FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor Helmin J. Caba who also serves as the Director of Police overseeing the Perth Amboy Police Department, has requested a full review of a bicycling incident that occurred on Saturday, April 17, 2021 and was partially captured on video.

The incident stems from multiples calls to the police department for a large group of bicyclists riding on various streets through the city in unsafe and reckless manners causing motorists to stop or swerve away from the group, as was demonstrated on the videos.  Police officers made independent observations of the group of young teenagers and it was decided that police would attempt to make contact with the bicyclists to inform them of roadway safety and their conduct.

An auxiliary police supervisor was able to talk to several of the riders and spoke to the teens.  The videos depict the interaction as professional and cordial.  The supervisor clearly stated he only wished to speak with the riders and police had no intentions of confiscating bikes from the riders.  His actions were commendable and de-escalated any tensions that existed during the traffic stop.  The City of Perth Amboy has one of the largest and most active auxiliary police units comprised of community volunteers.  As with our full time police force, auxiliary officers reflect the demographic make-up of our wonderfully diverse city.  More than 60% of our officers are women and people of color with many speaking multiple languages.

At one point during the interaction with riders, additional officers responded to where our auxiliary team was.  The video depicts a police sergeant speaking with the riders whom she had previously verbally warned outside of the auxiliary team’s knowledge.

The full scope of the police interaction is being reviewed by the Perth Amboy Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.  One juvenile was taken in custody for disorderly conduct and later released to their guardian with their bicycle.

“I ran for mayor pledging to instill better communication between our police department and our community. Moving forward, we will be more engaged with the bicycling community to offer safety tips and the rules of the road”, stated Mayor Helmin J. Caba.

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