NEW VINELAND STREET CRIMES UNIT HITS THE STREETS
NEW VINELAND STREET CRIMES UNIT HITS THE STREETS
VINELAND, NJ: The Vineland Police Department has formed a new Street Crimes Unit (SCU) that will both investigate crimes and work with community members to combat criminal activity through a combination of education, prevention, and disruption. The department previously had a similar unit, but it was discontinued under a former administration.
“This unit is a direct result of the additional officers the department has been able to hire with the support of Mayor Fanucci and the members of City Council, and a change in department leadership,” said Public Safety Director Edwin Alecia. “Our current compliment is in excess of 160 officers, which is the most the department has ever had. The officers in the unit were reassigned from existing positions and will work flexible schedules.”
“As I have said since taking office, the city is committed to dedicating the appropriate resources to ensure that the Vineland Police Department has the tools necessary to adequately react to and address those who have a propensity for criminal activity,” Mayor Fanucci said. “The SCU is not a response to any specific increase in crime in the city, it is a proactive step the department is taking to ensure our neighborhoods stay safe. The quality of life in our community is a critical component of our efforts to attract and retain jobs, businesses, individuals, and families.”
“This is something I have wanted to implement since becoming Chief. We view it as a proven tactic to solve smaller problems before they become bigger issues,” said Chief Pedro Casiano. “The members of the unit, which consists of four officers under the command of Captain Steven Triantos, are highly motivated, and are passionate about their new assignment. They are a proactive unit designed to seek out illicit activity at its origin to prevent the occurrence of crime and deter future acts within the City of Vineland. They each bring a variety of experiences and the demonstrated abilities required for this assignment.”
“The SCU will be deployed to known areas of criminal activity and other locations in the city based on citizen requests and will have the flexibility to address neighborhood-level and area-specific problems utilizing intelligence-based policing, public tips, and other sources,” Casiano continued. “The department looks at the numbers of how many calls we get, how many calls we respond to, and what those types of calls are. The community often-times looks at things differently on a more granular level. For example, how incidents of crime are affecting me, my family, my business, or my neighborhood.”
“We also depend on community members to do their part to help reduce crime by being active in their neighborhoods and neighborhood associations, and to report suspicious activity. Although Vineland is recognized as a safe city, there is still work that needs to be done. I know we don’t have an easy answer, nor a simple solution. But by implementing proactive public safety strategies and doing what’s right for our city, we will continue to move in the right direction,” Mayor Fanucci concluded.
Vineland residents can send anonymous tips through the Vineland Police Department website at http://police.vinelandcity.org
