Neighborhood targeted for crime prevention CARE program’s initial focus is north of Jackson Street

Staff Writer

By dick metzgar

Neighborhood targeted
for crime prevention
CARE program’s initial focus is north
of Jackson Street

Freehold Borough police hope to take a big bite out of neighborhood crime in the county seat with a new community-oriented crime prevention program, Cops and Resident Enforcement (CARE), according to Patrolman Christopher Colaner.

"This program is designed to establish a law enforcement-community partnership working together that will lead to a safer community," the officer said.

Colaner said the first step in the CARE program will be to address an area north of Jackson Street. Within the last week, borough officials placed a sign at the corner of Ford Avenue and Lloyd Street, advising people they are entering a CARE zone.

Other streets in the zone are Center, First, Second, Third, Fourth and McDermott streets and Otterson Road.

Police have said this has been an area of heavy drug activity and other criminal activity in recent years.

"CARE is a pilot program for us, and we thought this would be an ideal neighborhood to try it out," Colaner said, explaining that police officers will go door-to-door with questionnaires in an attempt to survey the residents in that neighborhood.

"We are going to ask the residents to tell us directly what the problems are in their neighborhood," Colaner said. "There are a lot of good people living in that neighborhood. We don’t want them to feel like prisoners in their own homes. We don’t want people to be afraid of retaliation from the criminal element when they talk to us. We don’t want these residents to feel like they have to leave the neighborhood."

Colaner said much of the trouble previously reported in this area which has been selected to be the first CARE neighborhood is related to people hanging out, loitering, drinking, committing violence and participating in drug activity.

"This an attempt on the part of our police department to be proactive rather than reactive," Colaner said. "However, we are progressing one step at a time and, at first, we’re going to give this neighborhood our full attention. We need the help of the community to make it work. We’re asking the streets and roads department, GPU Energy, code enforcement and the borough’s tree trimming services, among others, to help us out. There are a lot of things, such as poor street lighting, that can lead to other problems."

Colaner said another objective of the CARE program is to provide better neighborhoods in which families can raise their children.

"The little things do matter," the officer said. "When a child sees drug activity in his neighborhood he is likely to lose respect for that neighborhood."

Another goal of the program is to help people who may already be engaged in criminal activities, Colaner said.

"We want to offer these people alternatives to crime," he said. "We’re not acting only as law enforcement officers. If a person has a drinking or drug problem we will help him or her get into a rehabilitation program."

Colaner said police are urging more people to get involved with neighborhood crime watch programs.

"We feel that we’re representing that part of the public that wants a safe neighborhood and a good quality of life," he said. "In order to do that, we need the help of the people."