Gloucester Township Police Executives Honored

Left to right:

Deputy Police Chief Anthony Minosse,

Chief David J. Harkins,

Captain Brian McKendry

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ (February 16, 2020)–The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) awarded certification status to deserving police executives across the state at the February 6th State Meeting for Chiefs. Certification Status lasts for three years. At the end of that period, Command Executives and Chiefs of Police must show they have maintained the training and leadership standards since their initial award of certification. Achieving Command Executives join a select group, only thirty three percent (33%) of state police chiefs are certified; and only twenty nine percent (29%) of municipalities have certified command executives. Gloucester Township Police Department\’s Chief David J. Harkins, Deputy Chief Anthony Minosse and Captain Brian McKendry recently underwent peer reviews conducted by the NJSACOP Accredited Chief/Command Executive (ACE) Program and has successfully earned the following designations:

ACE-COP (ACCREDITED COMMAND EXECUTIVE-CHIEF OF POLICE):

Gloucester Township Police Chief David J. Harkins

ACE (ACCREDITED COMMAND EXECUTIVE):

Gloucester Township Deputy Police Chief Anthony Minosse

Gloucester Township Police Captain Brian McKendry

The NJSACOP ACE Certification Program directly encourages New Jersey\’s law enforcement executives to attain sanctioned benchmarks in pursuit of a recommended standard for police leadership that are measurable and attainable. Through years of education and continued professional development training Chief David J. Harkins, Deputy Chief Anthony Minosse and Captain Brian McKendry have met these standards. By offering proof of these standards to NJSACOP Assessors, individual police leaders can attain NJSACOP Accredited Chief/Command Executive (ACE) Certification Status.

NJSACOP ACE Chairman, Chief Stephen Beecher stated, \”The ACE Certification Program is in keeping with the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, the 21st Century Report and Recommendations on Policing and the state association\’s declared philosophy; the Certification Program measures essential proofs in three areas for the ACE and ACE-COP Certification, and in five areas for the ACE-COP Advanced Certification. If it is merited, NJACOP awards individual leadership accredited status based on those appraisals. The ACE Program also promotes and encourages continued education through ACE Re-Certification Program requirements.\” It is the policy of the NJSACOP to promote professional competence, continued education and career development among all members of law enforcement and in particularly amongst our leaders. In order to achieve this goal the NJSACOP encourages current, future and retired chiefs and police executives to participate in the ACE Certification Program. Chief David J. Harkins stated, “Staying current and ahead of the curve in evolving policing trends, is critical to our agency success. The NJSACOP ACE and ACE-COP Certification is another way to help develop our leadership and make us the very best law enforcement agency that we can be.”

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Think Vaping Is Safe?? Think again!!!

Get The Facts On The Dangers Of Vaping-

The Camden County Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Mental Health and Addiction, and Camden County College Human Services Program are sponsoring an

informational event on the dangers of vaping on February 20, 2020 at 6pm at the Camden County College Connector Buidling- Rm 105, 200 College Drive Blackwood NJ.

Camden County College Series

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Gloucester Township Police Alert: It\’s Tax Time- Avoid The Scams

Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams. Scammers use the reg

ular mail, telephone, or email to set up individuals, businesses, payroll and tax professionals.

The IRS

doesn\’t

initiate

contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information.

Note that the IRS does not:

Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.

Demand that you pay taxes without the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. You should also be advised of

your rights as a taxpayer

Threaten to bring in local police, immigration officers or other law-enforcement to have you arrested for not paying. The IRS also cannot revoke your driver’s license, business licenses, or immigration status. Threats like these are common tactics scam artists use to trick victims into buying into their schemes.

Here is what the IRS will do:

If an IRS representative visits you, he or she will always provide two forms of official credentials called a pocket commission and a

HSPD-12

card. HSPD-12 is a government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms of identification for federal employees and contractors. You have the right to see these credentials. And if you would like to verify information on the representative’s HSPD-12 card, the representative will provide you with a dedicated IRS telephone number for verifying the information and confirming their identity.

Collection

IRS collection employees may call or come to a home or business unannounced to collect a tax debt. They will not demand that you make an immediate payment to a source other than the U.S. Treasury.

Learn more about the

IRS revenue officers’ collection work

The IRS can assign certain cases to private debt collectors but only after giving the taxpayer and his or her representative, if one is appointed, written notice. Private collection agencies will not ask for payment on a prepaid debit card or gift card. Taxpayers can learn about the IRS payment options on

IRS.gov/payments

. Payment by check should be payable to the U.S. Treasury and sent directly to the IRS, not the private collection agency.

