New officer's beat expected to be downtown New Egypt

PLUMSTED - A new and expanded community policing program will be implemented this spring in downtown New Egypt with support, in part, from a $525,000 Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) state grant, according to Mayor Ron Dancer.

With advice and consultation from Plumsted's NPP Committee, the Main Street Program directors and the Busi-ness Merchants Association, the Town-ship Committee will approve the hiring of another police officer and establish a downtown police substation in the township Welcome Center at 31 Main St., Dancer said.

The Welcome Center will continue to provide offices for the NPP, the Main Street Program and the Business Merchants Association, as well as a business information, resource and referral site with a meeting room available to local organizations.

Dancer said that under the guidelines of the NPP state grant, the new community policing program places an emphasis on foot and bike patrols by the new police officer walking into stores, banks, businesses and restaurants, as well as patrolling downtown parks and parking lots. He said the increased presence of police will also help address speeding and pedestrian street crossing safety.

The mayor said the new police officer will, on occasion, attend meetings of the NPP Committee, Main Street Program, Business Merchants Association and the Business Public Safety Committee for input and evaluation of the new community policing program.

Initially, the new police officer's duty assignments for the downtown will be part-time and evaluated by both the township and state. When the NPP police officer is not on assigned downtown duty, the township will be able to use the new police officer for more township-wide shift coverage and enhanced municipal court security, according to the mayor.

In related police news, Dancer said the Township Committee is ordering two new police vehicles under a state contract and has been awarded $1,058 by the state Division of Criminal Justice for new police vests under the Body Armor Replacement Fund Program.