Police Raid

Police raided a home this morning in the 300 block of McNeil Street. Hopefully they were able to shut down another base of criminal activity!

Police could be seen around noon gathered around a sewer cover in the street while sanitation workers pumped out the sewer system. Guessing the suspects tried to flush evidence down the drain when police arrived. Usually, finding hard evidence at the point a search warrant is executed is only a bonus anyway since the authorities have already built their case against the crooks. Why is it criminals always think they are doing something successfully different than the last idiot who got caught??? LOL

Gunpoint Robbery

A woman was robbed at gunpoint by two male subjects late Friday night as she arrived home to her apartment in Cumberland Green. The punks then stole her car.

I believe the car was recovered a short distance away, and one of the men may have been captured by Police. Hopefully they will have many years to sit in a cell thinking about the few dollars they almost got away with!

Theft from AHome

A Willy Mays Jr. was arrested by Millville Police this week for stealing copper piping recently installed at an AHome property located at 3rd and Broad Street. Fortunately the police were in the area and stopped Mays to question him about the copper tubing he was carrying.

Now that work has begun, hopefully residents near any AHome projects will be extra vigilant and call police immediately to report criminal activity, so efforts to improve the city are not thwarted by idiots with no concern for the community.

Gunfire in the 3rd Ward

More incidents seem to be occurring in the 3rd Ward recently.

Police are investigating reports of shots fired early Friday, which apparently damaged two houses, but did not appear to wound anyone, officials said.

Officers responded to the call about gunfire near the intersection of Buck and Green streets at 3:43 a.m., according to a news release.

Bank Robbed Again

The TD Bank on north 2nd street was robbed last night, the second time in only a few weeks!

As the holidays are approach, it appears crimes such as robbery and shoplifting are seeing a big surge in the area. Target, Shoprite and the Wal Mart all had shoplifting incidents almost simultaniously Thursday evening.

Wawa Robbed Again

Looks like the Wawa store at Sharp and Main Street may have been robbed again during the overnight hours last night.

The suspect allegedly got away with a few hundred dollars and some cigarettes. Hardly enough to risk going to prison for a long time!

Hearts and Holly

In  volunteer as chair of the Center City Neighborhood Group, chairing the Citizen/Police Advisory Council (CiPAC), and siting on the Millville Weed and Seed Steering Committee, all in efforts to improve the quality of life in Center City. Concerned residents of the area are invited to attend these meetings. Together we can make a difference.

One of these groups that I was somehow dragged into was a steering committee under the auspices of AHOME. We have very big news, and I will fill you in on the back story after November 4.

If you are a Center City resident, you are invited to our Hearts and Holly celebration on November 4. This event is only an hour and a half, but we are packing quite a bit into that time.

We will have face painting, apple cider, prize give-aways (we have at least four IPods that will be given away as door-prizes) and a very important announcement that will directly benefit our neighborhood for the next three to five years.

So I urge you to join us November 4, from 2:20 to 4PM at the First United Methodist Church parking lot for this event. That is a Thursday afternoon (kids are off school that day). See our plans for the float for the Millville Holiday Parade. Volunteer. Or just come for the free stuff. Whatever your reason, we need you to get involved. And you will be the first to hear the news - and it is big!

Drive by Shooting

There was a shooting incident around 11:30 this morning in the area of Mcneil and North Street, involving one or more vehicles. I don't believe any people were injured.

No other details are available just yet.

Bank Robbed

NJ.com has reported the TDbank on north 2nd street (near Walgreens) may have been robbed last night at around closing time (8pm). So far, no known suspects have been caught.

Consolidation of Dispatch Services - some thoughts

A while back I mentioned a move by the county to consolidate emergency dispatch services into a centralized location. My position is pretty clear - I am leery of such a move for several reasons:

• I don't believe the savings will be as much as claimed
• The move merely moves costs from city to county
• The county is corrupt, and I doubt that politics will not play a role in this move
• I am concerned with the level of service, delays, and inefficiency on the county level

However, I am dismayed that our commissioner of public safety, Dave Vanaman, has decided against this move without even hearing the other side of the story. I haven't heard both sides, and if my fears could be assuaged, I would definitely entertain supporting a move that would save taxpayers money.

Dave has adamantly refused to even attend any meeting to discuss such a proposal, or to listen to what others have to say. It troubles me when a man in charge of public safety is so pig-headed that he won't even participate in an open dialog.

However, this comes as little surprise, as Dave only does what his handlers from a special interest group tell him he is allowed to do.

Markese Childers arrested

Millvilel police figured out the so-called victim was lying. They figured out quickly who the perp was. He was arrested in Vineland, and in what is almost utterly incomprehensible it appears he still had the suspected weapon.

A man wanted for allegedly shooting his baby and girlfriend earlier this week in Millville was arrested Thursday morning outside an apartment on Pear Street in Vineland.

Markese Childers, 27, was taken to the Cumberland County Jail and held on $750,000 bail. He was arrested by officers with the United States Marshals's New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Force, State Police and Millville Police Department.

Police said he faces weapons charges as well as charges of endangering the welfare of a child and two counts each of aggravated assault and endangering an injured victim.

It should be noted that this arrest was successful and that MPD had the assistance of the State Police and US Marshall's Service. The Millville Weed and Seed designation plays a key role with law enforcement in encouraging these sorts of cooperative efforts.

Weed and Seed allows these sorts of incidents that occur within the  W&S area to be elevated to more than just a local investigation, bringing in federal law enforcement, and allowing for stricter sentencing.

Idiot shoots woman, child in Millville

If you see this man, call the Millville Police IMMEDIATELY at 856-825-7010. DO NOT approach him, he is considered armed and dangerous.

Police said a warrant with $75,000 bail was issued for Markese Childers, 27, charging him with two counts apiece of aggravated assault and endangering an injured victim. Police also said he faces endangering the welfare of a child and several weapons charges.

I know I have seen him around town. The amazing thing is, actually not quite so amazing, he is a repeat offender.

Childers has a previous criminal record. He was in state prison from May 2006 to June 2007 on charges of burglary, heroin possession and driving with a suspended license, according to the state Department of Corrections website.

When are the courts going to figure out a way to seriously reprimand criminals and stop this revolving door madness that allows miscreants like this to get free meals and medical care, and then sets them loose on society to wreck more havoc.

The other perp in this case is the mother of the child. She is not a victim, even though she was shot. She lied to police to protect this idiot, even though he came close to killing her child. DYFS needs to be in that household immediately and to assess whether or not (my guess is not) this woman is fit to have custody of that child.

Another Idea for Neighborhood Pride

One of the things that is quite apparent when one walks through Center City is that people just do not care. Dirty streets, slum rentals, broken dangerous sidewalks, ugly wooden fire escapes from attic that slumlords have converted to bedrooms to eke a few more dollar to sate their greed - these all scream that the people that live here, and those that are planning on retiring from the proceeds of others misery just do not care.

How can rental tenants take pride int heir neighborhood when the slumlord they rent from skirts the law by not registering the property? How can they have a sense of pride when their house is dilapidated? Being poor is not a crime.

For instance, I have neighbors that I will use as an example. The owner of their house has refused to register it with the city. With city cutbacks in manpower, nobody apparently is going after these landlords, and forcing them to bring their rentals up to code.

These tenants are neat, clean, and do their best to maintain their house. the landlord, on the other hand, had to be forced to repair a leaky roof, and even then did not do the job properly. The carpet in the house is worn through to the bare floor. The house needs to be painted, and it needs new windows. The windows do not even have screens, as required by code. I understand bedrooms do not have doors, as required.

The city needs to clamp down on landlords - to search out unregistered rentals and immediately come down on these scofflaws. The fine for not registering a rental needs to be punitive - $1,000 for the first offense seems like a good place to start.

They need to then be forced to bring the apartment up to code in 30 days, and if the apartment is uninhabitable, they need to be forced to pay for the relocation of their tenants into suitable units at the same rent.

Sidewalks are the responsibility of the landlord - make these landlords bring sidewalks up to code. If the paint on the aluminum siding is faded, it is time for a fresh coat of paint.

No more allowing attics to be converted into sleeping quarters, unless the landlord can do it with a sprinkler system. These ugly fire escapes have to go.

