Residents Demand Censures Against Policemen, Civilian Review Board

AP's Little League Resurrector's Son is One of Juveniles Arrested on "Bogus Charges"
Residents Fill Chambers to Demand End to "Excessive Enforcement"
Waterfront Redevelopment Agreement with iStar -Special Meeting Tues. 12/7- 5 pm
Asbury Radio Contends Council is Violating Open Public Meetings Law -
  By sharing information from a party to a contract with the city with the full council in private, the council is leaving only the public in the dark as to the terms under consideration. Strategy can be debated in private. But the public should be apprised of the matters details to the extent that both parties are. Counsel Fred Raffetto is researching this.

City of Asbury Park Council Meeting – Dec 1, 2010


Reporters’ Notebook - Corrections, clarifications, additions all welcome AsburyRadio@aol.com Next Meeting, Wednesday Dec. 15, 6 pm at Council

Chambers, corner Main St. and Bangs Ave.
Mayor Ed Johnson, Council member Kevin Sanders, Deputy Mayor John Loffredo

City Manager Terry Reidy (TR)-

Swan Boat, motorized boats to return to Wesley Lake/ portion of statement cdn’t be hrd.

Bus shelters in AP – NJ transit asking what kind of shelter design we would like.

Don Sammet city redevelopment director

305 2nd av, scattered site prop, calls for existing property to be rehabbed. Demolished instead of rehabbed, move if have to recommending planning bd lk at, new single fam home be blt on that site, James Famularo, asst city mgr has been given plans for home/ lastly current scattered site redev plan calls for area redev. Existing owner wd like to dev self, has done projects in Trenton. DS wd like Planning Bd to weigh in on as well. Series of … Resolution to that effect in council packets

Second item, springwood av redev area/ now that acquired prop assurance developers starting to come out now/ asking your auth for..to wk w/ rediv council…consistent w/ refic plan/ residential use and sep area mixed use, nonresidential/ I’ll wk w/ mr hastie’s office/

Amend to redev plan – an applic procedure, way to streamline process, no req’t for sep site plan app’l subcommittee get review qkr – for businesses that w/ have music/ -- process stays same/ project doesn’t req site plan app’l and…?

Change Orders – City Engineer brian grant –

Not now – mv to next

JF – change orders…inaudible/

Recycling report update

Leteisha Adams…2009 figures, july report, tkg recycling to recycle America, in mon. we started pkg up housing dept’s garbage in Sept. cty, / sprdsheet from 2008, rec’d fr county, showing how AP changed in numbers of dif types of things we recycle. New – as of Jan 1, no electronics at the curb/ tvs, etc, Goodwill will put container and dump for free. Monday the 6th Goodwill is chkg to see what kind of box we can fit in the yard. W’ be enforced from Jan 1 2011 / flyers second wk of dec/ calendars may not be out til 1st wk of jan.

Clean and dirty lvs recycled separately. We’re being pd for cardboard $80 /ton, we pay them $20 ton to take our single stream. Should sep cardboard, since we get money for it. Everything else we pay to be recycled. Not everyone recycling in AP/ Plan to adopt a school for teaching how to recycle.

Brian Grant – Engineer, when we bid for street lighting they forgot to include covers for the junction boxes, so need change order/ / construction updates, substantial am’t of drainage completed, had goal major paving oper before T day and Christmas/ paved…he describes streets/ second is east of dewitt to ridge / hv to tie in drainage on Ridge/ rain they are a mess, contractor due out there t’w morning, cdn’t handle stormwater run off/ principle of chambers is block large objects going in to storm sewer, but slowed drainage, signif am’t local ponding, once removed grates subsided in 5 mins. Contractor had death in family, did not wk on Tues, w/ resume t’w, conduit on dewitt to bangs ave. (?)

Start Borden Av next week, once hv sidewalk in and cut them back to sidewalk elevation, but objective is to get sidewalk on bordenav strted next wek.

Councilmember Kevin Sanders – q – can’t be heard.

Storm sewer w/ run along sisters academy…

1st utilities, then paving, then sidewalk,

TR – Tom Gilmour, commerce dir.

