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Crime & Safety

Police Commission Mulls Noisy Teens, Speeders, K-9 Unit

Resident complains about rowdy teens in Lumberyard Lot.

Wednesday evening's Police Commission meeting focused on loitering teens, speeders, and the return of a K-9 officer to the police force.

Grove Street resident Chris Buss raised an issue the commission has become quite familiar with recently, that of underage teens loitering in public spaces. Buss spoke of his frustration with teens' frequent late-night loitering in the Lumberyard Lot which is adjacent to his property. He said they also frequent the Unimin Company's parking structure on the property, which he said was a clear trespassing violation.

Buss noted that teenagers are not merely assembling, but causing quite a disturbance, setting up lawn chairs and coolers as they played loud music. They've also created a sizable littering problem in the lot, which has no trash cans. Finally, Buss raised a number of safety and liability concerns, especially over teens' erratic driving, which frequently involves screeching tires thanks to the lots' open space.

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Buss noted that their presence is felt most significantly in the summer months. When school's out and evenings are warm, teens can be found in this and other lots almost nightly. 

Teens, however, are not the only ones causing problems in the lot, Buss said. Commuters contribute to the litter problem, as well, often casting aside a large volume of trash between the train and their cars. 

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A suggestion that Mead Park be kept open late in the evening as a place in which teens might congregate drew quick criticism. Teenagers do, in fact, congregate at Mead Park and "neighboring residents are very vocal whenever they're there," said Commission Chairman James Cole. 

The commissioners noted that police patrols of the Lumberyard Lot and other municipal lots have more than doubled in the past year in response to the noise complaints. The commissioners assured Buss they would look into the matter further and consider a number of options for addressing the problem.

Commission members also discussed what the police force has been doing to crack down on speeders, particularly along Jelliff Mill Road. Officers have been taking action after "speed sentries" (electronic devices that monitor traffic) determined that a significant number of motorists on the road were speeding.

Cole noted that officers pulled over so many speeders at one point this week that "they had to line them up on the side of the street," giving them tickets one by one.

Cole commended what he called the excellent police work on Jelliff Mill, which included the ticketing of one motorcyclist riding in excess of 85 miles per hour on Sunday morning. A similarly speeding companion eluded officers, however.

Other traffic concerns included a  number of intersections in town where a lack of visibility makes turns hazardous. The commissioners plan to review each location to determine if improvements can be made.

The commissioners also discussed plans for federal recovery act funds being distributed through the Justice Assistant Grant program. The $30,000 grant, which is pending state approval, would be used for additional equipment, such as speed sentries for traffic enforcement, surveillance equipment, and canisters for the department's gas masks.

The commission also wants to use part of the JAG grant to reestablish a K-9 unit. Plans are already in the works to select and train a dog for the program, as well as an officer who will operate outside the normal shift schedule. The specially trained officer, paired with the dog, will operate like any other officer, although, as Captain Leon Krolikowski noted, "He will have another tool he can use when needed." 

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