Learn more about how to know if it’s really an IRS

Private Debt Collector

Beware of Impersonations

Scams take many shapes and forms, such as phone calls, letters and emails. Many IRS impersonators use threats to intimidate and bully people into paying a fabricated tax bill. They may even threaten to arrest or deport their would-be victim if the victim doesn’t comply.

For a comprehensive listing of recent tax scams and consumer alerts, visit

Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts

Know Who to Contact

Contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to report a phone scam. Use their “

IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting

” web page. You can also call 800-366-4484.

Report phone scams to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the “

FTC Complaint Assistant

” on FTC.gov. Please add \”IRS Telephone Scam\” in the notes.

Report an unsolicited email claiming to be from the IRS, or an IRS-related component like the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, to the IRS at

phishing@irs.gov

For more information on Tax Fraud Visit:

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/how-to-know-its-really-the-irs-calling-or-knocking-on-your-door

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Gloucester Township PD Stakeout Results in Arrest of Night Time Serial Car Bandit

Gloucester Township NJ (February 2, 2020)–On January 29, at approximately 1253 AM, Gloucester Township Police patrol officers and detectives were conducting a plainclothes surveillance stakeout operation in reference to series of unsecured vehicle burglaries and motor vehicle thefts. This car thief was preying on Gloucester Township

resident’s unlocked vehicles.

Thanks to multiple vigilant neighbors and the Gloucester Township Police Department’s partnership with Ring Neighbor’s Application, detectives developed a suspect and immediately began conducting

pro-active police operations to deter and capture this thief’s activity.

Plainclothes officers during the stakeout located the thief, identified as Justin Hill of Vineland, breaking in to several unsecured vehicles in the townhome community of Knoll Run Blackwood. During surveillance, Hill entered a silver Ford Focus, reported stolen out of Mays Landing NJ and left the development. Stakeout officers notified nearby marked patrol units and attempted to stop Hill driving the stolen vehicle. Hill fled and eluded police traveling down a one way street at a high rate of speed and completely disregarded a red traffic signal. Police located the stolen vehicle unoccupied on S. Venetia Ave. in Blenheim Gloucester Township. Hill fled on foot into a heavily wooded area and a perimeter was established. New Jersey State Police Air

Unit assisted and Gloucester Township Police K-9 Team was deployed on a track. After several hours,Hill was not located. Justin Hill was arrested by the Gloucester Township Police on 1/30/20 with the assistance of the Vineland Police Department. Hill was charged with several counts of Credit Card Theft (3rd/4th degree),

Receiving Stolen Property (35d degree), Eluding Police (2nd Degree), Burglary (3rd degree), and two (2) counts of Criminal Attempt Burglary (3rd degree). Hill was remanded to the Camden County Correctional

Facility pending a Central First Appearance in accordance with the New Jersey Criminal Reform Act.

Arrest: Justin Hill 25 YOA 700 block of E. Sherman Ave. Vineland NJ 08361

The arrest of this individual is another example of the pro-active law enforcement campaigns targeting these thieves who believe they can prey on the busy lifestyles of our residents. Thieves may think they

can continue this easy criminal activity, but eventually WE will find and ARREST you. The Gloucester Township Police Department will continue to attack criminal activity with new and innovative police

strategies, local police partnerships, and most importantly the partnership

Gloucester Township police are providing tips on how to prevent car burglaries. A vast majority of burglaries happen to unlocked cars, so police remind residents to lock their car doors.

– Don\’t leave valuables in plain sight. Offenders will look into the vehicle first to see if it is worth

breaking into;

– Park in a well-lit area in the evening hours;

– If you park in your garage, make sure you lock your garage

-Call Gloucester Township Police if you see anyone suspicious in the area. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Residents can contact our twenty four (24) hour Community Policing Dispatch Center at 856-228-4500 or simply call 911.

To sign up for the free Neighbors app click on the attached link:

https://shop.ring.com/pages/neighbors

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Gloucester Township Police Yellow Dot Program

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP NJ–The yellow dot program is simple method of documenting a person’s medical/emergency contact information and notifying emergency responders of that information in the event of a serious motor vehicle crash or emergency where the driver is incapacitated or unable to speak.