UEZ study, jst a memo from EDA to you, study going on right now, AP valuated yesterday as part, to determine future of program itself and how it w/ operate in the future/ CMgr and 2 biznesses sat in on meeting yesterday so consultant got a pretty good idea how well projects are going.

Only funding now projects that have enough money in the fund to fund the proj. Answer was they don’t know how to process the funds – surplus funds from the B program – some people from governor’s office// been doing some behind scenes, too.

Mayor Johnson – can’t be heard –

TG – Lakewood has money. Way it was setup limited by am’t of revenue we’ve got set up/ proj $1.2m which under normal circumstances wdn’t be able to get that money/

TR – Chuck Richman…inaudible …Not Asbury specific…inaud…not Asbury specific…think what hap is Asbury was so qk in responding tk by surprise, we had applic ready they weren’t ready…elegant project

Mayor – admin budgets for this coming yr

TG – w’re app’d for this yr to july. No one knows what’s going to happen

Special events – checkmate candle lite walk that already tok plc/ sons of Ireland polar bear plunge, had 2k people there last yr/

Triathalon – july 9, concern about running events triaths are…coord w/ PWD

TR – edit’l in APPress, spk of crime being down in state, then ed. Who wrote pc decided to hilite AP, highest crime rate in mon cty, gave certain statistics and extrapolate compareing w/ Camden, St. louis…if we were bigger wd be more serious. So we’ve asked our chief to address the editorial tonight. Get to heart of what’s going on…

Chief Mark Kinmon –

Crime stats referenced from UCR crime report 09 –

First editorial – doesn’t tk much to skew the numbers/ we wk very hd here to put together truthful, accurate stats, audited 4 x a yr to chk or stats/ other towns only once.

No skewing numbers.

AP defies downward crime rate’ – if that means bldg trust w/ community…etc. tech, make things better…etc. overall crime rose ? 107 more incidents in 09 v 08. 17.9% 08 v07 192 more incidents. 07 was an excellent yr for us, every area was low for us/ so we knew wd be hard to maintain for us. Violent crime up 11% 09 v 08/ 08 / 20% higher than a decade ago/ 09 had 271 more cases in 10 yr span. I can assure you it is not the number given by paper/ 40k calls for service/ 12k motor vehicle stops/ when put it all together doesn’t lk that bad.

UCR every town in nj must submit 09 total 1,374, up from 1267 in 08, 1, 072 in 07// course of last 10 yrs not that much higher than other yrs. Incrs is burglaries and lefts. Jun, july, aug was peak/ end of august only 2 arrests/ cleared up thefts from motor vehicles/ we’re down to avg or better/

Very few incidents where victims attacked no reason, 6 rapes in ? very rare on street, usually parties known to each other/ when someone writes 20% hv to lk at these factsw.

Mayor – reading ed quite offensive, I wasw seeing red. We need to get a few more popular people here and we can be the most dangerous people according to that ed’l. an unnecessary backstab and offensive.

Chief – avg 450 brkins a yr – if tk those out of equation we’d be smiling, GPS thefts, that account for many of these break ins

Mayor: No increase is acceptable, I think we’re wkg very hard to change this



Item 9 – contract for analysis in WRA, fire engineering dept, city engine asked for assistance, funds coming from developer, analysis is for seeing how much is needed for completing waterfront dev.



Mayor –can we get update on code assistance?? Also…? Can’t be heard. Kwanza Fest at middle school and Christmas Sunset…

City Atty, Fred Raffetto:

2 items to be brought forth from Executive Session so that council can take action– blk 97 dewitt and springwood, springwood commons llc, amended purch and sale agreement, second w/ be amended deal in same area.


