Increased Police Patrols, Zero Tolerance Coming To Herbertsville Park Area: Brick Chief

BRICK, NJ -- Residents in the Herbertsville, Sawmill and Maple Leaf Park areas of the township will be seeing an increased police presence in the coming days, the result of complaints about safety and recent fights between juveniles at Colorado Park, Police Chief James Riccio said Wednesday.

There will be a visible increase in uniformed officers, Riccio said, and in a few weeks, bicycle patrols will be added as well.

And all of the officers have been given a directive of zero tolerance, he said.

"Incidents that in the past might have gotten a warning will now result in a summons or an arrest," Riccio said .

Residents have been complaining in recent weeks on social media about feeling unsafe at the park, which was renamed Herbertsville Park after it was rebuilt and reopened. The complaints escalated after a report in February of a 15-year-old girl being threatened with a knife by a 14-year-old boy -- an incident that resulted from an earlier dispute between the teens, police have said.

A fight Monday afternoon at the park resulted in one teenage girl suffering a serious eye injury, Riccio said. He also said the fight is not what is has been purported to be in rumors flying around town.

"There were no boys involved," Riccio said, referring to rumors that a group of boys had jumped the girl. The incident happened when two girls got into a dispute about a boy, he said. The fight escalated and several other girls got involved, he said.

The severity of the injury to the girl was not discovered until she was taken to the hospital later, Riccio said, and he said the investigation so far has shown that the injured girl may have been one of the instigators.

"She ended up getting the worst of it," he said. Riccio also said there were no weapons and no indication of any gang involvement.

"It was just a typical juvenile fight," he said.

Riccio said there was a report of two boys approaching a man and his grandson in the Greenwood Loop area, but said no robbery occurred. "The guy was approached and asked for money," he said.

"We are aware there are issues and we are addressing them," Riccio said. But he added that the issues, including fights, are not as dire as they are being portrayed by some who are posting on social media.

Residents also have complained about groups of teenagers hanging out in the park, saying the groups make them feel unsafe having small children there. But Mayor John Ducey, who said he personally has seen groups of teens hanging out, said in his experience the fears are unfounded.

"I bring my 4-year-old son Jack to Herbertsville Park at least four times a month since it was opened," Ducey said. "I have never feared for my safety while there with normally pretty full playgrounds. "

"One time in February there were six or so teenagers hanging out on the 5-12 playground blocking the slide, and the girls in the group yelled at the four boys in the group to 'get out of the little kids' way.' The boys moved and Jack went down the slide with no problems and continued to do so," Ducey said.

Regardless, there will be an increased police presence, Riccio said -- beyond the increase that already has been in place.

"We have been saturating those areas with both uniformed and plainclothes officers," Riccio said, who are both on foot and in vehicles. The bicycle patrols, which existed in the past by went by the wayside, will begin in May, after officers attend bicycle patrol training sessions, he said. "It's not a simple as just hopping on a bike," he said.

Some of the officers involved are the school resource officers, who see many of the kids in school during the day, and have built up a closer relationship with the kids, which Riccio said he hopes will help stem some of the issues.

"These types of patrols are a great thing for our community policing initiative," Ducey said. He pointed to other initiatives, including the neighborhood watch program that has been revived, and efforts being made by BMAC -- the Brick Municipal Alliance Committee, which is working on ways to stem drug use in the township -- as other efforts the town is making to address problems.

"The council and BMAC are thoroughly promoting the neighborhood watch program and the first one that has been established is in the area of Herbertsville Park," Ducey said. "Many neighbors have joined and there is another meeting on April 30 at 9 a.m. at the Herbertsville Fire House."

BMAC has established a mentoring program at Maple Leaf Park, an effort to help provide kids with the guidance to keep them out of trouble.

And cameras are expected to be installed at Herbertsville Park this summer, after the 2016 capital budget is approved, Ducey said.

"This will add another layer of security," he said.

"The town, the neighborhood and the children are all very happy about this awesome new park and we are not going to let a small handful of troublemakers disturb what everyone has wanted for so long and is so proud of," Ducey said.

"Are there issues? Obviously," Riccio said. "But the extent of them has been blown out of proportion."