Information regarding suspicious incidents reported in Bergenfield

The Bergenfield Police Department is releasing this information to keep our residents informed of suspicious incidents that were reported to us as “lurings” and have parents and children concerned for their safety. We want our residents to know that every incident is thoroughly investigated and taken seriously. I refer to these incidents as “suspicious” because the majority reported do not have the elements of the offense of Luring (NJSA 2C:13-6). 

See the link below for additional legal information.

https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/criminal/charges/luring1.pdf

If the elements are not present as reported by the complainant, victim or witness, BPD officers will still investigate and turn the matter over to the detective bureau for follow up. Many cases have been resolved, whereby the matter was not a luring incident, but rather a motorist attempting to ask directions or in some cases, the report was fabricated by the juvenile victim/complainant. I emphasize that every case is fully investigated and when facts of the case meet the elements of the offense, the detectives waste no time in getting the information out via a media release and using our social media communication tools. 

Detectives also contact school authorities in an effort to inform as many people as possible and allow school officials to also disseminate information about the incident or incidents. In some cases that are suspicious and the motive is unknown, notifications will still be sent out seeking information so the matter can be properly investigated. Detectives also work in conjunction with surrounding police agencies and the Prosecutor’s Office to compare cases looking for any similarities. 

At this time, there have been cases reported in Bergen County, but there are no similarities in person or vehicle descriptions. Even though no similarities exist yet, the BPD requests residents to remain vigilant in their neighborhoods and when driving about the borough. If you see something suspicious or your child reports something suspicious, please contact the BPD to report it. We will investigate as I stated above. The police department does not want to alarm the community that a “child lurer” is about when no facts exist or can be corroborated. We do want people to trust that we will inform them when suspicious incidents occur and we will be quick to release information when an incident is confirmed. 

Our recent suspicious incidents are posted on our website at http://www.bergenfieldpd.org/

We have articles and media releases also posted on our blog at http://bergenfieldnjpd.blogspot.com/.

Below is great information as taken from a recent NIXLE alert sent by our neighboring township, Teaneck. I share these bullets with you as they are great tips to teach and follow:

• Parents are also urged to speak to their children about their safety whether they are in a vehicle or on foot.

• Teach your child, when s/he is outside, to always walk with at least one other person. Groups of more than two are better.

• When your child is outside the house, do not allow him or her to wear clothing or a backpack or other articles with his/her name visible on it. Children are more likely to trust someone who calls them by name.

• Teach your child to stay more than an adult arm’s length away from any car that is occupied by a person trying to talk to him/her, so that they cannot be reached by the person inside the car.

• Teach your child if someone encourages him or her to get into a car, to help find a lost pet, or to leave with them for any reason, s/he should yell “NO” as loudly as possible and run to the  closest adult whom they know and trust. Yelling "No," also called the POWER NO, indicates your child has been prepared for the situation.

• Teach your child to run in the opposite direction from the one the car is facing. It is harder to drive in reverse than straight ahead.

• Teach your child their full name, address and if, there is one, the “best” phone number (including area code) to call in case of an emergency. If you make it into a song, younger children may be more likely to remember it. If no phone number is reliable, teach your child to call 911 for help.

• Teach your older child to pay attention to the color and make of the vehicle and/or its license information (state and number), the physical characteristics of the person(s), and where s/he was when approached. Suggest that this information be written down as soon as it can be done safely.

• Remind your child to call 911 to report any attempted luring.

• Make a daily note of the clothing your child is wearing just in case you need to provide that information later. Also keep a current school picture, or other recent photograph of your child available.

"The police are the public and the public are the police; the police being only members of the public who are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interests of community welfare and existence."

- Robert Peel

Thank you for being part of the efforts to keep our community safe. Be a crime stopper and report crimes and suspicious activity.

Please note, Tri-Community Crime Stoppers is now on Facebook.

You can also find BPD on Twitter, Facebook and receive notifications from us by signing up for Nixle.

Sincerely,

Michael T. Carr

Chief of Police

Thank You to Crossing Guard Dos Doheny

Capt. Madalone, Dos Doheny, Chief Carr and Lt. Stapleton.

