Union City Mayor Brian Stack and the Board of Commissioners are continuing to crack down on quality of life issues within the city.
In the past month, the city has added walking patrols to three more areas. New areas for patrol have been targeted by using a mapping system to track the occurrence of crime in and around the city.
Stack said that the city is also considering introducing an ordinance to limit the hours of operation for delis and grocery stores in the city, most of which are now open for 24 hours.
Mapping it out
While the Union City Police Department has been using a mapping system for many years, the system has only been used on a regular monthly basis for the past year.
The system uses the monthly crime reports to track the occurrence of crimes including, drug trafficking, auto theft, domestic violence and robbery.
The location of each crime is marked on the city maps to find which areas of the city are experiencing the most crimes. The area that have the most crimes are then targeted and additional walking patrol men are assigned to the area.
“These are the areas that were called the forgotten areas of Union City,” said Stack, who is also the city’s public safety director.
Areas such as 10th Street and Bergenline Avenue, Summit Avenue between Sixth to Seventh streets and Central Avenue between 22nd and 28th streets have had extensive walking patrols for more than one year.
However, as of July 31, the department has added walking patrols to other areas of the city as well after studying the maps prepared each month.
These areas include Bergenline Avenue from 40th to 49th streets, on 45th Street to 49th Street from Broadway to Park Avenue, and Bergenline Avenue from 23rd to 27th streets.
“We want to let people know that these are not forgotten areas, but we know that they are problem areas,” said Stack.
Summit Avenue and 22nd Street has also been targeted with extra patrols in the past month. However, the residents in that area were more responsible for the extra patrol unit than the mapping system.
According to Stack, more than 200 residents living in that area signed a petition asking for more police security and filed it with the mayor’s office.
The petition highlighted problems in the area including drug trafficking, public urination and public drinking. Now, Stack said that an additional unit patrols that area after 4 a.m.
“There is always a police officer in that area now,” said Stack. “Whether it be a walking patrol or a patrol car.”
Seeing an improvement
While many people feel that walking patrols are a waste of time, Stack said that having a walking patrol on the streets has been a preventive measure.
“Walking men prevent crime,” said Stack, adding that the department is looking to lower their crime rate by taking care of problems before they happen.
Stack said that the areas that have walking patrols are already seeing an improvement. Stack added that residents in the area are also beginning to give the officers feedback, including tips on areas where drug trafficking and other crimes are taking place.
“The feedback from the community is amazing,” said Stack.
Stack feels that these patrols will help the community feel safe at night.
“I want this to be a community where people sit on their porches and talk to their neighbors,” said Stack. “I don’t want people on the corners.”
The next step
The Union City Board of Commissioners has also been taking a no-tolerance approach to 24-hour delis and grocery stores around the city, closing a handful of them in the past year for health violations.
“These 24-hour delis and grocery stores attract large groups in front of the establishments and drug dealing,” said Stack. “Where ever you have grocery stores open all night, you have problems. Many of these grocery stores are in heavy residential areas. People have to live there.”
In order to prevent these establishments from staying open 24-hours in the future, Stack said that the commissioners are planning to pass an ordinance limiting the hours of operation. However, Stack said that he will be holding public hearings on the ordinance within the next month to get feedback on the ordinance before passing it.
“I realize that there is a benefit to having a grocery store open 24-hours,” said Stack. “People have to be able to buy a quart of milk.”
However Stack said that he is also looking to improve the quality of life in these areas as well.