Police Blotter

It’s inevitable. I don’t care what community, city, size, the ethnic makeup – every municipality large or small has crime from the very petty to the very serious. It is the duty of the authorities of the city to make the residents aware of any criminal activity past or present. 

In past administrations, the Amboy Guardian would receive Police Blotters of criminal activity or photos and detailed information on the apprehension of suspects. As time went by, there was a change of chain of command. Then the Police Blotters came few and far between and became non-existent. The only time we would receive information, was when there was no other choice.

One such incident was a couple of years ago when two residents were the victims of a stabbing: one who suffered serious injuries, and the other succumbed to the injuries. This incident happened at 2 p.m. in the middle of summer on Smith Street during a busy time of the day. Another incident was when two officers were involved in a shooting of a civilian who succumbed to his wounds. 

Whenever I’ve gone on vacations to other states, I would always pick up copies of their local newspapers (daily and weekly). There would always be a section of criminal activity whether it be something minor or major. 

It doesn’t matter how rich or how heavily guarded or what residence you live in. There have been incidents of celebrities who have heavy gates, surveillance cameras, and armed security, and they have been victims of home invasions.

It is better to be upfront about any matters that compromise the safety of your residence. I’m sure they would appreciate it more if you were upfront instead of trying to make it seem like we are living in an idealistic society. 

Not everyone is signed up with Nixle, which primarily is filled with street closings due to construction or an accident or something to do with utility work that may cause an inconvenience. Also, Nixle does report missing children or endangered adults. It is rare to see hard crime reported on Nixle. I understand there are certain things that cannot be reported right away because it might jeopardize the investigation.

In this issue, we have a report issued by the mayor’s office with updates about crimes that were solved and other investigations dealing with public safety. Hopefully, this will continue and perhaps be a deterrent to those who may think about engaging in any criminal activity.

We applaud the Caba administration for taking this first step and trust that it will continue. C.M.