The packet includes an emergency information form that residents complete with their personal information, any serious medical issues, medications, doctors contact information and/or anything that they feel would be beneficial to first responders, as well as recent photograph of themselves. The form is then placed in the vehicles glove compartment. Along with the form is a 2 ½ inch yellow, reflectorized circular decal that is placed on the rear window or rear drivers side window. It is this “yellow dot” that signifies to responders that the drivers information is located within the vehicle.

The yellow dot program is a free voluntary program. If you would like a Yellow Dot Packet sent to you, please contact Cpl. Jenn McLaughlin or Ptl. Erica Marconi at communityrelations@gtpolice.com or 856-228-4011

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Maple Shade PD Alert: Beware! Phone Scammers are Active in the Area

MAPLE SHADE, NJ (January 28, 2020)—-Authorities have reported an increase in various scams across the country which typically involve telemarketing scammers posing as

lawyers, customs, or lottery officials targeting residents with fraudulent promises of large cash prizes, vacation getaways, vehicles, or other prizes.

The perpetrators tell “winners” they can claim a prize if they pay for shipping, insurance, customs duties, or taxes, by providing bank or credit card information, or by wiring the money. In some situations, the scammers ask their victims to send a check. When they have the bank routing number, they use it to make unauthorized withdrawals from the account.

**There is no Prize**

The scammers keep their victims money. They can be threatening, relentless and manipulative. They commonly prey on older adults. If you have older friends or relatives, remind them to be careful and seek another opinion before giving money to anyone under these circumstances.

REMEMBER

o If someone claims you have won a foreign lottery, it is a scam. Hang up immediately.

o Beware of solicitations asking you to send money to another country.

o Do not believe statements that you need to pay money to “collect your winnings.”

o Do not be rushed into sending money by a sense of urgency or threats.

o If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Address/Location

Maple Shade Township Police Department

200 N Stiles Ave

Maple Shade Township, NJ 08052

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-234-8300

Gloucester Township Police Arrested 7 People During Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ–During the past holiday season, The Gloucester Township Police Department (GTPD) partnered with the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) and participated in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Year End Holiday Crackdown. Between December 6, 2019 and January 1, 2020 GTPD increased proactive enforcement operations utilizing marked and unmarked patrols designed to combat instances of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) due to drugs and alcohol. As a result of these enhanced efforts, GTPD showed zero tolerance for impaired driving, arresting 7 offenders for Driving While Intoxicated. Additionally, 80 drivers were issued summonses for driving with a suspended driver’s license and 79 summonses were issued for careless, reckless or otherwise unsafe driving behavior.

In addition to the 7 arrests for DWI, GTPD officers assigned to the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign also made five arrests of individuals with outstanding warrants and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. During one of the proactive patrols in the area of the Black Horse Pike an officer conducted a motor vehicle stop where the driver fled from the vehicle, leading officers on a foot pursuit. After a perimeter was established officers located the driver who was taken into custody and subsequently charged with Eluding, Resisting Arrest and Obstruction of Justice.

Nationwide approximately 11,000 people are killed and over 300,000 injured each year in impaired driving related crashes. This means that roughly 30 people a day or one person every 48 minutes dies as a result of an impaired driving related crash. The GTPD was proud to work with the NHTSA in support of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Year End Crackdown campaign which aimed to reduce the number of people who lost their lives in traffic crashes involving impairment. Remember, drunk driving is not only illegal; it is a matter of life and death. Whenever you head out you should plan ahead and designate a sober driver. If you see a suspected drunk driver on the road contact law enforcement immediately to report the incident. You could save the life of that driver and any number of potential innocent victims. For additional information on the dangers of drinking and driving and on the designated driver program, visit http://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/index.html

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkin\’s Message to Residents

Gloucester Township NJ (January 25, 2020)–As we continue to move into 2020, I am pleased to report that the preliminary data for the crime statistics for 2019 indicate continued good news for the residents of Gloucester Township. Our community policing initiatives and proactive policing philosophy, have resulted in Violent Crime (Robbery, Murder, Forcible Rape, and Aggravated Assault)

dropping by 18%

(77 incidents in 2018 and 63 incidents in 2019). The Non-Violent Crime (Burglary, Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, and Arson) also

dropped by 7%

(948 incidents in 2018 and 881 incidents in 2019). The overall Index Crimes Total

decreased by 7.89%

(1026 incidents in 2018 and 945 incidents in 2019).

