gUNSHOTS

I neglected to post this the other day. On April 28, 11:15 PM I heard a volley of gunfire from my back deck. It had to have been within a 3 block radius of 4th and Sassafras, judging from the loudness. There was a "crack", a second pause, and then "crack, crack, crack, crack" and maybe a sixth - all within two seconds. It was as if somebody emptied a clip of a semi-automatic - probably .32 caliber or lesser, judging from the sound.

Assault on High Street

There is an article in the Daily Journal today, albeit with incorrect information that is easily checked, and so once again leads me to doubt the veracity of their reporting.

A 38-year-old Center City woman suffered abdominal lacerations in an assault at High and Mulberry streets. Lt. Edward Zadroga said the woman was flown from Millville Airport to a hospital.

The incident happened at about 11:45 p.m. Friday. After the victim was assaulted, she made her way to the China Wok restaurant at Main and South High streets to seek help, Zadroga said.

There is no restaurant called the China Wok at Main and High Sts.  There IS a China Wok at High and Mulberry.

Now that I think back, I remember seeing emergency lights at that location Friday evening around 12:20 PM on my way home from work. I just assumed it was another bar fight at Bojos.

The Press and the News have no coverage, as far as I can see. As to the identity of the victim - my first instinct is to think, at that location at that time of night, it is a local prostitute or druggie. From the scant information we have available, the attack didn't occur on High Street, but elsewhere. That section of 2nd St., a block away, is a well known area for prostitutes. until the Millville Police start stings that target the johns, not the whores, and publicizing their identities, this activity will continue unabated.

Rumor

There is a rumor about a rape/murder in the vicinity of Sharp St on Fri PM/Early Sat AM - anyone hear anything? Nothing in the papers online yet.

A tool to get rid of nuisance properties

Pinky Kravitz has an interesting piece in today's Atlantic City Press. He references a New Jersey state statute that allows municipalities to adopt ordinances citywide that allow for radical action against slumlords and abandoned properties.

New Jersey has an Abandoned Property Rehabilitation Act. Six months ago, Atlantic City approved an ordinance implementing the state law that allows municipalities to take possession of a property even in the absence of tax delinquency on the basis of a finding by a public officer that the property is in need of rehabilitation. The public officer must also prove the property owner has not taken action to rehabilitate the property in six months.

The act applies to all properties - residential and commercial - and may be enacted throughout the entire municipality.

This is something that the City of Millville needs to seriously consider. Center City is full of abandoned properties that the slumlord owners have walked away from. The banks, usually from Texas or elsewhere, are content to leave the properties boarded up, yards littered with debris.

These properties absolutely detract the neighborhood, and cause surrounding property values to plummet even more, if that is possible.

We have slumlords such as Dennis Ingraldi of Vineland, with rental properties that are just plain ugly, with tenants that deal drugs ans participate in other nuisance activity.

It is far past the time that Millville uses these laws for the benefit of the city overall. Take these abandoned properties, and sell them to homeowners that have the ability to repair them, and who have the resolve to live in the neighborhoods and participate in true efforts of rejuvenation.

Adopt a Block

Anyone that knows me, or has read enough of my rants knows that in addition to being an advocate for stricter code enforcement and harsh punishment for violent (and potentially violent) criminals, I am an ardent voice for stronger neighborhoods.

Walking with Little Dottie on Dottie's walks for several years, and participating in the twice annual neighborhood cleanups, I have always wished that somehow the works would pay off in cleaner streets.

I advocated an adopt-a-block program for Millville, especially Center City. I have discussed this at length with commissioner Dale Finch, and more recently with Ed Einhaus of AHOME. I asked how do we get the residents involved, and the local churches, and other groups.

It all came together this past Saturday. The Greater Millville Ministerial Association has a new member, Paster Elizabeth Nees of St. Paul's Lutheran on 3rd and Mulberry. This is her first church as a pastor, she hales from Wisconsin. When she came to Millville, she insisted on living in the community that her church serves. She located in Center City.

Elizabeth began attending local meetings, the CCNG, CiPAC, Weed and Seed, looking for ways to get involved.

Thanks to Ed and Dale, Elizabeth took this idea and ran with it. she presented it to the GMMA, and has taken the lead on creating an extensive network of churches and community groups in the One Block at a Time initiative.

