I was also in attendance on Saturday. I was impressed with the new administration as well as the residents. One problem with cops on the best is lazy ones that just hand out parking tickets to residents rather than look for real crimes. The beat cop tax!

Quote:

Who's Frank W.?
I'm planning on attending tonight.

It was a good forum, well attended and many people stood to give their views.

My take-aways almost everybody that spoke wants beat cops who get to know the people and develop a mutual respect for each other.

Many of the speakers were homeowners all paying alot of property taxes, as there are no abatements here. They all want to be able to be safe on the streets they are paying for!

This was an excellent forum, I was disappointed with Frank W. not showing up. Shout out to all the intelligent folks that did. JC is finally moving in the right direction.

Jersey City residents voice their concerns to city's designated public safety director

By Rafal Rogoza / The Jersey Journal
August 03, 2013 at 3:22 PM

During a public meeting held this afternoon Jersey City?s designated Public Safety Director met with area residents who voiced their concerns about quality of life and public safety issues.

James Shea, who Mayor Steve Fulop selected to lead the city?s merged Police and Fire department, held a two-hour long meeting beginning at 12 p.m. at the Mary McLeod Bethune Community Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive, the first of three scheduled meeting focused on hearing out the public?s safety concerns.

?We will be neighbors and will walk whatever road is in front of us,? said Shea during his introductory remarks to a packed room of roughly 80 people.

Prior to opening the meeting to those residents who chose to speak, Shea said his first order of business once he officially becomes director is to ?look in the mirror? and improve the department?s leadership at the top, something that he said was lacking in the past.

He also emphasized his intention to engage residents and create dialogue in order to understand the problems in their neighborhood.

?You will see me out there, I guarantee you that,? he said.

Residents who shared their thoughts spoke of traffic safety concerns, police response times, and primarily criminal activity like drug dealing and theft. Some asked for more police patrols and cameras while others said police officers on the street need to be more approachable.

?I can?t name a single officer,? said a Ward F resident. ?If you do anything, help your officers be more friendly.?

Another Ward F resident who addressed Shea said he spoke up and sought help from police in the past only to be ignored, he cited a recent deadly shooting which occurred at a location he repeatedly complained to police about.

?You guys need to take the information we?re giving you and use it wisely,? he said.

The meeting was also attended by a slew of community leaders and local officials such as city Council President Rolando Lavarro, Councilwoman at-Large Joyce Watterman, Councilman at-Large Daniel Rivera, State Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City), and acting Police Chief Joseph Connors.

Meetings are also scheduled for Monday at School 28, at 167 Hancock Ave., and Aug. 15 at Middle School 4, at 107 Bright St. Both meetings at the schools are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.

The City Council is in the process of creating the planned Public Safety Department

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Jersey City public safety director schedules meetings with public

Alexander W. Silady/The Jersey Journal
August 02, 2013 at 4:39 PM

Incoming Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea will be holding three public meetings in the coming weeks to hear from residents about their security-related concerns.

The first meeting will be held at noon on tomorrow at the Mary McLeod Bethune Community Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive.

Two additional meetings will also be held at 6:30 PM on August 5 at P.S. #28, 167 Hancock Avenue and at 6:30 PM on August 15, at MS #4, 107 Bright Street.

"Addressing the city's public safety needs has been the first focus for my administration, and as part of that, we want to hear from the public about their concerns and where they would like to see improvements," said Mayor Steve Fulop in a press release. "Director Shea has said he wants to hear from and work with all of the community groups in Jersey City so that we have one Jersey City where all of our residents are safe."

Shea, a former NYPD deputy chief, is Jersey City's first director of the newly-created Public Safety Department.

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