| Author |
Message |
    
Mama Cloudy
Citizen
Username: Mamacloudy
Post Number: 6
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 9:37 am: | 
|
I live in the Montrose area not far from where the shooting took place on Saturday. I also walk my 10 mos old son in Grove Park. I was actually jogging in the park at the time of the shooting.
I'm really freaked out by Saturday's events. My partner loves SO (as do I) and is defiantly against leaving. But all I read on other threads related to this incident is that we should expect more crime.
So my questions are: What should we be asking the Village leadership to do? How are the new developments in town (i.e. a multiplex) going to improve or deteriorate our public safety?
And more importantly, what are residents doing to make themselves be (feel) safer -- especially those with small children?
|
C Bataille
Citizen
Username: Nakaille
Post Number: 2607
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 9:52 am: |
|
My experience is that it mostly takes time and the resumption of mundane routines to feel safe again. Maybe for a while you want to go to a different park to get different visuals into your brain. Buddy up with someone for a while for your Grove Park outings and force yourselves to talk about things in addition to the shooting, like the amazing things you see your kid starting to do or what your plans for the future are in terms of preschool, work, etc. You don't need to pretend the shooting didn't happen but don't let it become the focus of your whole life. If you're having trouble sleeping, do whatever works for you for relaxation: deep breathing, yoga, etc., or talk to your doctor. You and your family need you to be able to sleep in order to function (I know, you have an infant, what sleep?) |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4980
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:02 am: |
|
It will take some time but you will feel safe again. A couple years ago my nephews and I were in the parking garage of the Sony Theater when gun shots rang out. A police officer fired at someone who pointed a gun at him. Th person had told people he was going to commit suicide by cop. Luckily for the kid the cop only shot him in the leg.
With what happened Sunday in South Orange at least we know this wasn't a random shooting. As another friend told me when I asked if this meant she would no longer let her child go to Grove Park alone anymore "Bad things happen everywhere."
|
Mama Cloudy
Citizen
Username: Mamacloudy
Post Number: 9
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:06 am: |
|
Thanks for the advise.
And, as if I didn't have enough to worry about, now I hear there was a bear running through the neigborhood!
|
Erik van de Pol
Citizen
Username: Evdp
Post Number: 3
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 1:45 pm: |
|
We have two young children (3 and 5), and I tend to be safety conscious, so I can understand you are concerned. I walk past the Cluck-U place every day on my way to and from bear-infested Tuxedo park  .
Not sure what the village leadership (or police for that matter) could do. I heard rumors that the barber shop is a meeting place for criminal activities, but that could be just a rumor. However if there are repeated problems, I'm sure they could close the place.
It comforts me to know that homicides are very rare in South Orange, and that this apparently was a targetted shooting. Stuff happens, also in South Orange.
As a daily commuter to NYC, I try not to worry about things that are outside of my control, e.g. terrorist attack on a commuter train; it statistically never happens, and I don't think I could stop it anyway. If something bad is going to happen, it happens. I'm much more likely to be in a fatal car accident. Perhaps fatalistic, but at least I sleep well..
|
HOMMELL
Citizen
Username: Hommell
Post Number: 167
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:13 pm: |
|
Bear's dead. In Irvington of all places. |
Jersey_Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 785
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:44 pm: |
|
Mama cloudy,
I also live in Montrose and take JB jr. to Grove Park. After the shooting I just "decided" to check out some other parks. Yesterday I took him to South Mountain Reservation with our dog. He was climbing on a stone water fountain and it turns out, some of the masonry was broken and loose.
I GIANT rock fell onto his little foot. We spent an hour at the Care Station to get an x-ray (no fracture.)
I guess safety is in the eye of the beholder. I think we'll be back at Grove Park pretty soon.
The water fountain there may squirt water like crazy, but it's stable.
J.B.
|
Greeneyes
Citizen
Username: Greeneyes
Post Number: 793
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:48 pm: |
|
Sorry about your son, JB. I'm glad there was no fracture. |
wnb
Citizen
Username: Wnb
Post Number: 364
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 10:51 pm: |
|
More police. We should demand our BOT put more money into basic maintenance and infrastructure of this town (Police, Fire, DPW). If that means we have less money for flashy pet projects then so be it.
|
Sheena Collum SHU
Citizen
Username: Sheena_collum
Post Number: 692
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 12:02 am: |
|
Hey everyone - if it would held out, I know that many times the facts of these incidents don't get out quick enough - but as a SHU student, I get the alert pretty quick. I believe when incidents occur relatively close to campus, SOPD notifies our public safety department quickly and then broadcast emails go out to the students to alert them. I'll make it habit of posting those on MOL as soon as I get them so everyone can know. Hope that will help out some.
