Lieutenant Mike Falvey
Let’s not let our guard down
It has almost been 10 years since our homeland was attacked on September 11, 2001. Since that time we have come a long way in making the country we live in a more secure and aware place to live. The Department of Homeland Security and the many other state and local agencies have kept our country and airspace free from attack. Our law enforcement and intelligence officers have brought our ability to gather, share, interpret and react to information to levels never before imagined, but still we have a long way to go.
Just because an attack has not happened in a long time does not mean it can not occur at any minute. Although we have countless government agencies watching the world, we as citizens of this Township need to stay vigilant.
Jogger/pedestrian safety
Teaneck Police Department
We often see news accounts of joggers/walkers who were struck and injured by moving vehicles. Jogging and walking is supposed to be a healthy activity, but it can be much more hazardous than a pulled muscle or sore feet. Anytime you mix pedestrians and vehicles together, there is an inherent risk.
In 2008, 39 persons were injured involving pedestrian/vehicle accidents in Teaneck and luckily, no fatalities were reported. In 2007, 42 pedestrians were injured with one fatality. In these incidents, the majority occurred at intersections. In 2005, a jogger was struck and killed by a hit and run driver while running on Queen Anne Rd. in the early morning hours. An intense investigation was conducted and the driver was later identified and charged with a crime.
Downturn economy and increased crime
Fact or fiction
It is the big question all law abiding citizens have: if the nation’s economy is slipping towards new depths, will crime be on the upswing? The nation’s press all hypothesize with new theories that this is a fact, but is it reality?
One thing is for sure, this topic makes for a good story in the papers and on TV. If you tracked crime and the economy together in the past, you could make a good argument that crime has risen with bad economic times. In the late 1970’s and 80’s, the nationwide crime explosion occurred during those hard times. But since then, crime has dropped to historically low levels not seen since the early 1960’s. A recent study done by the Federal Reserve of St. Louis found, “weak evidence across U.S. cities that economic conditions significantly influence short-run changes in crime.”
