Public safety is paramount

To the Editor:
Three years ago, my family and I moved to Bayonne from upstate New York. We chose Bayonne because of its proximity to Manhattan and for its reputation as being amongst the safest towns in Hudson County.
Unfortunately, it appears that Bayonne is quickly becoming just as bad as the rest of the country. Graffiti, gangs, packs of teenagers acting with complete disregard for the law as they rampage down Broadway. Fires and other emergencies seem to be occurring more often than ever.
Now I read that our public safety departments are facing layoffs. How is this possible? It would seem to me that, now more than ever, we need our police and fire officials. As an employee of the private sector, I have been lucky enough to keep my job, though my pay has been reduced, while many have lost their jobs completely. While I am not a fan of the property taxes I pay, I had faith that some of this money was being put away to keep our infrastructure in place in times of hardship. What happened? I’m sure I’ll never get a straight answer for that one.
My advice to the city is this: I don’t care if you have to layoff every worker in City Hall. Do not reduce our public safety. Without our safety, we have nothing.

BILL TYLER

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