When the streets and the neighborhood like nice and presentable, landlords will only benefit by attracting a higher class of renters.

Center City Cleanup Day

Center City Cleanup Day

Mark your calendars - Saturday October 16, 2010
8AM - 12 Noon

Place items on curbside for pick-up - appliances, old furniture, yard brush are accepted. There will also be dumpsters provides at the corner of N. 3rd and Vine Streets.  Regular household trash is NOT accepted. Please, no paint cans or hazardous materials.

Center City Cleanup Day is sponsored by the City of Millville, the Center City Neighborhood Group, and Silver Run School. Center City Volunteers, and Silver Run Students and Staff clean up the litter in the streets. Afterward, we enjoy soda and pizza.

We request that concerned Center City residents volunteer to police the trash on their own streets.Clean Streets are as important as Safe Streets.

Ideas for a better neighborhood

There is much more to a crime and nuisance free neighborhood than increasing police patrols and throwing people in jail - though law enforcement does play the key role.

But just as critical is a neighborhood's appearance. If the properties are well kept, if people care enough to pick up the litter in front of their homes and better yet, don't toss it in the street in the first place, a message is sent that the tenants and homeowners care about their neighborhood. A lot of the nuisance activity will move off that block. It may only move a block away, but the point is, it moves.

Another benefit is that rentals, necessary for a well-rounded community, will be able to attract a higher quality of tenant if the neighborhood is clean, and the house or apartment is neat, clean and respectable.  

Adopt-a-Street
I am trying to garner support for several projects towards this end. One is an adopt-a-street program for Center City. I would like the churches in center city, and there are plenty of them, to step up to the plate and adopt a one-block section of street.

I have city commissioner Dale Finch's word that he will work with me on this project, and it appears that Ed Eihnaus of AHOME, coordinator of the Heart of Millville Project, will assume responsibility and a leadership role, also.

The idea is that we get a group of volunteers to attack a block. We have neighborhood children picking up the trash. We have adults with weed whackers and edgers cutting the grass along the sidewalks, edging the sidewalks, and removing the grass from between the sidewalk cracks and curbs.

Now we will give that section to the adopting group, the church of whatever, or a boyscout troop, or a social club - I don't care who. They will then pledge to walk that section at least once a week and clean, cut, edge - whatever they have to, to maintain it.

Idiot discharges handgun on High Street

In an act of utter stupidity, a moron named Juan Xavier Maldonado shot his gun into the air several times on High Street after an argument.

A 20-year-old Millville man was arrested early Sunday on charges he repeatedly shot a revolver in the air outside a North High Street home following a confrontation.

Juan Xavier Maldonado, of the 1700 block of East Broad Street, was arrested Sunday and charged with simple assault, possession of weapons for unlawful purposes and unlawful possession of a handgun, police said.

A group of people was gathered at a home on the 300 block of North High Street home when one man, whose identity is unknown, was asked to leave around 3:45 a.m., according to a police report released Monday.

A North High Street home? This "home' had to have been an apartment above one of the stores. The nail salon maybe? The city need to take action, talk to the owner of the building, and ask him if his tenants were properly screened before he rented the apartment.

There is absolutely no excuse for this sort of activity in the middle of the arts district. And there is no excuse for landlords to rent to idiots, when there are many respectable people that would be happy to rent a space in the middle of the district.

100 N. 4th Street, another nuisance in the works

100 N. 4th Street is fast becoming a nuisance. Slumlord Bernadette Joseph has allowed this property to not only become an eyesore, but it is now a hangout for thugs.Of course, Joseph lives at 1286 Roosevelt Blvd in Vineland, and could likely not care less about the deplorable condition.

The landlord has allowed gang graffiti to grace the side of this building. The city, as I understand, had to step in and issue a citation forcing the landlord to paint the building. They selected a mismatched color and painted only on side. Is this perhaps a show of contempt not only for Millville's code enforcement, but also for the neighborhood?

The yards of this building are usually littered with trash and debris, and drug dealers sit on the wall next to the parking lot, waiting for their customers.

Violence in center city

A 16-year old from Cedar street stabbed a 21-year old from Brandriff Ave this weekend.

A 16-year-old boy stabbed a 21-year-old city man during a fight Sunday afternoon, police said.

Investigators said they believe the fight may have been drug-related.

Police were dispatched at 3:28 p.m. to 2nd and Oak streets for a fight in progress involving weapons.

Officers determined a 16-year-old Cedar Street resident stabbed Joshua Graham, of Brandriff Avenue, twice in the left side with a knife during the fight, according to a police report released Monday.

If they were hanging out at 2nd and Oak, it was almost definitely drug related. Oak Street is a war zone, and it is about time the city take seriously its responsibility to clean up this mess that is within its arts district. This sort of activity is unacceptable.

If we can't take the thugs off the street, we need to at the very least penalize the slumlords that rent to thugs, and allow nuisance activity to occur on their properties.

Acting chief acts!

Tom Haas, Millville's acting police chief hit the ground running. I suspect we will see positive news in the papers in the coming weeks.

Lou Magazzu is rearing his ugly head once more, demanding a consolidation of county dispatch services. In his power grab to monopolize all county services, he could not care less about the negative impact such a move would have on Millville residents, or the cost this would impose on taxpayers.

Meanwhile, Millville Acting Police Chief Tom Haas came out strongly against the proposal. “It’s not a good idea,” he said.

Haas said his police dispatchers do a good job of filtering calls, reducing by about half the number of calls that actually require a response from a police officer. He also said the conversion to a countywide system could be too cost prohibitive.

Haas said individual departments would know their municipalities better than a countywide set up.

For instance, he said, some residents call in reports of shots being fired just to speed up police response time to a situation. Millville dispatchers have come to recognize those callers, and will send one car out instead of two or more, he said.

Haas hit the hot points, and these are the reasons that Millville's cops are against this, and the reason that community leaders oppose it.

First of all, the county dispatchers do not know Millville. This year a Millville resident called the county 9-11 to report a problem at 2nd st. and Vine St. when the dispatcher kindly informed them that those two roads do not intersect. The real problem is that Vine Street at that area is a county road, and these guys don't know that?

Next, the Millville Police Department just spent a fortune on updating the computer system. The county system is not able to be integrated with Millville's system, and the cost to make the two systems compatible is prohibitive. That cost would of course fall on Millville taxpayers, taking needed funds away from necessary police budgets.

And we finally come to the last aspect, which is most disturbing. The police dispatchers man the front desk at the police station. Remove these positions, and now we would have to take men off the street to work the desk during the daytime hours. At night, a decision would have to be made to lock the doors and leave the police department empty - endangering citizens that would go to the station after dark seeking assistance or protection.

The paper refers to Gloucester County, claiming that consolidation is more cost effective. The reporter doesn't analyze the numbers, however. Cumberland County is much larger than Gloucester; it has 164 more square miles. Gloucester's largest city in area is Glassboro, which is one-quarter the area of Millville, with about half the population. The demographics are completely different, and so comparisons  are faulty.

The bulk of Gloucester County is made up of townships, many having their own, relatively small police force. Consolidating many smaller forces does indeed make sense - Millville has one of the largest police departments in the state. Vineland, too.

In all, there would be no real costs savings, and the inefficiency would likely cause dangerous delays in response time. Oh, and it should be noted that V-Comm, the company being paid an exorbitant fee by the county taxpayers is a democratic contributor.

The website, MagazzuWatch.com has long uncovered the pattern of contributors to the Camden County machine getting Cumberland County jobs. This is a way that companies avoid pay-to-play laws. In return, Camden democrats give that money as contributions to the Cumberland County machine.

10 free online tools

Chris Jacobson runs a website geared towards attaining a criminal justice degree. I make no recommendation, good or bad, about that part of the site as I am not familiar with their credential or history.

However, he has an excellent guide with links to ten free online tools for tracking criminals in our neighborhoods.

The first link doesn't apply to Millville, but there are links to the national sex offender registry, the official neighborhood watch site, and more.

New Chief in town

Tom Haas was appointed acting Chief upon the retirement of former chief Ed Grennon.

Grennon will be sorely missed. He made some major changes in the department, including giving it a publicly accessible face.