Records clerk Sue Frei, Dos Doheny and records clerk Vickie Vradenburg.

On Tuesday, October 1, BPD officers, civilian personnel, and all of Bergenfield's dedicated School Crossing Guards came to headquarters to thank one of their own who retired from her crossing guard position as of the first of the month. Dos Doheny, who served in the position since September 2000, was surprised in the BPD Squad Room by her colleagues, police supervisors, and her biggest supporter and son, Detective Kevin Doheny. 

Dos was assigned to the Jefferson School post at Hickory and Third. She was very instrumental in maintaining the safety of many Jefferson School children over the years. Her desire to create the safest school zone on a busy traveled road such as Hickory Avenue gave her the nickname "The Cone Lady." Dos utilized more cones than the NJ Division of Transportation uses in NJ Turnpike construction zones. She created a more visible area for the crossing zone in front of Jefferson School. 

The result was a safe school zone every single day, 180 school days of the year. She also assisted the Traffic Supervisor in managing the time sheets and school post coverage for all the guards. She will surely be missed by her colleagues, the officers, and especially the students at Jefferson School.

Detective Kevin Doheny with Dos "Mom" Doheny at the retirement celebration.

                                         
BPD sends a big THANK YOU to Dos Doheny for a job well done.

Drive safely - Bergenfield schools open today!

Students in Bergenfield are returning to school today, Monday, Sept. 9, and it is even more important to remember to drive carefully now that classes are back in session.

For parents, it is important to make sure that however your child is getting to school, whether he or she is walking to school, riding a bicycle or taking a school bus, that proper safety precautions are taken. Below are some tips from the National Safety Council, which can also be found here.

Tips to make sure your child is safe while traveling to school:

Walking - Review your family's walking safety rules. Also, practice walking to school with your child.

Riding a bicycle to school - Make sure your child wearing a helmet. Teach children the rules of the road, including riding on the right side of the road in single file and coming to a complete stop before crossing the street.

Riding the bus - Go to the bus stop and teach your child how to get on and off the bus properly. Make sure your child stands at least 6 feet from the curb. If your child needs to cross the street in front of the bus to get on it, teach your child to walk on the side of the road until at lest 12 feet ahead of the bus. The child should always make sure the driver can see her/him and he/she can see the driver.

The National Safety Council also offers Back to School safety tips for motorists, which can be found here. We have also listed them below.

Sharing the road with school buses

• It is illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload school children.
• Buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists they are preparing to stop for children  - whether loading or unloading. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign are signals to motorists that the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off.
• Traffic in both directions is required to stop on undivided roadways when students are entering or exiting a school bus.
• Children are in the most danger of being hit in the area 10 feet around a school bus. Stop your car far enough from the bus to allow children space to safely enter and exit the bus.
• Be alert. Children can be unpredictable and are more likely to take risks, ignore hazards or fail to look both ways when crossing the street.
• Never pass a school bus on the right.

Sharing the road with child pedestrians

• Drivers should not block crosswalks when stopped at a red light or waitnig to make a turn.
• In school zones, stop for a pedestrian crossing the road within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk.
• Always stop when directed to do so by a school patrol sign, patrol officer or designated crossing guard.
• Take extra care to look out for children in areas other than school zones as well - such as residential areas, playgrounds and parks.
• Don't honk your horn, rev your engine or do anything to rush or scare a pedestrian in front of your car.

Sharing the road safely with child bicyclists

• When passing a bicyclist traveling in the same direction, do so slowly and leave at least 3 feet in between you and the bicycle.
• Most common causes of collisions are drivers turning left in front of an oncoming bicycle, or turning right, across the path of the bicycle.
• When your vehicle is turning left and a bicyclist is entering the intersection from the opposite direction, wait for the bicyclist to pass before making the turn. Same applies for if you are turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on the right. Allow the bicyclist to proceed through the intersection before turning.
• Watch for riders turning in front of you without signaling.
• Take extra precautions in school zones and neighborhoods where children are more commonly riding.
• Watch out for bikes coming from driveways or from behind parked cars or other obstructions.
• Check side mirrors for bicyclists before opening your door.