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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1664
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 10:06 am: |     |
the new policing effort in Irvington?
I am posting this here because 1) I don't go in Soapbox 2) I have no beef and am not having a cow, just curious as to what others think and 3) some of the more detracting posters don't seem to come in here.
I heard on the news this morning that they are doing a 2-year program & are bringing in extra cops from several different agencies (I was half asleep, so I didn't get all the details). My first instinct was "good". Then, I started to think- drug dealers don't close up shop becuase there are cops around; they go elsewhere.
I wonder what the implications are for Maplewood & whether our police forces have been in contact to discuss the potential impact on surrounding communities.
Any thoughts?
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bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 3177
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 10:36 am: | |
Over the weekend I had an informal discussion with one of the MPD officers who indicated that this would probably be a problem for us since "drug dealers have to make a living" and if it gets to hot in Irvington they will move into Maplewood. This has apparently happened in other towns when a task force moved in. I believe the main agency providing the additional officers is the State Police.
Also, the area in front of the Dunkin Donuts on Springfield is a favorite drug dealing location because it is on the Union line and the dealers move from town (and county) to town depending on which police force is in the area. I believe several months ago JGBerkeley posted about watching drug deals there while having lunch.
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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1665
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 11:07 am: | |
Bob- that's kind of what I was thinking. Too bad we can't have some sort of cross-jurisdiction thing in effect at the DD.
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ronzio
Citizen
Username: Ronzio
Post Number: 19
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 1:29 pm: | |
I read the article in the Star Ledger about this new effort, and though I never thought about what you're suggesting, and I think it's a good point, I hope that the fact that some of the forces being brought in to help out are State Police. Hopefully, that means they won't worry so much about which side of the town line the dealers are on, but be more concerned about just catching them. What can I say, I'm a an optimistic guy... |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 1563
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 3:40 pm: | |
"some of the more detracting posters don't seem to come in here."
That's interesting... I find there are detracting posters everywhere!
As to your question, I think it's about time they did something about the crime problem. The writing has been on the wall so to speak, for a very long time.
When the first signs of decay appear; broken and boarded up windows, crumbling buildings and unpainted exteriors, and mainly what appears to be endless blocks of litter and garbage in the streets and on the sidewalks, these conditions soon become constant reminders of people living in a everlasting slum.
When any community keeps losing population, when its minority population rises above 50%, or when the average resident income falls below 70% of the average income of its neighboring towns, it has clearly reached the point of no return.
It is at this point that a town can almost never recover without outside intervention. This means receiving assistance not only from the state and county, but the neighboring communities as well. Neighborhood decline will spread as we have witnessed from the dark days of Newark.
Irvington is just a victim like other neighboring towns, and if Maplewood doesn’t get tougher on some of these issues, it can fall just as well. I believe after a careful look at some of our boarders, anyone should be able to see more of these and other signs of neighborhood decay appearing.
The way residents feel about a community governs whether they take care of it, or neglect it. Read these posts and take note of some of the remarks of so many living on the other side of the tracks. They fail to support the efforts to revive SA, much less shop there. The east side of Maplewood has clearly been neglected, and SA and the surrounding neighborhoods have suffered as a result of it. More evidence is the increasing criminal activity we see which is in large part has been brought about by the creeping deterioration.
I first said it years ago, how goes Springfield Avenue, so goes Maplewood. If we maintain it, people will stay, and businesses will survive. This is really the only way any community can regenerate itself.
I hope you don’t find all this to be to detracting Greentree? |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 1746
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 4:56 pm: | |
Greenetree:
Your point is well taken. If the police presence gets too strong in Irvington, the criminals are likely to go elsewhere -- at least for a while. We can only hope that they will choose to go farther than the Maplewood side of the Irvington border. It would be nice if the anti-crime initiative could extend beyond the town limits of Irvington.
In the long run, this approach could result in reducing crime throughout the region and that would work to our advantage.
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ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 1565
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 5:30 pm: | |
Have you ever heard of the long arm of the law Joan?
When police are running down criminals they go where ever they need to, and that means beyond the town limits of Irvington....
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greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 1667
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 5:52 pm: | |
Art-
by "detracting", I mean the behavior where a handful of posters make personal comments about other people or their opinions. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want opinions on the Irvington situation & I thank you for yours.
I am concerned that without a united effort by neighboring towns, the policing effort will be focused on cleaning up crime in Irvington. It will be good for their statistics & make the program (& whatever politician sponsored it) look good.
I'm pretty optimistic about our side of the tracks; I know many people who have recently purchased homes in this area at premium prices. No one will let such an investment deteriorate, and MPD is always great when called about (the very few) loiterers who appear.
I agree that SA needs to continue to move forward. I also think that our police force should be included in whatever planning was done for the Irvington effort. I see it more as a question of continuing the progress rather than stopping a horrible downslide. |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 1567
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 - 8:29 pm: | |
Thank you Greentree... Trust me, I know exactly what you mean when you say there are a handful of posters that make personal comments about other people or their opinions.
I was looking at the same thing, I mean staying off the Soapbox for a while. Maybe after another 100 posts or so, after I catch up to you. By then I'll see if I feel that same burnt out feeling.
I'm also optimistic and agree that SA is moving along. The police have continued to do a great job throughout the entire town. But, I would like to see some police cars parked in front of the library by the police sign. I'm sure this would help out even more. Why have cars parked at police headquarters where no one can see them? |
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