Haas comes with 30 years of experience, claims he loves his job, and we wish him the best.

Gunshots on 9th street?

A few residents report having heard 10-15 gunshots along north 9th street several days ago, during the overnight hours.

Rumor is the police also found several shell casings in the area. Nothing confirmed yet, and fortunately no known damage.

Larry's Bar robbed at gunpoint

An armed man robbed Larry's Bar at gunpoint Wednesday night, around 9:30pm.

A lone gunman robbed Larry’s Bar & Restaurant Wednesday night.

Three customers and four employees were inside the bar, located at 1115 S. 2nd St. (Route 47), when it was robbed at gunpoint at about 9:30 p.m., Millville Police Det. Lt. Les Watson said today.

The robber entered the bar dressed in all black clothing and armed with a gun, demanded money from the bartenders, and fled toward the rear of the bar, possibly toward South 3rd Street, after he was handed an undisclosed amount of cash.

Gunfire incidents solved

I recently reported on gunfire in and around the arts district. We have posted articles about some wretched rental properties that are a large nuisance, as well as a danger to out-of-town visitors.

There is a slumlord from Galloway Twp. - we seem to have quite a few so-called "investors" from Galloway Twp.- that owns 511 N 2nd Street, an area that is one of Center City's larger nuisances.

A 21-year-old city man is facing weapon charges after he was arrested last week with a .32-caliber handgun authorities say was used in several recent instances of gunfire.

Police began probing the activities at 511 N. 2nd St. in late August after developing information its apartment No. 1 was at the center of several recent reports of gunfire, as well as drug-dealing and fights, Millville Police Det. Sgt. Jody Farabella said.

This area is inside Millville's Arts District, but scumbag slumlords could care less that their negligence, like a cancer, eats away at the positive changes the city has been implementing.

This particular slumlord is a coward, hiding behind an LLC so that he cannot be identified. The name of the owner is Future Unlimited Property Management. I would guess the "unlimited" in the business name refers to the nuisance activity perpetrated on this neighborhood.

A little digging revealed the owner's name.  According to tax records, the owner is Winsel Lyles, 307 Longfellow Ct., Galloway Twp., NJ 08205. he also owns 513 N. 2nd St., another house that has been identified as a problem.

It is time that the City of Millville put teeth into their ordinances. The excessive Use of City Services ordinance is not used to its fullest extent, and these landlords and slum tenants MUST be fined. And it is well past time to begin revoking rental certificates from these repeat offenders.

Home Invasion on 6th Street

There is a disturbing report of an armed home invasion in Center City.

Police here are investigating a home invasion-style burglary on North 6th Street Friday night in which two people were robbed at gunpoint of a total of $1,000.

The crime was reported to authorities at about 10:20 p.m.

Three people inside the 100-block home at the time told investigators they headed toward a bedroom to investigate a noise, Millville Police Det. Lt. Les Watson said Monday.

This story is a cautionary tale, warning everyone to be vigilant, not only on the streets but especially in the supposed safety of your home.

Doors should always be locked behind you. Windows that are accessible from the ground should never be open wide enough to allow a person to enter undetected.

Invest in motion detection outdoor lights, and leave outdoor lights on ti illuminate your yard.

Trim hedges back, and don't have any bushes close to windows to act as a shield. And, to, even though you are safe in your own house, why is there any need to keep $500 on your person? Have you ever heard of a bank account? A debit card keeps the cash readily available for almost all purchases, although our local drug dealers still don't have the capability for electronic transactions...

Gunshots in the Millville Arts District

In today's police blotter, this disturbing news:

Police were dispatched to the 500 block of North 2nd Street Saturday afternoon on a report of gunfire, but found no evidence to support the report.

Two witnesses did report hearing gunshots, though. One claimed there were four to five gunshots, while the other reported hearing five or six.

Police recovered a purple and silver Schwinn mountain bike in the area that may have been connected to the gunfire.

Big time gangsta - got his Glock and a stolen Schwinn!

Millville Code Enforcement out in force

The Atlantic City Press ran an article over the weekend about the efforts of Millville Code Enforcement to crack down on nuisance and derelict properties.

It has been more than a year since the city started cracking down on code violations in its oldest neighborhoods, and it doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon.

In a recent sweep, the city's inspection department, along with Revenue Allocation District personnel, split into teams and walked every block in the area between High and 10th streets, known as center city, looking for code violations and writing citations for every one they found.
In total, the city wrote 106 citations over two days - for everything from trash and loose debris in people's yards to serious structural issues with their homes - Public Works Director Dale Finch said.

In the upcoming weeks, they will do the same in the South Millville and Third Ward neighborhoods

"The inspectors are targeting specific neighborhoods," Finch said. "They're parking their cars and getting out and walking the neighborhood. They walked two days through center city.
"We're being aggressive in citing people that are not keeping up to code."

This effort is just one part of a multi-faceted attack to tack back our neighborhoods. Code enforcement personnel help to persuade landlords and tenants alike to keep their properties maintained. Sgt. Farabella  targets criminal activity and weeds out the worst of the worst.

But the rest is up to the residents of the neighborhoods. We must be vigilant. We need to forge relationships with our neighbors, to look out for one another, and to report any and all suspicious activity to the police.

Call 825-3111 for Millville Police Dispatch. Give them an address and description of the nuisance or criminal activity. It is vital to do this EVERY time you witness nuisance activity. And you may politely refuse to provide your name and address to the police dispatcher, if asked. They will not push for the info, even though it remains confidential. the important thing is to make sure that you provide the street address of the nuisance, if you want to ensure that action is able to be taken to abate it.

Race fan robbed at gunpoint

A Virginia man, here for the races at the NJMP was robbed at gun point in center city.

A Virginia man in town for a weekend race at the New Jersey Motorsports Park claims he was robbed at gunpoint on Saturday.

Martin Coberly, 19, Richmond, was following directions to the motorsports park when he stopped at a red light at the intersection of High and Broad streets.

While he was stopped, the Virginia man claimed to have been approached by a black male in his 40s, who demanded Coberly's wallet. The man had a black gun tucked away in his waist band.

Coberly gave up his wallet. The man took $33 from it and gave the wallet back before fleeing the scene.

Something just doesn't seem right with this story. If a person walks up to me with a gun, and I am in a vehicle, I am just going to run the red light and haul ass.

Was the guy with the gun a member of Track Racket?

Home invasion

The News of Cumberland County reported this disturbing incident:

Two men - one described as being of Middle Eastern descent, the other white - stormed an Alex Drive home on Saturday, with one of them waving a gun, according to police.

Millville police who responded to the scene were greeted by the victim, who stated he was the only one home. He told police he was changing a tire when a Mitsubishi drove up and the two suspects exited the car.

The two men were yelling, and one had a gun. The victim began to run and the suspects chased after him.

Shotgun shooting at 2nd and Broad

I heard talk about this story Thursday evening, and here is the report. There was a shooting on N. 2nd St., near Broad St.

Officers were dispatched to the area of North 2nd and Broad streets for reports of shots fired. Witnesses said they observed a man firing at a dark-colored vehicle. The driver fled, taking the car southbound on Route 47.
The gunman reportedly fled on foot in an unknown direction.
Police at the scene of the shooting were later greeted by the driver of the vehicle, who said he was stopped at the intersection of 2nd and Broad streets when his car was struck by gun fire.
According to police, the vehicle appeared to have been hit with a single shotgun blast.

At present it appears the driver was an "innocent victim".  If so, this would be a peculiar turn, as almost all shootings involve parties that are known to each other.

Slumlords do nothing to help turn the tide

Vineland Realtor Dennis Ingraldi owns 105 N. 4th Street, among other properties in Millville neighborhoods. his name constantly appears on nuisance lists. His property at 410 Broad Street is a hideous atrocity. he does absolutely nothing to enhance the street appearance of the slums he rents, and then he probably wonders why he can't get a higher class of renter.

For instance, renters at 401 Broad gutted the interior of the house, making it unfit for human habitation according to a health inspector. When he does get decent tenants, they are forced to live in unhealthy conditions, such as was the case with a house he had on S. 3rd street, where he allowed pigeons to inhabit the space above the drop ceiling. The extreme weight of the pigeon defecation finally caused the drop ceiling to collapse on the childrens bed beneath.

