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In response to recent quality of life complaints from residents in the area, owners of Porta have increased their security staff for the off-season.

Officials from the Asbury Park Police Department and Porta owners sat down in November to discuss complaints they had received from members of the community about drug activity, quality of life issues and municipal code violations, Asbury Park Police Chief Mark Kinmon informed members of the City Council at last week’s council meeting.

Many of the issues stem from weekend activities at the restaurant when it changes from a family restaurant into a late night dance club.

“They are kind of a victim of their own success there, just by the volume of people alone that they attract,” Kinmon told the Sun. “Everybody wants them to be successful, but when it interferes with the quality of life among residents in the area, it needs to be addressed.”

Porta owners employ one Asbury Park Police officer from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. with two additional officers from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. during the busy summer season. For the winter, the early morning shift is reduced to one officer. They have agreed to up the number to two officers again in the off-season on Friday and Saturday nights and times when the restaurant has special events, according to Porta co-owner Jim Watt.

“A lot of it is sheer numbers,” said Watt. “The vast majority of customers are respectful of the neighborhood. A few of the people have been misbehaving and hopefully this will take care of that.”

The responsibility of the officers is strictly to monitor the vicinity of Porta, between First and Second Avenues, and Kingsley and Berg streets, Kinmon said.

Police have already seen a drop in the number of summonses issued from the first and second weeks the since the addition of another officer.

On Nov. 22 and 23, over 40 summonses were issued, including eight arrests for disorderly conduct, two for driving under the influence and 36 motor vehicle summonses for moving violations such as obstructing traffic, speeding and reckless driving. Seven of the motor vehicle summonses were issued to taxi drivers for improper pickup or discharge of passengers, according to Kinmon.

The following weekend, there were two arrests for disorderly conduct and nine motor vehicle summonses issued, he said.

Kinmon attributes some of the drop to people understanding they will either have to stop their behavior or “take it somewhere else,” he said.

Several drug possession arrests have also been made within the vicinity, Kinmon told the council last week. He later told the Sun the time period for those arrests was over the past year.

In addition to the increased police presence, police Capt. Anthony Salerno will also conduct a training session with bartenders and security staff at Porta within the coming weeks to cover state Alcohol and Beverage Control regulations and things they can look out for to help the police department, Kinmon said.

The restaurant owners do not take the issue lightly, Watt said. They spend a “great deal of money” on security, employing 22 security personnel of their own in addition to hiring the three uniformed officers on busy nights.

Porta’s ownership and management teams also meet on a regular basis to discuss these issues, Watt said. He and his business partners have also met with Kinmon and Salerno several times in the past, ensuring channels of communication are kept open and everyone is up to speed, said Watt.

“Kinmon and Salerno have been good partners of ours,” Watt said. “We have met many times to make sure everyone is safe and happy. I always feel like the meetings we have with them always lead to good solutions. Part of the commitment of the organization is to make sure everyone is safe and happy.”

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