The city’s overall violent crime rate dropped to its lowest point in 10 years in 2012, although the rate of confirmed shootings was twice as high as it had been two years ago. Police Chief Mark Kinmon [pictured above, right, at a prior council meeting] shared these statistics and more in his annual public safety […]

Deputy Mayor John M. Loffredo has announced that he’s running for a fourth term on the Asbury Park city council. All five council seats are up for grabs in the nonpartisan May 14 election. The current council’s terms end on June 30, with new four-year terms beginning July 1. After 12 years as a council […]

The city is applying for a Green Acres grant to purchase the Bradley Cove and the North End beach area, city manager Terence Reidy announced at the Feb. 6 council meeting. Currently, iStar Financial owns the rights to develop the stretch of land near the North End beach [pictured above]. As waterfront redeveloper, iStar has […]

Asbury Park’s First Saturday events include food, drinks, music and more on the first weekend of every month. And thanks to a contest run by the Chamber of Commerce, the city uses its local artists to promote the events. The 2,500 postcards circulated around town to advertise each First Saturday feature original designs from artists. […]

A city man was arrested late Sunday night when police found a firearm in his car, Police Chief Mark Kinmon said. At about 11 p.m., three police officers — Khamil Warraich, Kevin Michael and Greg Parisi — were on foot patrol in the Vita Gardens [pictured above] and Stephen Manor housing complexes, Kinmon said. The […]

The council at its Feb. 6 meeting approved an award for a contract for new parking pay stations, putting the city on track to receive new stations by Feb. 20 and reinstate metered parking by March 1. Free three-hour parking has been in effect downtown and at the waterfront since Hurricane Sandy damaged 57 of […]

From Feb. 5 to 11, the Asbury Park Police Department made the following arrests: FEB. 5 • A 37-year-old male from Millstone was arrested and charged with child endangerment at Asbury Park police headquarters. FEB. 6 • A 54-year-old male from Neptune was arrested and charged with possession of controlled dangerous substances [CDS] at the […]

Police Officer Lorenzo Pettway and Firefighter Joseph P. Ryan III were honored at last week’s council meeting as firefighter and police officer of the year, thanks to the city’s Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW] Post. “A man’s home is his castle,” VFW past president Lou Parisi said at the meeting. “Once we walk through that […]

Nora Hyland is seeking a seat on the Asbury Park council along with her running mates under the name “Uniting Asbury.” All five council seats are up for grabs in the nonpartisan May 14 election. The current council’s terms end on June 30, with new four-year terms beginning July 1. Hyland, 46, lives on Fourth […]

Although Allenhurst bristled at the prospect of consolidation with Loch Arbour last month, Allenhurst Commissioner Terence Bolan and many others still support the merger, Bolan said at the Feb. 6 Loch Arbour commissioners’ meeting. Allenhurst officials expressed trepidation after a Department of Education [DOE] official, Susan Ecks, said the consolidation would create a new school […]