The current problem house is an all-night drug store at 105 S. 4th st. One afternoon last week I was driving down Pine St. when one of Millville's working girls propositioned me. As I turned the corner, I immediately called MPD dispatch.

The police arrived too late, as the girl had apparently found a John in the few minutes it took the cops to arrive. how do I know? I arrived home, and who do I see stepping out of a car at 6th and Sassafras, and heading down the street? You guessed.

And where did she go? You are GOOD! She went to the upstairs apartment at Ingraldi's slum tenement. This apartment has foot traffic all day and all night, and I am seeing a lot of new faces on the street since they opened the drug store a few weeks ago.

It has gotten so bad that I am now forced to bring the video camera out of storage and begin filming. I have worked five years to clean up this street, and now Ingraldi with his slum house is creating a dangerous situation, attracting drug addict who are now hanging out where little children play.

I would have more empathy if Ingraldi indicated even the smallest amount of interest in actually fixing up the properties he rents. I have to give credit where it is due, and even Paul Porreca Jr. rents out to mostly decent tenants, doesn't allow nuisance activity on his properties, and gives them a decent face-lift so that they are not the eyesore they could be. I wonder how Ingraldi would feel if one of these slums was located next to his house?

Teen pistol whipped in Millville

In today's news:

A city teen was robbed at gunpoint then pistol-whipped on the 700 block of East Pine Street early Saturday.

The victim reported his cell phone stolen in the robbery, which was called into police at about 2 a.m.

One question. What was a teen doing walking the streets at 2AM? Why wasn't the 17 year old taken into custody and arrested for curfew violations? There is more to this story than can be told in the single paragraph the newspaper gave it.

Is Oakview the New Millville Gardens?

Oakview, always known as Wade east to Millvillians, seems to be vying for position as the New Millville Gardens.

The other night there was gun play, with a group of miscreants shooting at each other. Fortunately nobody ever taught them how to handle a firearm.

No thanks to the management of Oakview (we can thank Paul Porreca for bringing us this atrocity as well as Delsea Gardens - he said these housing projects would be good for Millville), Millville Police were able to quickly make arrests.

Four people, including a juvenile, were arrested Tuesday as a result of a police investigation into a fight and two separate incidents of gunfire Monday night at Oakview Apartments.

Millville Police Det. Sgt. Carl Heger and Det. Bruce Cornish went to the East Broad Street apartment complex to investigate the incidents from the prior night.

There were no reported injuries and no victims could be located on Monday, but during their investigation two officers said they saw a man in the 200 block using a controlled dangerous substance and trying to conceal a handgun under his shirt in his waistband.

This piece of human excrement was in possession of a handgun stolen from Port Norris a year ago. He needs to be locked away for at least three years, but some namby-pamby judge, I am sure, will see fit to slap his wrists and set him loose on society once again.

What is it going to take before our courts decide to get tough on gun crime? I guarantee these same judges are the ones that are against law-abiding citizens legally possessing handguns. But as long as they continue to pamper thugs that show a total disregard for gun laws, law-abiding people will need firearms to defend themselves against the vermin that these judges thrust into our neighborhoods.

Loaded gun found in man's pocket

Yet another miscreant hanging out on 2nd Street in Millville was found to have an illegal, loaded handgun.

An attempt to conceal a loaded gun only brought more suspicion when a Millville police officer realized that one of a large group of men was acting in a suspicious manner and refusing to make eye contact.

Ptl. Matthew Radcliff was investigating a prior incident when he found an unruly crowd on a front porch in the 600 block of South 2nd Street.

He said Joshua Castro, 18, of Casarow Drive, Vineland, was acting strangely and kept his hand in his pocket.

He also gave a false name when questioned.

The officer later found a fully loaded handgun in the man's pocket.

Castro was charged with obstruction, hindering, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, failure to deliver it to police, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a handgun.

Kudos to Patrolman Radcliffe for an excellent catch. Now we, as residents are screwed, because some idiot judge in the county will slap Castro on the wrist and put him back on the streets, rather than keep him behind bars where he belongs.

For too many years the intelligentsia have blamed law-abiding gun-owners for gun crime. It is these same people that refuse to punish criminals, and yet they fail to see the insanity caused by their own failed philosophy.

Law-abiding gun-owners are not the problem. In fact, crimes are deterred every year, most with no shot ever being fired, that never make it into the newspaper. New Jersey strives to make it more and more difficult for a working class person to acquire a legal gun, and does absolutely nothing to take the illegal guns off the street along with the criminals.

Back in the 90's a city in Virginia began a pilot program where law enforcement made a concerted sweep, locking up violent criminals, and making sure that they served full sentences. The result? Crime dropped significantly and measurably. After that, city after city adopted this method, and it worked.

Worried about overcrowding at the jails? Release the people there for traffic tickets - there are less expensive alternatives! Ditto for minor drug offenses such as possession of pot. Use ankle bracelets and house arrest as a deterrent. There are other options! Community service, such as cleaning the streets and sidewalks in their own neighborhood is one of my favorites. Have them clean up gang graffiti.

Make room in the jails for those that have shown a propensity towards violence. Possession of an illegal gun IS a propensity towards violence - otherwise the punks would not have them!

Crime and nuisance sweep in Millville

Only one newspaper picked up this story today - Millville police narcotics unit, along with the Cumberland County Organized Crime Bureau hit the streets, targeting nuisance properties.

In this twist, the city is targeting the residents of the houses, mostly rental properties owned by slumlords. More than 20 arrests were made during the sweep, and one tenant was cited for maintaining a nuisance.

Police cited Shirley L. Palmer, 53, for maintaining a nuisance property at 513 N. 2nd St., the scene of numerous police responses since February, during Operation Quality of Life, Farabella said.

513 N. 2nd st. is owned by a slum operation called FUTURE UNLIMITED PROP MANAGEMENT of Galloway Twp. These slimeballs like to boast that their future is unlimited, with the unlimited cash flow they generate at the expense of our neighborhoods.

It appears that FUTURE UNLIMITED PROP MANAGEMENT is actually a front company for property owner Winsel Lyles, 307 Longfellow Ct, Galloway Twp, NJ. He (or the front company) also owns 511 N. 2nd St.

This slum property greets our out of town guests as they visit Millville for the Arts District, or the race track, or for any reason. It is not an area that any sane person would walk through alone at night. Time is long past due to target every landlord on this strip and insist that their properties be maintained, and that their tenants abide by the law.

During the sweep, the article maintains "Tenants and landlords alike were advised of the excessive number of police responses to problem residences, and made aware of the statute allowing police to cite them for maintaining nuisance properties."

This is a good start. Millville now needs to act on an ordinance that allows the city to revoke the rental certificates of the owners of nuisance properties, and to require these landlords to pay the full cost of immediately relocating any tenants that are now in their illegal rental unit. I would also like to see an ordinance that fines landlords $100 a day, for every day their unit is occupied without a valid rental certificate.

It is time to hit people like Winsel Lyles deep in their wallets, and force them to bring their so-called investments up to a reasonable standard. This is, after all, a quality of life issue. The tax payers of Millville should no longer be bearing the full brunt of the costs of code enforcement and police activity when it is landlords like Lyles and the lowlifes he chooses to rent to that are causing the problems.

901-903 E. Broad Street - all night drug store?

901-903 E. Broad Street - all night drug store?

Is the slum apartment at 9th and Broad (sixteen units so that the slumlord can maximize their profits at the expense of the neighborhood) a new drug haven? If you don't recognize this address, it is because the slumlords have the address on the building as 523-525 N. 9th Street - and address that does not exist!

A concerned citizen has complained about the screen doors to the units being torn off by the tenants, so that drug dealers can easily hide in the hallways while waiting for their customers to drive up.

I have been told that AB Apartments LLC (I love how some slumlords refuse to use their real names, hiding behind bogus LLC's to protect themselves from liability) was informed of this problem before, and took care of it after the city notified them. once again, the doors are missing, but the irresponsible entities that own the complex either do not check up on the property, or they simply do not care.

