New Providence, NJ Police Department

New Providence Police Department 2008

It is with extreme pleasure that I represent the New Providence Police Department as Chief of Police in 2008.

In March 2006, the New Providence Police Department became recognized as an accredited agency, by the New Jersey State Police Chief’s Association. The accreditation process requires a re-evaluation every three years by the State Chief’s Association. In 2008, we worked hard to assure compliance with the 112 standards set forth by the State Chiefs. I am pleased to announce that we completed our On-site Assessment in January 2009, and I am positive that we will be re-accredited upon approval by the State Chief’s Accreditation commission.

I am very proud of the efforts set forth by my personnel during 2008. Throughout the year, our department handled over 24,000 calls for service. Through the efforts of our officers, we were able to maintain one of the lowest crime rates in the county. I know first hand the hard work our officers do on a daily basis has paid enormous dividends in regard to the quality of life here in New Providence.

Our agency takes great pride in our community policing efforts. The officers of our department participated in many community-oriented programs, such as D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), Senior Citizen Liaison Program, Neighborhood Watch, and many other school based programs such as PATT Police and Teens Together, which is taught to High School Seniors. It’s great to see our officer’s enthusiasm, involvement and encouragement of other programs such as the Oakwood Park Fishing Derby, the P.B.A. Blood Drive, P.B.A. Winter Coat Drive, Toys for Tots and the Food Drive which this year partnered with the schools and Coach4Food and raised over 17,000 pounds of food, which was donated to the NJ Food Bank.

In 2008, all of our officers worked together to control operating expenses and safeguard our budgets. Our well-organized Police Department strives with one of the lowest operating and overtime police budgets in Union County. This was accomplished by teamwork, creative policing strategies and most importantly, the dedication exhibited by the sworn and civilian men and women of the New Providence Police Department.

In 2008, our newly formed Police Honor Guard, an elite group of officers, marched for the first time in the Memorial Day Parade. Since their inception, they have represented our department with honor at many ceremonial events. I thank our Auxiliary Police Officers and our member of the Northern Union County Civilian Domestic Violence Response Team who generously give their time to help our cause.

I would also like to thank the New Providence Emergency Services, specifically the Rescue Squad, Fire Department, and Public Works Department. It is a pleasure to serve with such well trained, and dedicated men and women. I also thank our school crossing guards for keeping our children safe throughout the school year.

Chief Anthony D. Buccelli, Jr.

Police Department News

Seat Belt Enforcement and Education Campaign
Law enforcement officers from the New Providence Police Department will be cracking down on unbuckled motorists and their passengers as part of the national “Click it or Ticket’ campaign.

Beginning May 18th 2009 and running through May 31st 2009, the annual initiative includes high visibility law enforcement seat belt checkpoints and saturation patrols, as well as local and national publicity designed to ensure that drivers and passengers recognize the life-saving value of seat belts.

“Using a seat belt is the simplest way for a motorist and his or her passengers to protect themselves when on the road”. Said Pam Fisher, Director of the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “Motor vehicle occupants who buckle-up are between 45 and 75 percent less likely to face life threatening injuries in a car crash.

Last year, the seat belt usage rate in New Jersey rose for the 12th consecutive year to 91.75%. Fisher noted that while seat belt usage rates continue to increase in New Jersey, law enforcement and safety officials will not rest until the state achieves a 100 percent compliance rate.

“New Jersey has one of the strongest seat belt usage rates in the nation, but our work isn’t done,” Fisher added. To meet our goal, we must continue to focus on enforcement and public outreach efforts to educate motorist and their passengers about critical importance of bucking up, every ride.”

During the 2008 Click it or Ticket” campaign, 473 police agencies participated in the two-week initiative. As a result of the effort, law enforcement officers issued 46,026 seat belt citations, 6,831 speeding summonses and made 642 drunken driving arrests.

“We are committed to the Click It or Ticket strategy,” said Tom Louizou Regional Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Tickets are a strong deterrent and the results are meaningful: fewer deaths on our roads.”

Attention All Parents
Social Host Liability- Why Risk It?

Parental Responsibilities and Liabilities for hosting parties.

By: Deputy Chief Scott F. Torre

All too often, officers from the New Providence Police Department respond to residences where underage drinking parties are occurring. These parties pose several areas of concern for our officers and citizens. First and foremost, is the safety of the children who may be consuming alcohol for the first time and the health concerns associated with this risky behavior. On many occasions, our officers have responded to a residential areas on a “noise complaint” only to discover an underage drinking party in full swing. Often times we will find highly intoxicated juveniles who on several occasions had required immediate medical attention and transport to local hospitals.

Over the years, I have heard many comments from local parents who indicate that they don’t feel it is wrong for them to allow their children and friends to drink in their houses. They feel “they are going to drink anyway” so at least I have some control over what they do. This attitude is corroborated by a 2003 National Academy of Sciences Report, which stated that two-thirds of teens who drink, get their alcohol from parents or other adults, and that "Some parents believe that it's safer for their teens to drink at home than to drink anywhere else." Personally, I feel this is a defeatist attitude and one that is only going to lead to legal or civil consequences or even worse, personal tragedy.

In actuality, the responsibility for parties occurring in your home rest squarely on parents' shoulders should something go wrong, as it too often does. For instance, a parent was sentenced to a 1 to 4 ½ years prison term for involuntary manslaughter after allowing underage students to drink at a party the parent hosted. Three students died in a drunk-driving accident after the party.

Social host liability laws hold adults who serve or provide alcohol to underage people criminally liable if that minor is killed or injured, or if that minor kills or injures someone else. The laws can also extend to parents who do not take sufficient measures to prevent underage drinking in their homes, even if they are not home when the drinking occurs. The social host law, which was passed by the New Jersey legislature in 1987, says that if one of your guests consumes too much alcohol and injures someone in a car accident after the party, the injured person can recover damages from you. Social host liability is the legal term for the criminal and civil responsibility of a person who furnishes liquor to a visibility intoxicated guest or minor, who subsequently are involved in vehicle crashes or other activities causing injury or death to third parties. A social host maybe liable for physical and financial injuries suffered on the part of a guest who causes injury to a third person.

As a parent, we are responsible for our children under age 18 in all circumstances. If your child hosts a party at your house while you are out or away, you still can be held responsible under social host liability or be criminally culpable.

Under New Jersey State Statute, N.J.S.A. 33:1-81.1 parents can be charged with failure to supervise as a parent or legal guardian. Parents can be held legally responsible for underage drinking parties even if they were unaware or were away at the time of the party.

New Jersey State Statute, N.J.S.A. 33:1-81.1 “Notification and Liability of Parents” states:

A parent, guardian or other person having legal custody of a person under 18 years old shall be subject to a fine in the amount of $500.00 for any subsequent violation of 33:1-81 for failing to exercise reasonable control over the conduct of a person under 18 years of age.

This offense also applies to subsequent offenses for a violation of 2C:33-15 Underage Possession or Consumption of Alcoholic Beverage.

In order to charge a parent with this offense, written notification must be sent for the first offense.

Please help the New Providence Police Department and the Municipal Alliance in our efforts to keep the children of New Providence safe by not permitting underage drinking parties in your home and reporting parties in other’s homes when you become aware that they are occurring.

Police Department Crime Prevention Information
The following presentation is courtesy of the New Providence Police Department Crime Prevention Program. The purpose of this presentation is to better educate our residents in “Target Hardening” techniques to keep us safe and reduce crime.

Click here for Police presentation
filesize: (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)