Dear Editor:
The Hoboken Police Department’s Community Policing Bureau would like to thank the residents of Hoboken for their participation during our summer events.
Our first event was Bike Registration and Safety Day. Officers William James and Joseph Cahill created this event which allowed adults to register their bikes with the department and provided a 7 station safety course for children which included the receiving of a free bike helmet. The event would not have been possible without Marissa Fisher, R.N. of the Jersey City Medical Center, Ms. Liz Evans-Pittman of Hoboken High School, and the sponsorships by Johnny Rockets and Rita’s Italian Ice.
We then held our 5K Race Against Drugs and Crime which benefited the Alzheimers’ Association of North Jersey. Officers Anthony Fesken and Joseph Mezzina coordinated the race which consisted of approximately 750 registered runners, including new Police Chief Anthony Falco and Acting Mayor Dawn Zimmer, which was our third most in the race’s 18 years. We would like to thank the volunteers and donators who made the race a major success: Scott Delea and the many volunteers that he provided, Tim Occhipinti, the Hoboken Ambulance Corps, Capt. Dan Simone’s St.Peter’s College students, Freddy Moret, DJ Tom Sweeney, Fleet Feet, and NOW 92.3 radio station, Annette Chaparro, Tonya Oquendo, Jessica Talor, and Eric Levine.
The following night was National Night Out, which was held on 2nd to 4th Sts on Harrison Street. Approximately 1,000 children and adults visited the event which was coordinated by Officers James Barbro and William Oquendo. The event was funded by the Hoboken Municipal Alliance and aided by the donation of food and beverages from Shop-Rite of Hoboken. We would like to further thank the following contributors and agencies: All-in-One Entertainment, New Jersey Transit Police, Big Banner, Port Authority Police, Hudson County Sheriff’s Dept, the U.S. Army and National Guard, U.S. Customs, Red Bulls Soccer, Oscar Mercado at the grill, Tony Mussara who provided the movie Wall-E, State Farm, Hudson County Prosecutors Office Domestic Violence Response Team, Partners-in-Prevention, the Hoboken Fire Department, the Y.M.C.A., and the Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps headed by Tom Molta, Captain Ed Garcia, Freeholder Captain Anthony Romano, Housing Director Carmelo Garcia and Housing Authority Commissioner Perry Belfiore.
Throughout the entire summer, hundreds of Hoboken’s boys and girls participated in our Police Athletic League Events coordinated by our P.A.L. director Robert Gohde. These events included: Babe Ruth Baseball, Babe Ruth Softball, P.A.L. Football, Save the Youth Basketball and Flag Football. We would also like to thank our volunteer contributors: Christine Selleck, Luis Acevedo, and Vinny Johnson for their work throughout the entire summer.
Lastly on August 19th, we held the first of a series of Meet and Greets with our New Chief Anthony Falco. We would like to thank the dozens of residents who attended this meeting at Wallace School, as well as Acting Mayor Zimmer, Councilman Peter Cunningham, Councilman Ravi Bhalla, Councilman Nino Giacchi, Retired Councilman Norman Wilson, Public Safety Director Angel Alicea, OEM Coordianators Joel Mestre and Capt. James Fitzsimmons, and Detective Mike DePalma who all attended and contributed to the evening. We assure all residents that over the next six months, we will have a meet and greet in your neighborhood.
In closing, we would like to thank Tim Carroll and the Hoboken Reporter, Carly Baldwin and Hoboken Now and Perry Klaussen and Hoboken411 for publicizing all of our events as we look forward to bringing you many more crime prevention events with the school year beginning.
Sincerely,
The Hoboken Police Department
Community Policing Bureau
Lt. Ken Ferrante
Sgt. James Marnell