The point is, if you decide to become a landlord, you have a RESPONSIBILITY to either visit your properties yourself on a regular basis, or have a property manager do so for you. by regular, I mean if you are not at the property at least once a week, you have neglected your duties to the neighborhood, and to whatever decent tenants you might mistakenly rent to.

Hopefully I am mistaken about the owners of this property, and they are taking proactive measures to evict ALL of the criminal element, and are taking measures to repair damage caused by the fact that they irresponsibly rented to derelict tenants.

Man stabbed in back on Dock

An as of yet unidentified male was stabbed in the back on Dock Street around 11PM Wednesday night. He apparently had an altercation with people that he somehow can't describe - well, if you hang out in bad areas with people up to no good, they just might stab you in the back!

A 29-year-old city resident was flown to an Atlantic City trauma center after he was stabbed in his back on Dock Street late Wednesday night.

Police were dispatched to the 600 block of Dock Street on a report of stabbing at 10:56 p.m.

The victim, whom police did not identify, was unable to provide police with a statement about what happened or who had stabbed him.

Idiot robbed of $1800

Some dimwit claims he was carrying $1800 cash when he was assaulted and robbed on N. 2nd Street Tuesday evening.

A North 2nd Street man was arrested Tuesday night and charged as one of a half-dozen or so people who beat and robbed a Newfield man on the 200 block of East Oak Street earlier in the day.

The 29-year-old Newfield man, bleeding from his mouth, approached police on the 500 block of North 2nd Street at about 5:36 p.m. to report the daylight robbery.

He claimed about $1,800 was stolen from him as he was assaulted by six or seven assailants, including two he saw armed with handguns, Millville Police Det. Lt. Les Watson said today.

The so-called victim knew the nickname of one of the assailants. There appears to be more to this story than is being reported.

A word to the wise, never carry large wads of cash, and if you do have a large amount of cash, never mingle with a large group of known hoodlums.

Assault with a shovel

A Vineland woman walking on 2nd St was hit in the head with a shovel by a bicyclist.

A Vineland woman was whacked in the head with a shovel by a bicyclist at 2nd and Pine streets around midnight Sunday into Monday, police said.

The 25-year-old victim was treated at South Jersey Healthcare-Regional Medical Center, in Vineland, where a cut to her head was closed with glue, according to Ptl. Vern Babka's report.

Vineland police reported the assault to city police at about 4:20 a.m. Monday.

First of all, and crime is crime regardless of the victim, what was this woman doing walking 2nd and Pine, a known are for drugs and prostitution, doing walking alone at midnight? She was a few miles from home.

Second, did anybody see the male on the bike with a shovel, and if so, did they think it strange?

If this woman was visiting a friend, and merely walking from her vehicle to her friend's house, then this is a disturbing crime against an innocent victim. The moral? Always be aware of your surroundings, especially at night. If you see a strange person approaching you, put distance and obstacles between you and them, and call 911 on your cell phone - it IS in your hand - if the person continues to try to approach you even after you make evasive moves. And most of all, don't be wandering in a known drug area after dark.

Thank you judge Benjamin Telsey for making Millville more dangerous

In a slap in the face to law abiding citizens, judge Benjamin Telsey reduced the bail of gang-banger Andrew Ridgeway. If you remember, Ridgeway spat at police officers, assaulted police and rescue workers by getting his blood on them, resisted arrest, and was in possession of an illegal, stolen handgun.

This guy needs to be locked up for the safety of innocent bystanders that could possibly get hurt as a result of his inability to abide by the law. My heart goes out to the hard-working police officers put their lives, health and safety on the line to arrest scumbags like this, only to have a judge nullify their hard work.

Telsey acknowledged that record was a serious issue. He also cited a charge in 2009 of aggravated assault on a teacher and probation violations.

So, as a reward for violating probation, and having a long history of violence towards others, Telsey REWARDS this piece of human excrement by making it possible for him to be on the street next week, selling drugs. And we wonder why we are having new shootings and acts of violence on the streets on an almost daily basis?

Neighborhood Alert

Residents living near Howard Street be advised:

As written in the Millville news this week: On June 10th a Mr. Leroy Ford of Laurel Lake was located hiding in a basement on Howard Street and arrested. The arrest ended an investigation that began with Mr. Ford driving a White Mercedes with ficticious license plates, getting in a high speed police chase in Alloway Twsp, and initially eluding capture.

Mr. Ford also has prior convictions for burglary (armed or causing injury), and for tampering with evidence, and has served State Prison time. An all around upstanding individual...

Here's what the paper didn't print: Both 408 and 417 Howard Street are rental properties housing trashy people. Rumor is these people are dealing in all kind of illicit activities, as well as causing general chaos in the neighborhood - disputes in the middle of the street, noise all hours of the day/night, criminal mischief, stealing, burglarizing, retaliation against neighbors who speak out, narcotics dealing, stolen vehicles - the list of "alleged" activities is long. Not stating anything as fact, however people are talking, and all the signs are there. I'm told there are already numerous police calls related to activity generating from these two homes.

Other people with ties to those living in the homes are currently in prison on similar charges, and many who frequent the homes are known drug addicts, dealers and thieves. Rumor is much of the stolen items from that end of town all the way out Cedar Street and toward Laurel Lake probably pass through these two houses.

Anyhow, on June 10th, when State Police arrived to arrest Mr. Ford on a tip he was at one house, he fled out the back door and hid in the basement of the other house across the street. A female at the second house then tried to protect Ford by telling police he was long gone, having escaped on a motorcycle. She eventually came clean and gave up Ford, only after consequnces she faced were made clear.

Some neighbors are already reporting activity at these two homes to authorities, however anyone living in the area should be aware of problems eminating from this group of individuals, and not hesitate to report suspicions so corrective action may be taken.

Are there felons in your neighborhood?

Felonyspy.com is a great little site. Do You Know Your Neighbors? I mean, REALLY - Do you know your neighbors?

Just type in your address & your neighborhood map will pop up. Every place you see a red balloon or thumb tack is the home of a convicted felon.

Just hover your mouse over an icon & not only will the name come up, but also the crime they were convicted of.

Millville and Police closer to an agreement

Mayor Tim Shannon called a press conference in a last ditch effort to save police jobs.

City officials officials have asked police to accept eight furlough days to prevent the layoffs of nine officers and a dispatcher.

The city can demand layoffs but cannot mandate layoffs of its public safety employees, Commissioner Dave Vanaman said. At City Hall, employees are taking a 10 percent pay cut across the board and also have changed to a state health care plan to save money.

The last thing we need at the present time is a decrease in manpower on the streets. It seems that the concessions the city is asking for are reasonable. The county leads the state with the highest unemployment rate, near 14%. About a dozen city employees have been laid off. The rest took a 10% pay cut.

It is unreasonable for the police to be demanding pay increases far in excess of the cost of living increases during this time of a major recession(they demanded 4.75% up to 5% increase per year for five years, ending in 2011 - that is a roughly 25% increase on a base salary).

The city offered 3.5%, which is generous during a time when many are losing jobs. It is time for true solidarity, for the police union to be looking out for ALL of the officers, and to make concessions. During the years of plenty, you got what you wanted. Now it is time to put public safety first.

The city's offer seems more than reasonable to the many people looking for work, and more than reasonable to the many in this county that have recently joined the ranks of the unemployed.

Chief Ed Grennon uses resources to train officers

Millville Police Chief Ed Grennon used various resources other than local tax money to train more officers, making the MPD more self-sufficient.

Sgt. Harold "Junior" Duffield became a certified police cyclist instructor after he attended a week-long training course offered by the International Police Mountain Bike Association. The course consisted of both classroom and field training, including teaching methods, bicycle maintenance, day and night riding practices, and tactical procedures.

Duffield's certification will allow him to train city officers here, saving both time and money in the future.

Congrat's to Junior, we can't wait to see you on two wheels! The bike cops are one of the best ways to nip nuisance activity, as the bike cops can sneak up undetected, and catch the perps in the act.

Det. Lt. Les Watson, a 20-year veteran of the city police force, recently attended the Middle Atlantic-Great Lakes Organized Crime Law Enforcement Network's conference in Columbus, Ohio.

