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While plans are in motion to increase patrol in the downtown where disorderly behavior complaints are on the rise, the police department will not alter patrol in high crime areas throughout the city, Acting Police Chief Anthony Salerno said.

What will occur is an earlier deployment of the department’s foot and bicycle patrols following Friday’s graduation of its Class II Special Officers [Specials].  The Specials are seasonal employees with full policing power, employed for an average of six months.

By June 1, the department will move from a 5 member Specials roster to 30.

“They will be deployed in many capacities and one of them is foot and bike patrol,” Salerno [at right] said. “This will take place throughout the city after Field Training is completed.”

In prior years, Specials began summer season patrol after most schools let out in June, Salerno said. But the increase in patronage throughout the city, especially in the downtown, has resulted in the need for more policing.

“With that kind of growth, comes some growing pains,” Salerno said. “Law enforcement is not taking a back seat to public safety in the least. We are taking a proactive approach and will be aggressively enforcing laws to prevent the disorderly conduct, vandalism, noise and fighting that has been deteriorating our town on the weekends.”

While the city’s violent crimes figures are at an all-time low since the Uniform Crime Reporting data began in 1979, Salerno said the department has an obligation to police the entire city. The report is a compilation of data of all major crimes, including murder, manslaughter, aggravated assault, rape, etc.

“We have been able to reduce violent crime in Asbury Park by putting police officers in areas where they need to be at the times they need to be there, Salerno said. “I will not move these officers for the purpose of policing disorderly conduct.”

This week, complaints before the City Council included broken windows, loud arguments and fights, knocked over potted plants and benches, and businesses owners and residents waking to find remnants of vomit and public urination in their doorways.

“We are hitting the summer numbers now,” Salerno said. “We are seeing an increase in vehicular traffic and parking and the restaurants and clubs are packed.”

Salerno said the police department had 64 total calls for service from 9:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. While five officers would be scheduled to patrol the entire 1.4 square mile city, there was a tripling of that figure on duty from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Nine calls for service were at bars in the downtown district, resulting in three arrests – one for assault, one for fighting and a third for disorderly conduct.

At Wednesday night’s City Council meeting Mattison Avenue resident Robert Weiner asked the governing body to consider raising disorderly conduct fines.

“My thought is let’s get competitive with Belmar – let’s get tougher with our enforcement,” Weiner said. “Let’s get really tough with the money so people know – don’t come here, don’t come to Asbury Park and pee in our doorways.”

Salerno said aside from increased patrols, the department will vet calls for service at entertainment establishments in order to determine whether any restrictions should be placed on their liquor license.

“These establishments have to start taking responsibility for ensuring we don’t have underage drinkers and we are not over serving patrons and leaving it for the community to handle,” Salerno said.

Salerno said, moving forward the Asbury Park Police Department will:

Step up its drunk driving enforcement, especially on the weekends

Increase the number of officers assigned to the Central Business District

Request the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control provide undercover assistance to eradicate underage drinking and over serving of patrons.

Request Monmouth County Sheriff’s Department assist with traffic and enforcement, especially on weekends

Look to increase the number of full time officers

“In terms of staffing, it will be a request to the Mayor and City Council that with the anticipation of the city’s growth that the Police Department also grow,” Salerno said. “We will send a request for an additional six officers.”

That would bring the department’s full time staff back up to 95, the number employed by the police department just three years ago but still shy of the state Criminal Justice Commission’s recommended 102 figure.

Salerno said they would apply for a grant that would help offset 75 percent of the costs over a three year period.

“As the economics of the city improves, we will look to increase our numbers, in order to keep up with the growing population and visitors that come to Asbury Park,” Salerno said. “We anticipate [breaking] a record, going back to the early 1950s, in terms of population growth during the summer season.”

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