September 23 Morning News
NEWS12.COM REPORTED THAT PATERSON POLICE ARE DOCUMENTING A 73% DROP IN SHOOTINGS AND SEVERAL OTHER MAJOR CRIME CATEGORIES THIS SUMMER. FROM JUNE TO AUGUST, THREE PEOPLE WERE SHOT IN PATERSON, IN CONTRAST TO 11 SHOOTINGS AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. SHOOTINGS DROPPED FROM 11 TO 3 WHILE HOMOCIDES ALSO DROPPED FROM FOUR TO ONE. POLICE DIRECTOR JERRY SPEZIALE SAYS THE DEPARTMENT USES CRIME DATA TO DETERMINE WHERE OFFICERS SHOULD BE DEPLOYED. MAYOR ANDRE SAYEGH SAYS PUBLIC SAFETY GOES BEYOND POLICING, AND GETTING GUNS OFF THE STREET HAS BEEN THE MAIN PRIORITY. THE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT NUMBERS SHOW TOTAL CRIME REPORTED IN THE CATEGORIES TRACKED DOWN WERE DOWN 16% THROUGH AUGUST 30TH COMPARED TO 2025. ROBBERIES DOWN 40%, AUTO THEFTS 16%, BURGLARIES 14%, AND MURDERS 31%. AUTHORITIES SAY THERE IS STILL MORE WORK TO DO. SPEZIALE AND SAYEGH SAY THE GOAL IS TO CONTINUE DRIVING VIOLENT CRIMES DOWN AND KEEP BUILDING ON THE PROGRESS REPORTED THIS SUMMER.
NORTHJERSEY.COM REPORTED THAT AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING A ROBBERY AT A HACKENSACK MALL, WHERE THERE WERE REPORTS OF SHOTS FIRED, ULTIMATELY FOUND TO BE UNTRUE. THE HACKENSACK POLICE DEPARTMENT SAID IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POST SHORTLY BEFORE 1 P.M. THAT OFFICERS RESPONDED TO THE SHOPS AT RIVERSIDE ON REPORTED GUNSHOTS SEPT. 22. CHIEF MICHAEL ANTISTA TOLD NORTHJERSEY.COM THE INCIDENT BEGAN AT 11:50 A.M. AN INVESTIGATION DETERMINED A SUSPECT ENTERED BLOOMINGDALE'S, SMASHED A DISPLAY CASE, AND STOLE JEWELRY ITEMS INSIDE. THE SOUND OF THE SHATTERED CASE CAUSED MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THE MALL TO CALL 911, MISHEARING GUNSHOTS. THE SUSPECT HAS NOT BEEN APPREHENDED. NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE THEFT, WHICH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY HACKENSACK DETECTIVES.
NORTHJERSEY.COM REPORTED GOVERNOR MIKIE SHERRILL HAS ANNOUNCED HER ADMINISTRATION FINED A VINELAND FACILITY MORE THAN $1 MILLION FOLLOWING AN INSPECTION DURING THE SUMMER. SHERRILL SAID IN A STATEMENT THAT DATA ONE'S DATA CENTER VIOLATED THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ACT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FINE, CALLING IT THE LARGEST SUCH ENFORCEMENT ACTION IN STATE HISTORY. THE STATE’S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ISSUED THE ORDER FOLLOWING A JULY 29 INSPECTION OF THE VINELAND FACILITY. DURING THAT INSPECTION, THEY FOUND 62 LARGE NATURAL-GAS GENERATORS THAT WERE INSTALLED AND OPERATING WITHOUT REQUIRED PERMITS. GOVERNOR SHERRIL EXPLAINS THAT DATA CENTERS WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ENERGY USE, SO THEY CAN PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND INVEST IN COMMUNITIES.
NJ.COM REPORTED TUESDAY MORNING THAT A NEW 34-MILLION-DOLLAR YMCA IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN DECEMBER IN WEST ESSEX. THIS NEW YMCA AT 304 SOUTH LIVINGSTON AVE. IN LIVINGSTON WILL REPLACE A 50-YEAR-OLD FACILITY AND MORE THAN DOUBLE THE ORGANIZATION’S CAPACITY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY. IT IS EXPECTED TO CREATE ABOUT 100 JOBS AND EXPAND CHILD CARE, EARLY LEARNING, AND SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS. THERE WILL BE A 12 THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT WELLNESS CENTER WITH A RETRACTABLE GLASS WALL THAT OPENS TO AN OUTDOOR DECK AND RECOVERY AMENITIES, SUCH AS HYDROTHERAPY AND SAUNAS. THERE WILL ALSO BE AN EXPANDED AQUATICS CENTER THAT FEATURES A LAP POOL, RECREATIONAL POOL, AND SPLASH PAD, AS WELL AS A TEACHING KITCHEN DESIGNED TO SUPPORT NUTRITION EDUCATION AND HEALTHY LIVING PROGRAMS. OLDER ADULTS ARE INTENDED TO HAVE THEIR OWN ADDITIONAL GATHERING SPACES AND ACTIVITIES THAT FOSTER SOCIAL CONNECTIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. OFFICIALS SAY THAT THE NEW YMCA IS BEING DESIGNED AS MORE THAN A FITNESS CENTER, AND THAT IT WILL BRING TOGETHER WELLNESS, RECREATION, EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL SERVICES UNDER ONE ROOF.