MAGLOCLEN, a federally funded program, is one of six regional law-enforcement information-sharing systems in the country. Its goal is to facilitate greater information-sharing among local, state and federal law-enforcement agencies.

Another worthwhile program, bringing Millville into the 21st century. In case you are not reading between the lines, the reference to "organized crime" no longer refers solely to "the Mafia". Street gangs such as the Bloods, Crips, MS13, Latin Kings are all highly organized, boasting an intricate communication web. Why do you think many Bloods are in the county now? Their organizations have spread the word that Cumberland County is "prime territory".

At least now, local law enforcement will be have a communication and information infrastructure at least as efficient as those of the street gangs.

Dottie's Walk

Last night, Little Dottie joined us on the walk that bears her name. For well over twenty years, Dottie Wilkerson has taken to the streets on Monday evenings, joined by an entourage of concerned citizens and even elected officials.

Commissioner Dale Finch has been a regular for over two years now, missing only when he has obligations elsewhere. Commission and 3-time mayor Jim Quinn has been joining us regularly this year, and last night he was accompanied by Chuck Flickinger. City planning director Kim Ayres joined us, as did local resident and teacher Pam Corson.

Dottie is getting up there in age, but she walked a few block with us, which required quite an effort on her part. After dropping Dottie to her house, our group then continued, hitting the alleys of South Millville.

Dale was taking notes the entire time, ammo to give to Milt Truxton's group with orders to go out and cite properties that are out of compliance with city codes. The code enforcement officers will be out in force this week, with orders to leave their vehicles parked, and walk the streets.

This is a no-nonsense, common sense approach. It is one prong of many in the pitchfork that will make our neighborhoods clean and safe once more.

Isn't that nice

The names of the vermin arrested in the recent drug bust at 410 N. 3rd street, a slum rental owned by Tammy McCoy of Mt. Laurel, were revealed. One of these fine upstanding citizens, Elgenun Parish, charged with possession of pot, crack, heroin and intent to distribute is no virgin to the court system.

This piece of human defecation was sentenced on February 19, 2010 to 18 months in prison for possession of a defaced weapon.

Now tell me what is wrong with this picture? This piece of crap was sentenced four months ago, and yet he is in Millville selling heroin in our neighborhoods.

What is even more disturbing is that judge Benjamin Telsey only sentenced a criminal that was caught with a stolen, illegal firearm to 18 months - a mere slap on the wrist, rather than the mandatory 3-5 years for illegal weapons possession. What is the judge waiting for, for this piece of crap to kill someone?

Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to arrest a person that had no problem being in possession of an illegal, stolen gun. Judge Telsey slapped the cops in the face with a joke of a prison sentence. And even that joke of a prison sentence apparently means nothing as he was walking the streets.

I hear talk about getting the illegal weapons off the streets - well the place to start is for judges to grow cojones, and get the criminals that use illegal weapons off the street.

I understand that Ms. McCoy was one of the attendees of Millville's landlord training. Apparently she learned nothing. Had she been paying attention, upon renewal of the lease to this slum rental she would have had the tenant sign a crime-free lease addendum. She would have been checking on her property weekly, and prohibited her tenants from associating with known felons. She would have begun eviction proceedings immediately after noticing nuisance activity on her property.

But she is swell, living in her condo in Mt. Laurel, where I am certain the condo association would never allow even a tenth of what goes on at 410 N. 3rd Street to occur.

The official article on yesterday's drug bust

In today's Daily Journal - here is the official story that we broke as it was happening.

Five people were arrested on drug charges Wednesday on the 400 block of North 3rd Street -- in the same area as a gang-related shooting and stabbing earlier this week.

The house was a target in a long-term investigation involving narcotics and gangs, police Detective Sgt. Jody Farabella said Wednesday.

Kudos to the hard work of Farabella's team. They are always hard at work, and being undercover in a small town where everyone knows you is not easy.

Raid on N. 3rd St

A little after 1pm today, Millville Police targeted 410 N. 3rd Street in a raid. At least four upstanding citizens were led away in handcuffs.

410 N. 3rd street is owned by Tammy McCoy, 120 Farnwood Rd., Mt. Laurel, NJ.

Tammy also owns 407 N. 5th St., 523 Columbia Ave., 18 W. Foundry St. and 27 W. Foundry St.

Tammy has been recognized in prior years for her disservice to the residents of Millville. In 2007, she was inducted into our hall of fame, for this address, due to the high number of nuisance calls for this property.

Apparently she has no intentions whatsoever of making amends. She will rent out to whatever scum she wants to, making a living at the expense of Millville residents while contributing to the destruction of our neighborhoods.

This house is a frequent source of nuisance activity in Center City.I wonder if Tammy would appreciate a slum rental like this in her neighborhood?

Recap of weeks of violence

The Press of Atlantic City has a good article on the wave of violence that has been sweeping Center City.

In the past week alone, multiple shootings and stabbings have been reported from within center city. At least two people have been shot, and others may have been. Homes have been hit by stray gunfire, and cars, too, often in broad daylight. Many crimes originate in the same center city neighborhood, the area between Third and Sixth streets and Broad and Main streets.

Residents here live every day with gang and drug violence. For many, the violence is something they have come to expect.

The article is a fairly accurate depiction. If you read it, you will find the problem lays squarely in the laps of the residents that refuse to see anything, or know anything. One idiot claimed "the only way it will get better is if we leave". Sure - because you are too much of a coward to tell the police what you know! That is the one thing that really pisses me off, those people that want somebody else to fix the problem, and refuse to take ownership of their own neighborhood.

By refusing to cooperate with authorities, by refusing to get involved, you have handed the neighborhood over to third-rate thugs. All it takes is a phone call to police whenever you witness suspicious or nuisance activity. Give the police the address of the nuisance property.  Three calls in a month, and that landlord gets a letter from the city to cease and desist. If the landlord fails to alleviate the problem, they can be charged the cost of city services and liens will be placed on their property.

There was one factual error in the story.

Following a shooting spree that took place following the 2008 New Year, the Millville Police Department enlisted the aid of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department and New Jersey State Police for a few months.

Actually, then sheriff Mike Barruzza called the Millville Chief of Police, and volunteered to send deputies to help patrol the areas. This was Barrazza's idea, not Millville's. Chief Grennon was more than happy for the offer.

Our current sheriff is too busy on publicity stunts to do anything of substance to fight gang crime.

Was someone shot on Monday's fracas?

This just in - there may have been a third victim in Monday's disturbance in Center City. This seems to be a continuing problems involving the "usual suspects". The Monday incident was a continuation of the violence that began on Sunday.

Police say a 23-year-old city man who was arrested early Sunday following a fracas on North 3rd Street was one of two people stabbed during an altercation Monday afternoon.

Police dispatched to the 400 block of North 3rd Street at about 3:45 p.m. Monday on a report of gunfire there learned that Morningside Drive resident Stephen Rambone Jr. had been stabbed once in the right side of his torso, Millville Police Det. Lt. Les Watson said.

More violence in center city Millville

A stabbing helped conclude an argument between two teens last Sunday.

Police here say a 19-year-old city man stabbed a Vineland teen during a dispute on North 3rd Street following a bottle-throwing incident early Sunday.

The 19-year-old East Oak Street resident also is accused of spitting at police and threatening to kill the officers and everyone involved in an altercation at 3rd and Oak streets.

Andrew T. Ridgeway was charged with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, terroristic threats, throwing bodily fluids at police, resisting arrest, hindering apprehension and disorderly conduct.

That section of Third Street has been referred to as a "war zone" by city commissioner Dale Finch. To his credit, Dale is on the streets every Monday evening, with Dottie's Walkers, targeting the worst neighborhoods to walk through.

Dale took me seriously when I suggested Millville adopt an ordinance similar to one adopted by Port Republic, requiring landlords to perform criminal background checks on all potential tenants. This will not be a cure-all, but it will be one more tool in our box.

Until then, we need citizens to take up the cause, to sit on your front porches a few hours at night, to keep your porch lights on, to join us on Dottie's Walk, to volunteer to become a Block Captain for the Neighborhood Watch. Become part of the solution, by doing nothing you ARE part of the problem.

More gunfire in Center City Millville

This time, the gunfire moved into the Arts District.

