County, Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, and Morris County prosecutors’ offices for their work on this case.
photo courtesy of RH
Hey Village council – – you are really doing a nice job maintaining the charm of the Village.
Between the wild construction, parking garages built to satisfy the whims of developers, restaurant owners and other oligarchs, the concrete slabs, VIP’s who are more equal than others, and now, the guard towers, it reminds me of Yugoslavia under Tito. Where are we putting the barbed wire?
Bravo!
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Since turning back the clocks, there have been some home burglaries in the Village. These typically haveoccurred during the hours of 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., when it is dark and no one is home. There have also been burglaries from vehicles parked indriveways.
Please be aware that Public Safety is the Village of Ridgewood’s #1 priority, and our Police Department is giving their full attention touncover every detail and piece of information, so that they can identify those involved in the burglaries. In addition, there are extra Policepatrols on the streets. If you are aware of a burglary which has occurred near your home, and have home security cameras or a Ring doorbellcamera, please contact the Ridgewood Police Department, at 201-652-3900, and let them know. The videos obtained from these cameras will assistthe Ridgewood Police Department in their investigation.
Here are some helpful tips to be used to protect your home and vehicles from burglaries:
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
TWP of Washington NJ, The Township of Washington Police Department are urging all residents to be diligent this holiday season by locking their homes, setting alarms, and leaving lights on both inside and outside of their homes. According to the FBI, nearly 400,000 burglaries occur in the U.S. during November and December each year. Burglars don’t have time to break into heavily secured homes. This is because most burglars do not want to get caught. Chances are that they will target your home if they know it’s not well secured and that you are not home. Burglars are opportunists, eliminate opportunities for them by locking all doors/windows/gates. Also, secure your vehicles as burglars will attempt to gain entry into them as well.
Continue reading Burglary Prevention Tips from the Township of Washington Police Department
file photo by Boyd Loving
I am SHOCKED. This is depressing. I never knew this can happen in Ridgewood. These things do not happen in the Bronx in the middle of the day let alone a small, cozy town in Bergen County. If this has been happening on a regular basis why is no one arrested? Why can’t there be hidden cameras in these places? If there is no punishment things will get worse.
And I am sorry but continually advising people to not leave stuff in their cars is insulting. It is suggesting we have to accept crime as a normal thing and accept that we have no power over criminals.
Continue reading Readers Debate Crime Wave at Bergen County Wild Duck Pond in Ridgewood
August 2,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, recent surveys reveal that 58% of Americans have been burgled, yet only 32% own home security systems.
Ooma Home [https://www.ooma.com/home-security/]— an innovative home security and monitoring platform, and creators of the Ooma Butterfleye security camera [https://www.ooma.com/home-security/butterfleye-security-camera/] — surveyed 1,000 Americans about their home security successes, woes, and desires.
Here’s what their response revealed:
24/7 live-streaming is America’s #1 most-wanted smart security feature at 58%: When asked what smart security features they desire most, 45% of those surveyed said advanced facial recognition features, while another 42% said automatic arming and disarming of the system as family members leave and come home.
25% of Americans have canceled a vacation due to home security concerns: 61% of respondents said they worry most about their residence being burgled whenever they are away rather than when they’re at home, and 38% said they worry about their pets being left alone.
33% of Americans who own home security systems have been burgled: When asked what could have put their house at risk, 55% said human error (e.g., their system doesn’t arm automatically). A smaller 33% say that their security camera didn’t notify them of the intrusion—inhibiting them from responding quickly.
The Ooma Butterfleye security camera provides 24/7 HD live-streaming, allowing owners to check-in on their homes from anywhere in their world from their mobile devices. It boasts numerous smart features, including facial recognition, offline recording during outages, and automatic arming and disarming.
January 31,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, FDU’s Public Mind released a poll showing Governor Phil Murphy garnering a 35% approval rating in his first two weeks in office, with 21% disapproving and 40% who don’t know yet. His predecessors fared better in their first weeks in office: Governor Christie had a 48-31%, while Governor Corzine had 47-16%.
One bright spot for Murphy, is according to the poll, there is optimism among the respondents in the direction of the state: 39% believe the state is on solid footing with Murphy at the helm, compared to 18% in October when Christie was still in office. President Trump has a 31-60% favorable/unfavorable rating, according to the same poll.
