Toms River Police Urge Patience After Scanner Report Stirs Worry

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River police are asking the public to be patient when they hear about a crime investigation, after a social media post about a police alert on Sunday sparked concerns in the community.

The post on a local Facebook page that monitors emergency scanner transmissions included a recording of an Ocean County dispatch call about a BOLO, or "be on the lookout," alert.

"It was a police alert, there is no victim at this time, and the initial report is currently unsubstantiated. It was intended for police purposes only," the Toms River Police Department said in a post on its Facebook page Monday.

"Many times during an initial call and dispatch, several pieces of information are coming in that have to be verified in a police investigation," police said. "As a police department it is crucial for us to first do our job and investigate an incident, then report the facts to the public."

"While we appreciate the public wanting to know what is happening in real time, often scanner reports turn out to be misinformation or unsubstantiated. We ask the public to please be patient while our officers and detectives do their jobs so that we can provide you with a true account of an incident," the police department said. "We ask that you always get your information from a trusted source."

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