Police are investigating whether a Center City shooting late Thursday night is related to the Wednesday night shooting of a mother and son.

A residence on East Oak Street, between Buck and High streets, was struck by gunfire several times Thursday night, shortly before 10 p.m., police said Friday. Witnesses reported hearing approximately six shots fired in the area, a news release said.

Enough is enough.  Are we waiting for an out of town visitor to be shot before we take action? Why is the incompetent sheriff Bob Austino refusing to help? Several years ago, Millville saw a surge in gun crime. Then sheriff Mike Barruzza took it on himself to approach the Millville chief of police and volunteer to provide sheriff's deputies to provide a presence in the target areas. I guess Austino is too occupied on looking for ways to hire friends.

And as far as Millville politics - now is NOT the time to be laying off cops. We need more cops on the beat, and we need them there now. The insanity needs to stop.

Double Shooting in Millville

Yep, even more gun play most likely involving ganstas.This time near 6th and Mulberry.

Millville Police Det. Lt. Les Watson identified the gunshot victims Thursday morning as 37-year-old Jacqueline Downing and 21-year-old Edward Holland, both of East Mulberry Street.
Downing sustained a single gunshot wound to her left thigh, Holland a single gunshot wound to his right arm.

Both were treated at South Jersey Healthcare-Regional Medical Center and later released.
Witnesses reported hearing roughly 10 gunshots, which appeared to have been fired from the rear of a 600-block East Mulberry Street property, Watson said.

It is going to be a long, hot summer. I recently proposed Millville adopt an ordinance requiring all landlords do a criminal background checks on all new tenants. I also proposed that landlords immediately lose their rental permits if their properties repeatedly fall out of compliance with any Millville code.

I understand that the city is now looking at other cities with similar ordinances. Of course, it is too late to do anything about the current problems, but if the city sends a strong message to these slumlords that tolerate criminal activity, we can begin to reverse the tide.

Arrest in last week's shooting

Thanks to the work of the MPD an arrest was made in last week's shooting, reported on this site.

A West Broad Street teen has been charged with firing a gun into an occupied car parked on Foundry Street earlier this month, leaving one victim with superficial wounds, in what police believe was a drug-related shooting.

Millville Police Ptl. Matt Radcliffe arrested Charles D. Hannah, 19, on the first block of West McNeal Street Tuesday afternoon on a warrant obtained earlier in the day by Det. Bruce Cornish.

Hannah is charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, witness tampering and weapons offenses.

Nice upstanding citizen, unfortunately this young cretin is the future of our country. Too bad he is a teen, some asshole judge will see fit to give him a suspended sentence and unleash him once again on society.

What is it going to take to force judges to abide by NJ state law and incarcerate EVERYONE convicted of crime with a gun to a minimum of three years? Why do we reward failures and  BAD SHOTS, and sentence those convicted of ATTEMPTED murder to less time than good shots?

Got Crack?

A Millville man was arrested for possession of 91 bags of crack.

A Center City man was charged with dealing crack cocaine after he tried to run from police who had come to his home early Monday to arrest him on warrants.
Police allege Thomas E. Brown, 28, of the 400 block of East Broad Street, was in possession of 91 bags of crack cocaine, with an estimated street value of $900, when he was taken into custody at the rear of his home at around 1:15 a.m. today. 

Let me guess, it was for personal use?

Trashy Slumlords

During Dottie's Walk tonight I spotted this slum residence at 4th and Pine Streets.

It only takes a few minutes toi pick up the trash in front of your house - all we ask for is that tenants have a little self respect - and barring that, have a little respect for the neighborhood.

Port Republic did it, why not Millville?

There was an interesting story in the Press of Atlantic City today. It concerned an absentee landlord, and a situation that they residents of this sleepy town had never before had to worry about - inconsiderate neighbors in a rental.

Stockton State College students apparently had rented a house and threw all night parties, disturbing the peace and ignoring the rights of the residents to a sound sleep.

Port Republic passed an ordnance to address this situation.  They were forward thinking, and added some good clauses that the City of Millville should consider. For instance:

The new city law lays out basic rules for inspections, registrations, occupancy and penalties, which include fines ranging from $250 to $2,000, imprisonment and community service of up to 90 days and revocation of rental license.

It requires a landlord to conduct a tenant screening for new inhabitants, that includes checks of all criminal convictions in the past three years, and to pay $100 to register a property.

I like the part where a landlord that refuses to address the situation can have their rental license revoked. If the City of Millville would do that, and enforce it just one time, we would send a warning shot across the bow of all other potential slumlords. Pick one slumlord and make them an example. Revoke their rental certificate, and hit them in the wallet hard.

Trust me, once the word is out that the city really does mean business, you will see an increased interest in the behavior of their tenants.

The other part that I really liked was the requirement that all landlords do a criminal background check of their tenants. For this to work, that background check would have to cover not only the lessee but all persons that would be occupying the leased premises.  But, it is a good start.

Shots Fired X 2

Last night there was a large party at a home in the 200 block of North 12th Street. Police were called there early for a noise complaint. Later in the evening police again responded for possible fighting as the party let out. While numerous officers were in the area dispersing rowdy young adults, some individual decided to fire rounds from a weapon into the air around 10th and Pine Street. Unfortunately I don't believe the person was caught.

Approximately 40 minutes later police responded to the area of Green/Buck streets for reports of several shots fired. I don't know if anyone was apprehended in that incident. Police had descriptions of possible suspects and were searching...

I witnessed many kids from this party as they spread out into the darkness from the 12th street melee - all I could do was wonder how so many parents could allow their children to be out late at night with zero concern or supervision, and how easily lives can be ruined by ignorant choices, either by shooting weapons in a crowd, or by associating with the type of people who so freely do so...

Burglaries and Break-ins

There have been plenty of stories in the news concerning break-ins and home burglaries. While these crimes are non-violent in nature, they lead to a feeling of unease and a sense of personal violation.

In one recent story, we learn of fast action from a cop preventing a burglary.

Police arrested Carl H. Parent, 36, in the area of High and Green streets after receiving a report of a burglary in progress to the East Green Street shed at 2:16 a.m. Tuesday.
Police spotted Parent carrying something in one of his hands as he walked away from the shed, then chased him down an alley, Millville Police Det. Lt. Les Watson said.
Police believe Parent not only broke into the East Green Street shed, but also attempted to steal a generator from a camper parked in the area, according to Watson.

In another story, the perp was caught hiding in a pile of laundry inside a house.

A Sassafras Street woman is being held on $50,000 bail after police reportedly caught her burglarizing a Center City home late Wednesday night.
Police said they found Gladys McLean, 41, hiding in a pile of clothes inside a home in the 600 block of Vine Street.
Police were called to the home around 11:15 p.m. for a reported burglary in progress. Officers found a window-unit air conditioner on the ground and determined somebody had just entered the home through the opening, according to a report made available Thursday morning.

These incidents are more evidence that we cannot afford a reduction in police services.  Not every criminal act involves gun-play between alleged gang members.

Increased police presence, of course, is not the sole solution. Property owners and local residents all must be accountable to ensure that their own properties are secure. In one case, an unsecured shed provided the necessary temptation to a person with criminal motives.  In another, access was gained by a window air conditioning unit that was not securely installed.

Nothing that you do will thwart a person intent on gaining access.  However, chances are that if you make entry more of a challenge, the perp will go on to easier pickin's.

Good police work discovers illegal gun

A Bridgeton man was found to be carrying an illegal handgun during a traffic stop in Millville.

Jeffrey T. Thomas Jr., 20, of South Avenue, Bridgeton, was charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was lodged in Cumberland County Jail on $25,000 bail.

Police allegedly observed the handle of a handgun sticking out from beneath the front, passenger-side seat after stopping the car at about 12:47 a.m. Friday.

Joan M. Simon, 29, and Jennifer M. Dilks, 31, both of Morias Avenue, were charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and released on their own recognizance.

Imagine that - Jennifer Dilks with drug paraphernalia. I have a concept for a new city ordinance - if you have been arrested more than fifty times, perhaps you could be forbidden from being in the city limits!

Another man shot in Millville

A Deerfield man in Millville was shot three times. Unfortunately the wounds were superficial.