Dozens of convicted criminals are collecting more than a million dollars in taxpayer-funded retirement checks, including at least one who is still behind bars, an Asbury Park Press investigation found. Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press Read more
Maddie Hanna, Inquirer Trenton Bureau
Last updated: Monday, November 9, 2015, 11:59 PM
The FBI director has been seen as giving it credence. So has the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. And Gov. Christie made his views clear last week, saying in a Fox News interview that “I absolutely believe it’s real.”
The subject of debate: the “Ferguson effect,” a theory that officers are responding to backlash by pulling back from proactive policing, potentially resulting in increased crime.
Christie, making a pro-law enforcement pitch in his Republican presidential campaign, has endorsed the theory, which detractors – including President Obama – say isn’t grounded in evidence.
Obama’s “rhetoric has not been supportive at all of the men and women in uniform around this country,” Christie said Monday at Camden County Police Headquarters. “And it’s his own FBI director who has said this type of conduct has made a chill wind go through law enforcement across this country.
Read more at https://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20151109_Considering_Ferguson_s_impact.html#8dlVKgbaZIrT8LvM.99
Called, “a menace to the residents of North Jersey”
NOVEMBER 2, 2015, 7:13 PM LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2015, 8:55 PM
BY ABBOTT KOLOFF
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Print
The reputed head of a North Jersey burglary ring that targeted affluent homes and a New York City accomplice were found guilty Monday of multiple counts of transporting stolen property across state lines related to dozens of burglaries that netted millions of dollars in cash and other items, federal prosecutors said in a news release.
Daniel “Tokyo” Gatson, 43, of North Bergen, and Anthony “Big Country” Hanks, 36, of Brooklyn, and their gang took part in 27 burglaries in six states, stealing $3.4 million in cash and property, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said.
Law enforcement authorities have called Gatson, who previously lived in Teaneck and Cliffside Park, one of Bergen County’s most prolific burglars.
In 1999, he famously scored $300,000 in jewelry, luxury cars and other items from the Englewood Cliffs home of former New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing.
State Superior Court Judge William Meehan once called Gatson and someone who had been committing burglaries since he was 18 years old and “has no intention of stopping.”
AUGUST 20, 2015, 1:18 PM LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2015, 11:08 PM
BY SALVADOR RIZZO
STATE HOUSE BUREAU |
THE RECORD
On a cloudy day in 2009, a mother of four left her youngest child, a 19-month-old girl, sleeping in a locked car and went into a Dollar Tree store in South Plainfield.
By the time she returned to her vehicle, security guards had called the police. The mother was arrested. And what started as a five- to 10-minute stop to buy party supplies on a 55-degree day turned into a legal battle that has not yet ended six years later.
The state Supreme Court took the mother’s side in a unanimous decision issued Thursday. Leaving a young child unattended in a car is legal in some cases if the parent or caretaker takes precautionary measures, the court indicated.
As a result, the mother will get a chance to clear her record at a fact-finding hearing she has sought for years. The decision extends to other parents and guardians as well, ending the state’s ability to enroll them automatically in its registry of child abusers for leaving children in unattended vehicles. If those children are unharmed, the state must let their guardians plead their case at a hearing, the court said.
The mother has been granted anonymity by the courts, and is referenced only by her initials, E.D.-O.
The consequences of the ‘Ferguson effect’ are already appearing. The main victims of growing violence will be the inner-city poor.
By HEATHER MAC DONALD
May 29, 2015 6:27 p.m. ET
The nation’s two-decades-long crime decline may be over. Gun violence in particular is spiraling upward in cities across America. In Baltimore, the most pressing question every morning is how many people were shot the previous night. Gun violence is up more than 60% compared with this time last year, according to Baltimore police, with 32 shootings over Memorial Day weekend. May has been the most violent month the city has seen in 15 years.
In Milwaukee, homicides were up 180% by May 17 over the same period the previous year. Through April, shootings in St. Louis were up 39%, robberies 43%, and homicides 25%. “Crime is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said St. Louis Alderman Joe Vacarro at a May 7 City Hall hearing.
Murders in Atlanta were up 32% as of mid-May. Shootings in Chicago had increased 24% and homicides 17%. Shootings and other violent felonies in Los Angeles had spiked by 25%; in New York, murder was up nearly 13%, and gun violence 7%.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-nationwide-crime-wave-1432938425