-Sheena |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4991
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 12:35 am: |
|
Sheena-
Thanks but I'm not so sure SHU get's the info as quickly as you think. At least they didn't with the bear and the shooting because I called and they had no idea. In fact, security laughed when I told them about the bear. |
thegoodsgt
Citizen
Username: Thegoodsgt
Post Number: 972
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 7:54 am: |
|
Hi Mama,
Don't worry. In time you’ll become nonchalant to the crime just like the rest of it. You'll get used to the crime and realize that there's nothing we can do about it. |
catmanjac
Citizen
Username: Catmanjac
Post Number: 189
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 11:46 am: |
|
This is how children can protect themselves |
Former Cowgirl
Citizen
Username: Formercowgirl
Post Number: 69
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 12:52 pm: |
|
It also depends on the nature of the crime, I think. I agree that this one seems to have been a targeted shooting. Not just a random robbery or hold up.
In both my neighborhood as a child, and in my suburban neighborhood out west as an adult and a new mom like you, there were two incidents of violent crime that shook the neighborhoods. The first was a husband who shot his wife dead and then himself about 5 blocks from my suburban home. It was very frightening, especially as a kid, but in time, became just a random piece of trivia in the neighborhood.
In my very suburban town home community out west, a man was shot dead when he answered his door. But it was later determined to be drug-related. Scary, since I walked my infant son past that house every day, but I managed to also put it behind me and walk around the neighborhood again once it was shown to be targeted. |
Mama Cloudy
Citizen
Username: Mamacloudy
Post Number: 10
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 11, 2006 - 2:45 pm: |
|
Catmanjac...not funny.
Everyone else, thanks for all the postings.
Interestingly enough...I grew up in Newark under the threat of crime everyday and left as soon as I could. I moved back to NJ to be closer to my Mom. But for some strange reason, I always felt like the Newark crime element was miles away from South Orange...until now.
The reality is that you're never totally safe anywhere. And I'm getting more and more used to the idea. |
red_alert
Citizen
Username: Red_alert
Post Number: 251
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, May 20, 2006 - 4:48 pm: |
|
Easy answer.
Sell and Move!
|
Glock 17
Citizen
Username: Glock17
Post Number: 958
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, May 20, 2006 - 8:22 pm: |
|
Easy answer. Arm yourself to the teeth. Get a concealed carry permit.
Might I reccomend the Glock 21 .45 auto? Ideal for home or personal defense. |
red_alert
Citizen
Username: Red_alert
Post Number: 252
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 5:25 pm: |
|
Vote for the right people next May.
|
tomp
Citizen
Username: Tomp
Post Number: 34
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 5:48 pm: |
|
Teriann Moore-Abrams' response to the shooting, in case anyone's interested, was to say that, well, we live in a semi-urban area and that we shouldn't be surprised when things like this happen. (I paraphrase loosely.) She exhibited absolutely no concern, nor any sense that there might be something we should try to do about it. Naturally, she was on the Public Safety committee last year. :-/ (Not sure whether she's still on it after the reorg.) |
Old and Gray
Citizen
Username: Pastmyprime
Post Number: 370
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 6:04 pm: |
|
Any truth to a robbery outside Bunnies last night...Overheard it in DunkinDonuts about an hour ago, all I got was a car was stolen or two or three kids robbed someone and took their car?
Anyone got any better info, or is this just another blown out of proportion rumor? |
Mayor McCheese
Supporter
Username: Mayor_mccheese
Post Number: 1489
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 9:57 pm: |
|
Old, there is truth to that. |
Old and Gray
Citizen
Username: Pastmyprime
Post Number: 371
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 10:12 pm: |
|
Anyone get hurt? Did the police catch the person(s)????
|
red_alert
Citizen
Username: Red_alert
Post Number: 253
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, May 21, 2006 - 10:22 pm: |
|
Sounds like a carjacking beyond a robbery.
We need Michael Chiklis from the Shield to take control of the avenue. |
Soda
Supporter
Username: Soda
Post Number: 3966
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 10:19 am: |
|
O&G: It's not common knowledge, but those plastic flowers in front of Bunny's attract potential felons in the cool of the evening, when they exude their irresistable "new-car" smell, which is carefully sprayed on them daily by Pizzaz.
Although it's my hunch that he does it to counteract the smell of Bunny's food as it wafts out onto the street every time the door is opened, I nontheless salute him for his efforts in support of alfresco dining. After all, what's a little car theft compared to the joy of eating manicotti on the sidewalk on South Orange Avenue?