Chief David Harkin

While we are very pleased with these results, we know that we can even do better. We are regularly analyzing any crime trend and are looking for innovative ways to combat and lower crime in our community. But we need the help of our community members to continue to make Gloucester Township even safer. No one is better at spotting trouble in a neighborhood than the people who live there. If you see something out of place, call us. If you have a surveillance camera system, go to our website at

www.gtpolice.com

and register it with us. Contact our Community Relations Bureau at

communityrelations@gtpolice.com

to find out what you can do to make Gloucester Township a safer community.

Our officers are committed to your safety, and I am proud of their hard work and commitment to serve our community. I am proud to serve with the men and women of the Gloucester Township Police Department, and proud to be your Chief of Police.

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Gloucester Township Police Chaplain Program

GTPD Community Bulletin:

Did you know Gloucester Township Police Department has a Chaplain Program? Are you a clergy member who is looking to join the GTPD as a volunteer chaplain?

The Gloucester Township Police Department works together in a partnership with qualified religious leaders, regardless of denomination, who are available to respond during a crisis or time of need in providing a more personalized quality of service to the community. The goal is by having the Police & Clergy working together during certain crisis or incidents that a more comprehensive response will be given to those in need. The religious leader will perform tasks of a more emotional or social nature while the Officer handles those tasks that are of a law enforcement nature.

GTPD is sponsoring a basic police chaplain training through the Police Chaplain Training Program on February 10 and 11th, 2020. Please see the attached flyer for sign-up details.

For more information on the training contact 609-774-0283 or gwholden@comcast.net

For more information on how to become a chaplain with the Gloucester Township Police Department please contact: communityrelations@gtpolice.com or (856)228-4011

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500

Gloucester Township Police Department Is Now Using Neighbors By Ring

To Connect With Residents and Solve Crime

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ (January 18, 2020)–GTPD is encouraging all residents to sign up with Neighbors by Ring. You do not need a Ring device to sign up and you will be able to communicate with neighbors in your area. You will have the ability to post and view video of crimes and suspicious activity.

We have listed frequently asked questions about the Neighbors App below:

How does the Neighbors App work?

The Neighbors App uses your address to create a radius around your home. If anyone shares an alert on the App about crime or safety within that radius, you’ll get a notification on your phone and tablet. Conversely, if you share an alert on the App about a crime or safety issue in your radius, your neighbors will also get a notification on their phones and tablets. You can then comment on these alerts to provide additional information about local issues, give tips to avoid affected areas, share photos or videos to help neighbors stay on the lookout, etc.

You can narrow your radius to only focus on hyper-local issues. Or if you live in a more rural location, you can expand your radius to include nearby communities and landmarks.

Do I need a Ring device to use the Neighbors App?

No. Anyone with a compatible iOS or Android device can download and use the Neighbors App for free to help reduce local crime.

How does the Neighbors App work with law enforcement?

Neighbors partners with local law enforcement so they can share official, important crime and safety updates and work together with their local community to build trust and make neighborhoods safer.

When using Neighbors, law enforcement see the same interface that all users see; the content is the same, the exact locations of posts are obfuscated, and the user’s personal identity is not displayed.

There are two key differences, though: 1) law enforcement can view public posts from within their jurisdiction (instead of just their ‘neighborhood’) and 2) law enforcement posts are identified so users can clearly see that they are the source of the content. This means that posts or comments made by law enforcement are clearly marked with their official title and name.

Law enforcement can only view the publicly available content in the Neighbors App, unless a user explicitly and voluntarily chooses to share their own recordings with law enforcement. Exact locations of devices and user information are never provided to law enforcement without a user’s express permission or a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us.

Law enforcement can request information from users within their jurisdiction.Law enforcement must reference a relevant case number in order to make a request within a specific, limited time range and area. Ring will then ask a targeted group of users in that area if they are willing to share any relevant footage with law enforcement. It’s then up to the user to share their video file(s) or decline the request. Users can also opt out of all future requests by law enforcement. Again, Ring will not release user information without a user’s express permission or a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us.

Camera systems help deter package theft. If a theft occurs and you have video footage, we encourage residents to report the incident immediately to the police department and use the neighbors app to let surrounding neighbors know what occurred.

To sign up for the free Neighbors app click on the attached link:

https://shop.ring.com/pages/neighbors

Address/Location

Gloucester Township Police Department

1261 Chews Landing Rd

Gloucester Township, NJ 08021

Contact

Emergency: 9-1-1

Non-emergencies: 856-228-4500