Holiday Safety

During the holidays, the number of drug and alcohol related arrests steadily rises. As larger numbers of shoppers hit the stores, incidents of shoplifting, pick pocketing and theft also typically see an increase. This impacts the community in a variety of ways. The fear of encountering a drunk driver on the road is something that people worry about during this time of year, especially on busy roads such as Route 1 & 9 and St. Georges Avenue. Some local parents caution their teenagers against traveling on those roads on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. 

An issue caused by the rising drug use is that this drug use sometimes occurs in areas like playgrounds and parks. Several local parks including Saint Mark's Park in Linden are littered with the remnants of glass from the tubes used for smoking drugs such as marijuana, crack cocaine and methamphetamines. These are areas primarily frequented by children and they are the ones primarily being put at risk. 

In local shopping centers such as Aviation Plaza, there are reports of an increase in theft and shoplifting. In the larger stores like Target, women have reported having their purses stolen from their carts and more than one shopper has reported their car being broken into while they shopped. Without local police patrolling every hour, even more break-ins would likely be reported. 

Linden Police Department recognizes the increase in issues during the holidays and has made strides to combat it. Not only is there an increase in police manpower on the streets and increased patrols but they've also provided tips for residents to follow on their website. They advise residents to be especially cautious on the road, shop before dark when possible, avoid carrying cash and to offer alternative transportation for guests when throwing a holiday party where alcohol will be served. Visit www.linden-nj.org/police/holiday_safety_tips.htm for more tips from the Linden Police Department.