The various churches adopted a block, and showed up en masse on Saturday to do a major cleanup. About 250 people showed up, wearing Adopt a Block tee-shirts.I only wish that I didn't have to work that day.

From all reports, local neighborhood residents saw what was happening and joined in - which is the main thrust of the program.

What does this have to do with crime? When residents care about their neighborhood enough to maintain it, it sends a message to the criminal element that we care about our street. They will tend to migrate to other areas where they will be less conspicuous. It does work, and the concept is to clean up Millville, one block at a time.

More on the recent shooting

Bridgeton News has a story with two eyewitness accounts of the idiocy that occurred in Millville yesterday.

On Thursday, two Third Street residents who witnessed the shooting and its aftermath related what they had seen Wednesday night.
Both wished to remain anonymous because they were concerned for their safety in the neighborhood.

The woman who witnessed the shooting from the third floor of her home said she had been falling asleep when she heard yelling outside.
"I looked out of the window and there were 8 to 10 people gathered in a group. They were all yelling at one another, and then I heard gunshots.

It comes down to idiots shooting idiots - probably juveniles that have been coddled by the court system, or young adults (I use the term adult in the very loosest sense) that have been coddled by the system and now have learned to work the revolving door to their own benefit.

Inside scoop on shooting on 4th St

The following was in this morning's Ben Column:

Off The Record:
Wednesday night in Millville, shots went off at 222 S. 4th Street.
One guy was hit in the face, with a report of two shooters.
Black males, one in a red hoodie, one in a black hoodie.
Police and EMS responded to South 4th Street.
At the same time, a 911 call came in for a gunshot victim to the face in the first block of McNeal Street.
A female caller reported her brother had been shot.
Police responded to McNeal Street and the squad was down the block staging.
It turned out that the caller on McNeal was the sister of the guy who got shot on 4th Street and was trying to call that in.
Meanwhile, back at the original shooting scene, the man who was shot got in a private vehicle and was taken to Regional Medical Center.
About 20 minutes later, shots rang out in the first block of West Green Street.
Multiple 911 calls reported it. There were reports on the radio about a woman screaming for help, and a man carrying a woman into a house on Dock Street.
Both were unfounded.
Police arrived and found a window had been shot out on Green Street, and bullet holes in the house. No one was injured.
Keep an eye on this one.
The Bloods in town are getting edgy.
One of the younger street lieutenants lives near me, and he’s been getting a bit flighty.
Good luck with the story.
I’ll be holding the 3rd Warzone down.
— the tipster

222 S. 4th St is owned by David Augustine, 7120 English Creek Rd, Egg Harbor Twp, NJ. Davide and  Brianne Keller won eight rental units in Millville. See below. It'll be interesting to check out the police calls to these properties.

	Block	Lot	Qual	Location	Owner
More Info	107	18		222 FULTON ST	AUGUSTINE, DAVID & BRIANNE
More Info	426	17		103 5TH ST N	AUGUSTINE, DAVID & BRIANNE KELLER-
More Info	471	18		220 5TH ST S	AUGUSTINE, DAVID & BRIANNE KELLER-
More Info	474	20		222 4TH ST S	AUGUSTINE, DAVID & BRIANNE KELLER-
More Info	112	3		223 FULTON ST	AUGUSTINE, DAVID & BRIANNE KELLER-
More Info	112	2		225-227 FULTON ST	AUGUSTINE, DAVID & BRIANNE KELLER-
More Info	412	23		204 2ND ST N	AUGUSTINE, DAVID P & BRIANNE
More Info	107	17		220 FULTON ST	AUGUSTINE, DAVID P & BRIANNE

Shooting at 3rd and Oak - the scoop

Here is the scoop on the shooting at 3rd and Oak Sts.

According to police, Thompson said he and Cook were walking on 3rd Street near Oak Street when they were shot. Several rounds were recovered from the scene, police said.
Police said that "no suspects could be identified at this time."

The AC Press and The News of Cumberland County are the only two papers to have the story, so far today.

Shooting at 3rd and Oak?

I heard there was a shooting at 3rd and Oak last night, three people injured. It is rumor so far, and nothing in the papers. Updates will be forthcoming.