EDISON – During Mayor Thomas Lankey’s State of the Township Address, he said public safety is the most essential priority for municipal government.
With that, the Edison Police Department has recently launched two community public safety measures: a new specialized Street Crimes Unit and a Community Crime Cam program.
The Street Crimes Unit was launched in January. Police Chief Thomas Bryan said the unit allows the department to take a “proactive approach” to crack down on crimes that most adversely affect quality of life in the township.
Lankey, during his address on Feb. 21, called the launch of the unit a “positive step to protect the safety and security of residents’ homes, neighborhoods and workplaces.”
Working with the police department’s Criminal Investigation Bureau and Patrol Bureau, the new unit will help identify criminal trends, participate in surveillance and sting operations, and assist other police units with criminal apprehensions and execution of warrants.
Bryan said the new Street Crimes Unit “will look at the big picture to identify emerging criminal trends and take a proactive, well-planned approach eliminate criminal activities that are most detrimental to our community.”
“Street-level crimes have the greatest adverse affect on neighborhoods and businesses,” he said.
The six-officer Street Crimes Unit is examining criminal trends and developing strategic law enforcement responses to combat the trends.
“An integral part of the Street Crimes Unit’s mission is to interact with the public, to develop positive relationships with residents, businesses and neighborhood groups,” Bryan said, noting its officers are available to attend community meetings and to offer suggestions about making the town safer.
Bryan said the Community Crime Cam Program is strictly voluntary, engaging residents and businesses as “crime-fighting partners” to help police solve crimes in neighborhoods and business areas.
“Video from residential and business surveillance cameras may contain images and information that will help our police officers and detectives locate, arrest and prosecute criminals,” Bryan said. “Participation from people in our community would be another valuable tool on our belts, strengthening our effort to safeguard the public.”
The registry would enable police to request copies of video footage from exterior cameras, including doorbell cameras, to get leads, identify suspects and save investigative time when crimes or accidents occur in neighborhoods or business areas.
Camera locations would be stored in a secure database at police headquarters, and residents or businesses would be contacted only if crimes or accidents happen within their camera coverage areas, according to Police Officer Keith Jackson of the Community Policing Unit.
To register, residential and business security camera systems, including doorbell cameras, must be exterior-facing and be able to retain video footage. Anyone who registers may withdraw their consent at any time, Jackson noted.
A host of other New Jersey communities have similar voluntary security camera registries including Asbury Park, Bridgewater, East Brunswick, Lakewood, Manchester, Newark, Princeton, South Plainfield, Trenton, Toms River and Wayne.
For more information about the Edison Community Crime Cam Program, contact Jackson at 732-248-6462 or [email protected].
The Edison Police Department currently has 178 sworn officers, including nine new cops hired last November, most already trained and with prior law enforcement experience in other police departments.
Among other law enforcement enhancements Lankey and Bryan announced are safety improvements for the department’s in-house firing range where officers routinely train and must qualify with their service weapons; the acquisition of new tactical uniforms, helmets, ballistic vests and communications equipment for the SWAT team using forfeiture funds, instead of taxpayer dollars; and the installation of 140 GPS devices in police vehicles to help ensure officers’ safety and accountability.