Markese Childers, 26, of Irving Avenue, in Upper Deerfield, sustained three superficial wounds in the gunfire. He had left the scene by the time police arrived to the shooting scene.

Police recovered 50 bags of heroin from the car, according to Millville Police Det. Lt. Les Watson, while investigating the gunfire.

And we now have nine less police personnel to handle these incidents.

Eight Police Officers and one Dispatcher to be Fired

It's official - pink slips have been sent out to Millville police officers.

Official layoff notices have been sent out to members of the Millville Police Department, as part of the municipal government's plan to share financial pain across all city departments in order to avoid a tax increase next year.

Police Benevolent Association Local 213 President Anthony Loteck earlier this month criticized the city commission for its plan to lay off public safety employees, stating the police department is already four short of its goal of 87 officers.

It is time for the police union to stop playing games and make some tough decisions. For instance, if the police union agrees to  negotiate rather than pay hardball, perhaps the jobs could be saved. Perhaps a furlough day, as distasteful as I find the method, could save some jobs.

Our local economy will not be helped by adding to the unemployment rolls. We already face a 14% unemployment rate in the county. Over 40 city workers saw pinks slips this week already, and there are no new jobs to be found. The city workers that did keep their jobs all saw a reduction in hours worked. For those on a tight budget, barely making mortgage payments as it is, these cuts might be the tipping point of even more foreclosures. But 90% is better than zero%.

For the good of the community, negotiations must begin in earnest. We need to keep good cops in Millville, and we need to be in a position to attract more new cops when hiring. Firing cops to save a few dollars is not the path to accomplish this.

The state of the Millville Police Department

By now you are aware of the proposed cuts to the Millville Police Department in order to save a few tax dollars. In my opinion, these cuts are short-sighted, and the numbers being thrown around do not reflect reality.

There is a so-called watchdog organization in the city that is wholeheartedly supporting a reduction in our police department.  The call to fire police officers have been made by Porreca and Tesoroni on some online forums, as they throw out bogus numbers and misinformation. It should be noted that none of the principles of this group live in or even near the high crime areas in Millville.

It is also interesting to note that the former judge argued on behalf of bringing housing projects (Delsea Gardens for one) into Millville even though we didn't have a need for them at the time. He said this would be good for Millville. It is easy to trace the root cause of our problems today to this call in bad judgment in the 1970's.

They want a reduction in police so that they can save a few dollars, even though the judge gets a massive tax abatement annually to the tune of $42,000.

They argue that Millville has not grown in area, and so we do not need more officers than we had in the 1980's (we are dropping below that level of law enforcement support quickly). As usual, they use numbers to confuse. Of course the city did not expand in area - that argument is insipid. However, the city has grown in population significantly. They blandly ignore this fact.

Here are the real numbers surrounding the MPD - the city is supposed to have 83 cops.  There are three vacant positions.that leaves us at 80.

There is a retirement looming, and that position will not be filled - 79.

Four more retirements this year that will not be filled - 75.

Eight to be laid off - 67 by the end of 2010.

There are 11 sergeants, 4 lieutenants, 1 captain and 1 chief.  That leaves us with 50 officers to cover the 44 square miles of the City of Millville 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

That 50 includes the uniform guys, detectives, narcotics, what have you - not just patrol officers. Did you know the Traffic Safety position has been eliminated? There are no school officers. The Narcotics Division  consists of one narcotics officer and his sergeant.

To add insult to injury, it appears eminent that the UEZ funds are being yanked. That UEZ money pays the salaries of four officers. So that 67 now diminished to a police force of 63. For a group that claims to be placing Millville first, they are putting public safety last.

More gun-play in Millville

There was more gun-play in Millville this weekend, only this time it was in the 3rd Ward.

Police dispatched to the area of Buck and Foundry streets Sunday night at 10:09 on a report of a gunshot victim learned through their investigation that no one had been shot, but rather that bullets were fired into an occupied car parked on the first block of East Foundry Street.

The victim, whose name was not released by police, told investigators she was sitting in her car in front of her home, listening to music, when two black males approached it along its passenger side and one of them began firing shots into it.

The two black males then fled toward Buck Street.

Det. Bruce Cornish is continuing the investigation into the gunfire.

Get the word out

Please pass this website long to interested friends and neighbors. I will do my best to make sure it is regularly updated with the latest news.

The URL is: millvillecrimewatch.blogspot.com - notice there is NO WWW.

More gunfire in Millville

I heard rumors of this before it hit the papers. Willie Palmer was on the receiving end of the gun late Thursday night.  A Willie Palmer has drug convictions dating back to 2002; are they the same person?

Police were sent at 11:26 p.m. to North 3rd and Oak streets on a report of a group of males with guns.
“While police were responding, another call reported that a gunshot victim was in the area of 2nd and Main streets,” Watson said. Palmer was found at the corner.

Meanwhile there was another report of gunfire at 6th and Sassafras.

Additional calls reported gunshots heard in the area of 6th and Sassafras streets, but those are believed to be separate from the Palmer shooting. There is no suspect.

And Summer has not even arrived...

A Letter to the Editor

This appeared in the News of Cumberland County today

Don’t sacrifice safety by cutting Millville cops

May 06, 2010, 4:44PM

To the Editor:

I read with dismay that the city of Millville is considering eliminating nine police jobs. This includes the elimination of eight police officers, and one dispatcher.

The city commission should be commended for making the tough decisions, with cuts across the board. This is a bad economy, and it cannot be easy watching people you have known all of your life losing their jobs.

However, these cuts in the police department are shortsighted, and will cost us more in the long run. Monday night we were walking through Center City on Dotty’s (Wilkerson) Walk when a police alert came through that a male was seen with a gun. Shortly afterward we heard a gunshot. Millville police had the suspect within 10 minutes.

There is a disturbing trend of increasing incidents involving gunfire, resulting most recently in a death, as well as several people wounded so far this year. This is not to even mention the multiple reports of gunfire I daily hear from residents in Center City and the Third Ward.

Last Wednesday night at 11:30 p.m. — a riot on 4th Street between Sassafras and Pine. I called Millville dispatch and cars were there in two minutes, and within 10 minutes the entire melee had been dispersed.

On the other hand, the Cumberland County 911 dispatchers have argued with citizens that 2nd Street and Vine Street do not intersect!

It is going to be a hot summer, and to eliminate necessary manpower from a department that covers 42 square miles will only result in longer response times. Eliminating jobs from dispatch will cause delays. During the summer months our dispatchers know me by my voice when I call in.

Until the city gets the pockets of criminal activity under control in our neighborhoods, pulls the illegal guns off of the streets, we need to think twice before sacrificing public safety.

Carl B. Johnson
Millville

Millville to cut Nine Police Positions

Millville City Commission is considering cutting nine police jobs. This is bad news. There have been incidents involving gunfire virtually every week.  We have had a murder in south Millville, and numerous shootings involving bodily injury since the weather broke. It is only going to get worse.

Please consider writing letters to the editor and expressing your concern with this shortsighted move. The Millville Police department covers 42 square miles. Law enforcement and public safety are not areas to be considered for cuts.

Here are the emails of local newspapers
:Daily Journal:djopinion@thedailyjournal.com
Press of Atlantic City: letters@pressofac.com
News of Cumberland County: mgray@sjnewsco.com

It's going to be a hot summer

Little Dottie's doctor gave her orders to get rest and not to exert herself, and that includes walking. Last Monday we walked, and dropped by her house.

During the walk a police call came over the radio about a black male with a gun in the waste-band of his sweat pants walking in center city, on 4th St. near Main St. Shortly afterward we heard a gunshot. This was a few blocks from where we were walking.

Millville Police acted quickly and apprehended the suspect within ten minutes. I have a feeling it is going to be a busy summer for the MPD.

Speaking of abusy summer, I have not seen the bike cops in a couple weeks. Last night there was a near riot on 4th St. between Sassafras and Pine Sts. at 11:25pm. I think the mob was 40 to 50 strong. Police disbursed the crowd within 5 minutes of my phone call, but I believe that a police presence in Center City on these warm nights would have prevented the sort of flash mob starting in the first place.

Is anybody local monitoring Facebook and Myspace for this sort of activity?