Police HQ closed for exterminators to clear bed bugs
Patrol operations and emergency dispatch unaffected
Police department headquarters at city hall was closed today after bed bugs were found in the facility. Exterminators are expected on site early this afternoon to clear the offices of the pests, according to police chief Mark Kinmon.
The bedbugs were brought in to the headquarters by a sexual abuse suspect and his alleged victim last night, he said.
“They were in several areas of our headquarters,” Kinmon said of the two individuals.
Police patrol operations continue uninterrupted, with watch commanders moved to the city’s senior center building on Springwood Ave, the chief said. The 911 emergency dispatch service is not affected, as that’s run by the Monmouth County sheriff’s office at a different site, according to Kinmon.
The only service interrupted is administrative operations, such as the records department, which will reopen tomorrow morning, he said.
“We were told that within several hours we can be back in the building,” Kinmon said. “For safety measures, we’re keeping everyone out until tomorrow morning.”
Kinmon said the suspect who brought the bedbugs to the facility was awaiting transport to the Monmouth County jail.
“It’s an inconvenience, but it’s not the end of world,” Kinmon said of the incident.