Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Westwood and Washington Township officials are considering a plan to have the borough host the township's emergency dispatching.
Westwood Mayor John Birkner and Police Captain Frank Durante attended the Washington Township Council's meeting Monday to answer questions about a possible shared service agreement between the two towns for emergency dispatching. The plan is one of many that local officials have examined for ways to save money on emergency dispatching, though Washington Township councilmen previously said they believed this plan would solve many of the issues residents and emergency officials had with other proposals, such as using Bergen County's dispatch service in Mahwah. "I'm very comfortable with Westwood's ability to provide this service seamlessly," township Councilman Steve Cascio said. Westwood's proposal is that Washington Township would pay an …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Officials from both towns said they are getting close to reaching a shared service agreement for emergency dispatching.
Officials are examining a plan to have Westwood perform emergency dispatching for Washington Township, though the plan may result in the township's police department being closed at night. Under the plan, emergency dispatching for both towns would be done by a team of four full-time civilian dispatchers, with some per diem dispatchers as needed. Washington Township has been increasing the use civilians, but still has police officers cover their dispatch desk at more expensive rates than civilians in some shifts. The plan addresses some concerns about other shared dispatching services. Township officials had previously considered joining Bergen County's dispatching in Mahwah, but many local emergency responders spoke against the plan …
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Westwood Mayor John Birkner proposed the borough could host their own and Washington Township's emergency dispatching services to save money for both towns.
Shared dispatching is still an option for Westwood and Washington Township to save money, according to local officials. Washington Township councilmen said at their meeting this week they were still open to investigating a proposal from Westwood Mayor John Birkner that the towns share emergency dispatching services. Birkner shared the idea in March and sent a proposal to township officials in April, but they had not yet given an official response because they wanted to know more about the capital costs associated with the plan. According to a letter from Westwood Police Chief Frank Regino to the members of the Westwood Borough Police Committee, a test run with shared dispatching for the two towns "was relatively quiet." Dispatchers fielded…
Monday, June 25, 2012
Police learned about the party after another teenager was found passed out in a resident's back yard.
A Washington Township resident woke up Saturday to find a drunk teenager sleeping off a hangover in his backyard, according to Washington Township Police. The 18-year-old man was "intoxicated and covered with scrapes," according to police. He was transported to a hospital and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Police discovered the man had been at a party the night before. When they went to the home where the party had taken place, they arrested a second 18-year-old man for possession of drug paraphernalia and offering an alcoholic beverage to a person under the legal age. Last year, Township Police resuscitated a 22-year-old resident who had aparently drank too much alcohol at a party. Have a question or news tip…
Monday, June 11, 2012
Simple actions can deter burglars.
Summer marks an opportunity for many people to get away on vacation, but it also means burglars have their pick of empty homes to target. Washington Township Police recently issued a list of tips residents can use to deter burglaries while away on vacation. The tips include: Police also said there have been cases of burglars pretending to work for a utility company targeting senior citizens. Residents are advised to contact police if they are unsure about someone's credentials. For emergencies, call 911. For police headquarters, call 201-664-1140. Have a question or news tip? Contact editor James Leggate at JMLeggate@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Washington Township Police officers had students at Westwood Jr./Sr. High School drive a golf cart while wearing goggles to simulate intoxication for the hands-on DWI prevention program.
With the prom coming up next week and graduation following only two weeks later, Washington Township Police Officer Vincent Montalbano and Police Lt. Greg Hackbarth wanted to teach students at Westwood Jr./Sr. High School about the risks and dangers of driving while intoxicated. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among teenagers, according to Washington Township Police. The police brought a hands-on program to the school, in which students drove golf carts through a traffic course while wearing goggles to simulate intoxication. After they drove the course, the students were put through a field sobriety test. Rich’s Automotive, of Emerson, also donated a wrecked car which is currently on display in front of the school. …
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Township police were awarded for their traffic safety programs.
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Thursday, April 5, 2012
Friday, November 4, 2011
Both police departments will get funds to replace body armor
The police departments in both Westwood and Washington Township will receive grant money to purchase or replace body armor vests for its officers, Attorney General Paula T. Dow announced Tuesday. The Washington Township Police Department is slated to receive $2,289.36 while the Westwood Police Department will get $2,715.39. The state Division of Criminal Justice is providing nearly $3.6 million to more than 500 law enforcement agencies across New Jersey through the state's Body Armor Replacement Fund. The fund was established in 1998 and is paid for through a $1 surcharge on traffic tickets and forfeitures of bail. The state awarded grants to all 544 agencies that applied. Westwood Police Chief Frank Regino explained that the vests are …
Friday, October 28, 2011
Westwood and Washington Township are participating in the third annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
If you've been looking to get rid of expired or unused prescription medications that have been accumulating in your medicine cabinet, you can do so safely on Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, outdated prescription medications are being collected by both Westwood and Washington Township police as part of the third Annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Westwood police headquarters is located at 101 Washington Ave. and township police headquarters is at 350 Hudson Ave. The program, which takes place every six months, is coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Diversion Control, and ultimately hopes to provide a year-round system and outreach program for removing idle prescriptions from homes. For …
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The township police department released a statement outlining acceptable behavior
- POLICE & FIRE
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The Township of Washington Police Department understands that revelry is a part of the Halloween tradition. Please remember that certain activities are unacceptable, even at this time of year. Damaging the property of another is against the law. It is a violation of the N.J. Criminal Mischief statue. Anyone caught damaging the property of another will be arrested and prosecuted. Juveniles found to be in possession of items such as eggs, shaving cream, toilet paper, spray paint etc. will have these items confiscated. Juveniles caught participating in any form of criminal mischief will be brought to police headquarters for appropriate action and will only be released to a parent or guardian. Parents should speak with their children about …
Falcon Fan
1:10 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Westwood is wasting their time. This will never happen. It makes too much sense for our leaders to understand. more ›