Public –
(First name?) Mohammed – I own a barber shop in Asbury and talk amongst youth is they’re being harassed by police/ one today said police complained because he had his hand too close to pocket…. I’d like you to address that council.
Mayor – first let me say, just as I was adamantly offended I’m equally offended if our citizens are not being respected, you’re suggestion sitting down not sure what form wd take, interested sitting down hrg from u or anyone who feels being harassed or abused, not acceptable to this council,
Are u aware mst cases don’t make it uouth fear for their lives

Mayor: I am / he has hrd this from children and youth/
Mohammed – this has to stop, it’s the concern of ap and surrounding area, we’re dealing with a major
Kevin Sanders – we do need a citizens’ advisory board, wd u like to lead that or gather members for that board, with chif kinmon
Chief – about an hr and half …open honest discussion only way to address issues. We had mtg lst night, lot of discussion, missing link with lot of youth in city feel can’t come forward, we discussed this/ need different approach on these things, I asked for help, if no public trust in police dep then there’s not much I can do to chg the situation. Met with mr foster, Rev Bradley, so we’re in first stages of putting togtether a board or advisory group



KS – no one shd feel afraid to come forward.

Mayor – tonight let’s make sure if u wnt to become a part of this or kept abreast of this, let’s get your contact info.

JL – I believe in advisory bd, I’m surprised u thought u cdn’t come to any one of us. Don’t ever feel you can’t spk to us.

Morris Griffin -- lack of accountability, second and third shift, not here to bash police I respect authority. I acknowledge what’s going on, together we can grow as a unit and stop what’s going on. Sometime we miss the larger picture, primary purpose is to grow w/ apk.
Rev Bradley – ministerial alliance – officers were involved have been in other situations of misconduct. They’ve been brought up on charges before sent to sensitivity training. Why doesn’t mayor know, why have they not been removed? Understanding that that long blue line, and powerful union they hav, but nothing can be more powerful than the citizens of this city. But why didn’t you know about this? Why are they brutalizing our youth, checking them on curfew violations / why hav cameras not picked up these violaters? Nothing being done/ Review board is good idea but what’s going to be done? NYC has one, abuse still going on. Martinez, Townsend…need to go.

TR – Please leave contact information / secondly, I’m aware complaints against certain officers, chief is aware…taken action, training, but also a city of laws, complaints made that don’t make it to the chief or myself or gov body. I think the board we discussed tonight wd eliminate that. Trust this police chief, wk’d w/ nine of them and never met anyone more interested in doing for community than mark kinmon. One message tk away tonight is estab of bd/ com whatever alow us to respond in a respon way, all for it. Majority of polic dept get up ea day to do best job…lot of good people go out in sts ea day to protect not harass us. Going to spk honestly tonight, tlk about entire dept need for accountability…every single claim is investigated. Some say not given fair treatment, hrd those complaints, only way truly address that/ address timely/ when we estab this bd,  justice delayed is justice denied. Pwr of commun bd is doesn’t fester/ people worried…

Duane Smalls – agree we need bd, internal affrs process hv now is ineffective. On ea occasion when brought down we ere tld to wait, treated family member like he was a criminal, tried to interrogate them. Chif K and TR when I’ve come to you you’ve been straight/ but street crime unit, drug unit/ jst watched eddie raison searching some 16 yr old female, then let her go. Crime rate because not enuf jobs / people working here and making decisions for the city who don’t live here. If they lived here they wouldn’t do that. Townsend brothers have to go/ and jonson u know what’s going on

Adrienne Sanders – pres NAACP – wnt to thnk Chif kinmon coming to mtg last night. Walking while black – pulled over or stopped by officer, when young man asks what did I do, told to shut up. As a civil rights worker, I hv zero tolerlance for this behavior. Told this young man there had been robberies in the neighborhood, so automatically he’s a target. I’m calling for resignations of those two officers, they do not need to be in this city. No police brutality, especially when handling minors. NAACP has hotline – yes glad there’s a review bd established, our unit is involved with national …(lost thread) office of civil rights has formed a special task force/ Alfred foster. Beepers going off, we’re demanding justice/ she finished.

