EDISON – The Edison Police Department has re-established the Traffic Unit and the Community Oriented Policing Unit.
Police Chief Thomas Bryan and newly promoted Deputy Chief Howard Askelson re-established the units.
“Edison is a large and diverse municipality, which requires a multitude of law enforcement initiatives to provide complete and excellent services to our great community,” Bryan said.
The new Traffic Unit will ensure residents and other motorists traveling on roadways will operate safely with enhanced enforcement to correct distracted driving, Bryan said.
“We will be able to pay close attention to the problem areas that we have received complaints about, which will enhance our residents’ quality of life,” he said.
The Community Oriented Policing Unit will build ties and work closely with members of the community, giving citizens more control over their quality of life issues, Bryan said.
“In essence, our officers will become part of the neighborhood to get a better sense of residents’ needs and help residents develop a greater trust in our officers,” he said.
The Community Oriented Policing Unit will utilize the S.A.R.A method (Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment) to rationally understand what is going on in a specific area to provide the maximum results to township residents.
The unit is made up of Police Sgt. Donald Ship, an African American male, Officer Jennifer Iorio, a Chinese and Spanish American female, and Officer Shirley Dong, a Chinese American female.
The unit, formed less than two months ago, launched Operation Thanksgiving.
With the success of Operation Thanksgiving, Ship said he decided to launch a “COPS for TOTS” campaign, an initiative to benefit township residents in need of holiday toys.
“While all collection efforts are welcomed, the Community Oriented Policing Unit who is in direct contact with the community can utilize these toys to directly impact the lives of Edison residents,” Ship said.
The COPS for TOTS campaign will have its official kick off on Nov. 27. Several entities have partnered with the Community Oriented Policing Unit. To partner with the Edison Community Oriented Policing Unit or schedule a toy pickup, call 732-248-6462 or email [email protected].
For more information on the Community Policing Unit, visit the Edison Police Department’s social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.