Dear Editor:
It’s bad enough that no mayor or council member has really cared about the noise and rowdiness that goes on when the bars close at night here in Hoboken, especially in the 1st Ward. By allowing drilling to go on for repaving River St. until 4 a.m. on a Monday night, this administration has taken it to a whole new level.
Whomever came up with the idea of repaving a street in the middle of the night should stick their head out of the bubble they’re in. Guess what – you broke the law! The city officials seem to care more about protecting the W and surrounding businesses and bars, than protecting the residents of Hoboken from the inevitable onslaught of out-of-town drunks who bully their way down our streets talking loud, screaming, fighting, urinating, and littering, especially Thursday through Saturday nights. The W seems to be exempt from the noise ordinance as parties play painfully loud house music till 1a.m. It shouldn’t be about money, facts, figures, and even fame. It should be about serving and protecting the residents of Hoboken. The working people who have a right to have peace and quiet no matter what neighborhood they live in.
Addressing this problem can be done. I propose to assign six to ten police officers, on bikes or on foot, to patrol the areas where the bars are around the city between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. to help to maintain civility. Two hours! For the past 25 years, I’ve seen police walking the beat at four in the afternoon. Why? With all due respect, they should be walking the beat when they’re needed, not when it’s convenient. Hoboken is a unique city with unique problems. This city needs brave leaders to do the right thing. My eighteen year old daughter told me not to write this letter. She said no one cares. Really?
Jeffrey Scios