City of Hoboken to launch public safety and community engagement forums

The program aims to support community relations and increase awareness of public safety initiatives

Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken will launch a new series of informal community engagement sessions with public safety officials next week in an effort to increase awareness of public safety initiatives and education campaigns. 

“Open and transparent lines of communication are critical to keeping our community safe and informed,” said Mayor Bhalla. “The new Hoboken CAPS series will bring together the City’s essential first-responders, residents, and business leaders, under one roof for open dialogue about current trends, concerns, and programs. I look forward to the series launch next week and I encourage all members of the community to attend and participate.”  

The Hoboken Community and Public Safety forums, hosted by Public Safety Director Ken Ferrante and Hoboken City Council Public Safety Subcommittee Chair Councilman Joe Quintero, will be held every other month to build upon public safety and community relations. 

“The essence of strong community and public safety relations is community engagement,” said Ferrante. “After over two years of these types of in-person community events being halted by the pandemic, it is time to re-engage face-to-face. The Coffee With a Cop series when I was Police Chief had incredible success and this new program will expand on that initiative to bring together our residents and all of the City’s public safety divisions for informative conversations.”

“I’m excited to be working with Director Ferrante on kicking off this series. If you think about it, public safety is the most important function of government,” said Councilman Quintero. “If people do not feel safe walking down the street or resting in ​their homes, simply put, nothing else matters. So, it is critical that our City’s first responders and residents have direct access to each other to share priorities, expectations, and concerns.”

The forums, known as Hoboken CAPS, will bring community members together with all public safety divisions, including the Office of Emergency Management, Hoboken Police Department, Hoboken Fire Department, and Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corp., together for open discussion. 

Members of each public safety division will give a short presentation on current public safety trends in Hoboken as related to their division, as well as public safety tips. 

The public forums will be held at various times and locations throughout the City to promote greater access to residents. Each event will also offer free coffee and pastries to attendees.

The first forum will be held on Wednesday, May 25, at Johnny Pepperoni’s at 219 11th St. from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Public Safety officials who will participate in the first forum include Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Sgt. William Montanez, Hoboken Police Chief Steven Aguiar, Police Captain John Petrosino, Traffic Commander Lieutenant Keith Rotondi, Alcohol Beverage and Control Division Lieutenant Charles Kucz, Fire Chief Anton Peskens, Battalion Chief of Staff Dave Buoncuore, Battalion Chief of Training Audra Carter, and Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corp President Thomas Molta.