Jason – over 30 yrs going thru same thing…we cd ell same stories these families telling tonight. People are not going to be harassed in Asbury/ my whole family has been harassed by cops in Asbury/ Grandfather a high ranking church official was harassed. Young people are getting tired of it. Eventually w/ boil over and take justice in own hands, we don’t wnt to do that, we respect auth but when auth no respect for us, what’re u going to do. Crime rate in the city, if there’s no jobs of course crime that’s economics 101. lot of young people do wnt to wk, arcade was hiring local kids / who shut that down. Beeper…

Pam Lamberton – To piggy back on what this gentleman jst said prob in ap, been going on for years…friends visiting had to get to their car, wait for cops to lv and then wlk to their car/ she offered to walk them to their car they jst laughed we know what we’re doing… think it’s important when something reported to the review bd something happens and doen’t end up in black hole/ library sq fountain destroyed again/ one of sculptures, the one across from police station disappeared…a cement picnic table… had quality of life issues extra money for staff was not intendedto have cops monitor pky meters.

Harrison Yarborough- Asbury Park - Mst of us don’t wlk ar’d with our status showing…we don’t hv respect, my obligation is to kids of this town, seniors and our communities, when comes to our kids who hvn’t had a chance to mature. Scenario – I just got a bike from a friend riding home on it and one of …cty officers calling me. I asked him if he was addressing me, he says yes, not in that tone of voice…cty officer told cop to giv me ticket, what cost …for running your mouth -- $200. sure officer wasn’t taught this in the academy, beeper..i was really taken by that, told officer do what u have to, I gave him ID, class A, no violations, then wanted give him a ticket for his light. I’m getting mixed signals, lot of people with me tonight who wk to help the community as a whole. We won’t stop trying to help but wnt to address issue so we can feel comfortable with it. Officer grabbed brother’s phone and hit him w/ it. Come up w/ solution

Lynn Johnson, 30 Ridge Court, Asbury Park -- step outside of your title for one moment, if that was your child how wd u feel? Lied to…a 16 yr old child, he does hv freedom of speech, been raised to respect himself then others. When asked to pik up my child, who's been abused, when asked what happened, be told he’s not complaining about that right now…

They know my child they know he’s not a disorderly person, I’m just asking for justice to be done, not tomorrow, not yrs down the road, you can’t hide this, if you were abusing me in our home they’d be locking you up. Now who’s locking up these cops?
Leroy Wiggs – father of the other child arrested.
Danny McKee – 7th Ave, (head of the AP Little League) -- stats of crime going down, all great but if comes at exp of my freedom or anyone else in this rm... the situation ms sanders described dealt with my son, police frisked my son, when didn’t find anything, put up against car and frisked him again. I taught my son to question certain things. I prob wd hv asked the same type of things. He was arrested taken to jail not allowed to call me, got bogus charges, he’s missed one school day already and these charges I may hv to hire an atty w/ money that I don’t have to fight these bogus charges.
Valerie Benjamin – call tonite from a young lady whose grandmother was victim of this. Saddens for me to hear this and her son was victim of this also. She VB is graduate of Asbury Park HS,. We cd estab all kinds of review bds but if people don’t feel safe. Brought to my attentions these kids traumatized, effects emotionally, physically and spiritually. But if I do something I wnt to be sure there’s no retalitation becz of this. Where is the freedom of speech where did it go? Used to wk w/ dyfs, if any partner does any harm…they wd go to jail. Our children are being vilated and trau needs to stop now.
John Mohammed – lst time bfore council warned u you’re running out of time/ you’re responsible for actions of your police officers. Some are out of control and mkg it bad for the rest of you/ some parents hvg tuf time w/ some of their children and not tkg respon for their children. It sounds like you’re not tkg care of your children – the police officers. We’re going to tk the respon from yu and put it in the hands of the people. We’ve been trying to get our police to act better/ shift run by sgt townsend the second shift, you’re a good person, but no longer can it be a buffer for messing with these police. You’re hurting our babies future, there’s going to be jobs they’re not going to be able to get because of records created here. Niceness means nothing, we want justice, fired, suspended show us you Show us you’ve got the courage to be agood chief.
Another man - While waiting for board to start wd it be alright if we could wear t shirts to
Mayor - We’v had a citizens on patrol for sev’l yrs…
Fine, we want to start this while…we have another, the more help the merrier/ free of charge, we jst wnt to help the officers.
Chief Kinmon - Let me get your name and we’ll tk care of it.

