State police
coverage
reviewed
UPPER FREEHOLD — The new state commander of the Hightstown State Police Barracks learned about some of the township’s unique problems at last week’s committee meeting.
Sgt. 1st Class Ann Marie Grant said she’d been informed that Upper Freehold has a good relationship with the state police of the Hightstown barracks. "I am a community-oriented person. What are your needs and how can we work together to better the community?" she said at the meeting.
Mayor David Horsnall said that he had a great deal of interaction with emergency response personnel such as fire and first aid squads, and the state police have long had a good relationship with them.
Between four and six new troopers are scheduled to come into the Hightstown station, according to Grant. While Upper Freehold will be adequately covered for policing, many officers are now at the World Trade Center or doing airport security, a situation Grant expects will continue until November.
She understood the importance of these new officers learning the rural roads of the township. Committeeman Richard Osborn observed that road conditions in Upper Freehold could be different, and officers should be cognizant of that fact.
He mentioned that farm equipment, such as tractors and combines, could often be found on local roads and could slow down traffic. That is part of a rural community, he said, but "a lot of people don’t understand it."
Osborn also said there was an ongoing problem with bicyclists traveling in groups on narrow, rural roads which have no bike path or shoulder.
"They can be encountered six abreast — it’s not a safe situation.," he said.
"They don’t always obey traffic rules. I respect the rights of bike riders to use roads, but they must respect the rules of the road," he said, adding that "single file, keep right" was a state rule for cyclists.
Grant asked if this were more of a problem at certain times. She was told that it was most likely on Saturdays, and that bike tours and cycling fund-raisers were common, drawing large groups of cyclists.
Osborn also noted that local pumpkin farms are often targeted by vandals at this time of year, and requested that police look out for people in the fields at night.
Horsnall said, "No one should be in the fields once the sun goes down," and told Grant that he would provide her with a list of local farms and roadside stands that the police might keep an eye on.
The committeemen thanked Grant for her interest and attendance.
"I have an open door policy," she said. "Don’t hesitate to call, however we can work together."