-s. |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 494
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 11:01 am: |
|
And watching the construction at the beifus site.
jd |
The Man
Citizen
Username: Bumboklaat
Post Number: 179
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 11:01 am: |
|
SODA molests collies. |
Kibbegirl
Citizen
Username: Kibbegirl
Post Number: 587
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 12:16 pm: |
|
With the warm weather coming, we're bound to have more incidents of crime. We are not far from a crime riddled city (Newark), and sometimes their problems float over to our streets. There is certainly a "have and have nots" mentality among the youths who rob our garages, steal our cars and vandalize our parks. Perhaps if Newark got it's act together and provided more for their youth and tried to get guns off of their streets and figure ways of getting the murder rate down to a record low, we in S.O. could rest a bit easier. |
NORA
Citizen
Username: Norav
Post Number: 160
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 2:25 pm: |
|
Maybe since the hair saloon cant stay open late anymore the crime has moved to Bunnies. Maybe they should start closing earlier |
Sky
Citizen
Username: Sky
Post Number: 1
Registered: 5-2006
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 2:56 pm: |
|
When is this town going to hire more police officers? It's my understanding that there is a whole list of people qualified and waiting to be hired. The town should hire more Police before the Arts center opens. It is my understanding that the whole town is covered by only 4 patrolmen at night which, along with the university and our bordering Newark and Orange, is kind of scary. Why is this so difficult? I would rather see more police hired than have the town spend 1/2 million dollars on the "Tau"! |
SO1969
Citizen
Username: Bklyn1969
Post Number: 310
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 5:39 pm: |
|
I have no idea...
I will say I find one particular location - the parking lot of Our Lady of Sorrows Church - the little piece that is tucked behind homes on Prospect and Academy - to be a particularly unhelpful place for current patrolmen to take a (a)coffee break (b) newspaper break (c) report writing break (d)snooze or (e)patrol OLS and surrounding areas. I've seen squad cars there at least a half dozen times. I can't imagine - other than in the immediate OLS lot - how they are deterring any crime. Same car parked on Prospect or side street near Prospect would at least slow down traffic. Parked on side street near Village Pizza would probably be even better. |
red_alert
Citizen
Username: Red_alert
Post Number: 258
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 8:21 pm: |
|
This deserves its own thread.
Police coverage vs. resident density. |
Mama Cloudy
Citizen
Username: Mamacloudy
Post Number: 12
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 9:29 pm: |
|
Update...
It was a friend of mine who was accosted in Motion Fitness parking lot a couple days ago.
So much for feeling safe...
|
Lucy Epoque
Citizen
Username: Lucyepoque
Post Number: 2
Registered: 5-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 3:23 pm: |
|
What happened at the Motions Fitness's parking lot? |
Elizabeth
Citizen
Username: Elizabethann
Post Number: 50
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 9:24 pm: |
|
This is all so disturbing. See my additional post about being blatently hit by a car and laughed at by the perpertrator. Ughh! We need more police and town officials to protect us. Is that even possible?! I'm furious and pay crazy high taxes which I would think would include safety precautions. |
Mama Cloudy
Citizen
Username: Mamacloudy
Post Number: 16
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 9:04 am: |
|
Details aren't really important. What's important is that we're all a little less safe -- and this applies to Maplewood and Millburn.
But, I'd like to respond to all those posters who talk about the town with such hate and racism. This is not the time to build walls around ourselves from our neighbors. This is a time to talk about viable solutions that respect everyone and honor the good neighbors we have in Newark and the Oranges.
I, for one, plan to attend tonight's Town Hall meeting about safety. Hope to see you all there. |
Taurus5208
Citizen
Username: Taurus5208
Post Number: 159
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 3:29 pm: |
|
In your own words, M.C. you could "Just move to Millburn. I'm sure it's all sunshine and Wonder Bread over there." |
Mama Cloudy
Citizen
Username: Mamacloudy
Post Number: 19
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 10:28 pm: |
|
Got irony? |
Mayor McCheese
Supporter
Username: Mayor_mccheese
Post Number: 1551
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 11:19 pm: |
|
No, I don't. Stop being so racist Mama. |
Mama Cloudy
Citizen
Username: Mamacloudy
Post Number: 23
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 11:35 pm: |
|
Don't get it? MMC, it is the "wonder bread" comment that you're misinterpreting on yet another thread?
Where I come from "wonder bread" meens SQUARE. What does it mean in your world? |
Mayor McCheese
Supporter
Username: Mayor_mccheese
Post Number: 1553
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 3:11 am: |
|
Mama, usually wonder bread is white. So, when someone says "wonder bread" I usually assume it means white bread. Unless of course someone says it in the fashion that you did, then I assume "wonder bread" means white.
And I don't think I misinterpreted anything. I just assume that you are trying to fool others who haven't read your other comments.
|
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page