James Harris – NJ state conf of NAACP, here on the behest of the best president of NAACP, Adrienne Sanders, 18 yrs of svc in Montclair, got prob w/ racial profiling, and that’s illegal. Came about becaz of some college boys trying to get back to school, almost lsot their lives because of itchy finger on a scared police. We all wnt best of everything, Is it fair in 2010 that members of a certain race must fear those hired to protect us. When go bk to certain communities of color, we can talk about Camden, irvignton, plainfield, AP is unique in that only jersey shore town predom African American, gangs, guns, drugs more prom here than anywhere. I know that we know where guns are mfr’d and I kknow we can determine where they get into APk. How come police here can’t do what can do in Deal, in … people should not fear, can’t hv safe community unless hv a partnership. If AP can’t deal w/ police irrespons we hv people who will/ we give u 6 mos, to see a partnership between police, chief, City Mgr in writing. Thank you for you attention.

Myra Campbell – 1403 mattison av/ late june 2 police officers entered my hse came up to second flr, uninvited, chief kinmon was very good,…thanks Neighbors for putting up a fence for safety, and thank Robert Bellini infrastructure wk being done… On internet there is infrastructure report at legalpaper.com…?? want written report of all streets going to be worked on/ we’d like to know what city official is overseeing project.

Will city official get pay increase for increased responsibility…not enough time to explain fully …beeper…Some of us tired of you going outside this city for answers…
Bill Meisch – why was permit issued to bond st. bar and…? to allow music until 2 am. Stabbing at synaxis two wks ago?
Denise Richardson – Ridge Av
Mark I love u dearly, remember cpl yrs ago, with racial profiling, lou Jordan wa in charg, he got fired.
The website re. infrastructure…I walked out my door people digging. On the web my street isn’t there, yet walk out my dr and trucks blocking my driveway. Describes the detours she had to take trying to get to a place 2 blks away. I’m not being informed. Not being told what to do. I hav to pay you the balance of my taxes before Dec 15th yet u can’t tell me what’s going on on my street. My daughter calls me at wk there’s a water main break on our street. Beeper…
Brian Grant – it’s gas company not us wkg on the street. Gas co has to inform residents, something they’re doing. They’re
… Remond Palmer – Asbury Park –retired fireman for AP, (member AP Bd of Ed),
Don’t hav a real relationship with community/ all of us aren’t drug dealers and…u guys hav tendency to hire people never seen before, they hav to be residents of ap, u cd tell kids about how great it is to be a policeman or fireman when grow up. Redeve on bchfront people in this rm don’t feel rede is meant for them. Peoople here since riots helped sustain this community.
TR – if people don’t know we need to publicize the track for getting on police and fireman.
Claudia Morgan – ridge av is pretty bad, main thoroughfare. Complained a few wks ago about pot holes, fixed, but now they’re back for some reason. Have to drive 10 miles an hr, becz manhole disappeared, big dip / older car, don’t want to put more money into hvg it fixed.

Mayor – I’m out there everyday and weekends I walk the entire street. I’ll make a point to stop when I’m out there.



CM – feel really bad about childrent getting beat up by officers of the law, hear what’s being said about them – the N word – it’s a boiling pot going to spill over…
Council Business –

Boxing facility $1,000+

Jm steinmetz engineering not to exceed $7000
Introduction of ordinance, streamline app’l process for businesses in redev area, Jan 5. motion to introduce ordinance. Public hearing amending ord. issuing of mercantile license, putting under clerk or his designee.



317 6th Ave handicapped spot – adopted ordinance. All yes



Sewer Connection fees – adjust sewer fees to reflect costs’ also charging before for change of use/ baed on recent case law we realized tk dif approach, if changing use but not expanding footprint no change in sewer charge is necessary.



622 prosepect ave – RCA project, $12,000

Fred Garrafa $33,000 owner to pay difference $8,000
Solid Waste Collection bids – action postponed to Dec 15th