This week’s Neighborhood Watch report includes three bicycle thefts — one in the area of 30 Olin Street, one in the area of 70 Embury Avenue and one in the area of 50 Heck Avenue.
Other incidents:
- A resident left an iPad unattended on the porch and it was stolen.
- Illegal dumping was discovered in the area of 90 Lake Avenue.
- There was a report of graffiti to the Ocean Grove Pavilion.
Our NW liaison officer, Michael Adam, reminds us: “Be sure to keep your personal belongings secure. Do not leave items unsecured if you are not staying in the area. As always, continue to report any and all suspicious behavior.”
— CL
Yes, people put stuff out to save spots all the time. And my husband moves the stuff, says “thank you” and takes that spot. If they were to call the police, (someone just might be that stupid) they would be told that they were in the wrong, and the police wouldn’t be sent. It simply isn’t a problem in Ocean Grove. And if Mr. (or Ms) Special is claiming that they are being sent out because someone is parked on the street in front of a house, we need to have someone check into why there is way too much time on the hands of our police. By the way … I don’t think there is.
Nancy: and I am telling you that police officers have told me that they have answered those calls. People feel that the section of street in front of their house belongs to them, and if anyone parks there, even if there is open space elsewhere, they complain and have called the cops.
Apparently there are some people who put stuff like furniture in the street to “save” their spot and call the cops when someone moves the stuff and parks.
As I said, I learned this in conversation with a Neptune Special.
“parked….in the homeowners spot”? It may be time for the permit parking discussion , but not in this thread.
No, I said people aren’t calling because of (your words) “…cars parked in front of a house in the homeowners ‘spot’.” I stand by that.
Frank: Your case actually supports my statement here. In both towns, the department is tied up on calls that are frivolous and dont actually require a police response.
Asbury Park PD was tied up investigating a report of a suspicious person which proved groundless, Neptune is tied up on parking and neighborhood complaints
Nancy: You claim that you don’t think complaints of parking is a major issue, yet doesn’t Neptune now have a fully functional staffed patrol car that says PARKING ENFORCEMENT on the side and spends significant time in Ocean Grove? So obviously there are enough parking complaints to warrant putting an officer in a task- specific car and doing a specific job.
When the specials are driving or walking around, talk to them and they will tell you about some of the ridiculous things OGers call 911 for. The example I gave apparently happens according to some of the specials.
Great point Frank.
So true, A-Bike-Locker-Upper. It would be great if we didn’t have to be so on guard, but we do. Being pro-active is prudent, but that doesn’t mean we just accept it. If we are engaged (See Something, Say Something!) we can work to make things as good as they can possibly be. And if we are outraged by the status quo, we could become involved in the Neighborhood Watch program. A great group.
To Bythesea: You overrate YOUR Ocean Grove. Princeton and Kiawa are as unlike OG as Asbury Park is unlike Saddle River or Hilton Head.
Would you leave your bike unlocked on the stoop of your South Bronx apartment house? Oh, you would not live in that neighborhood. What do you think Ocean Grove’s neighborhood is? Get real!
Bullets : You think that police are too busy to deal with bike thefts, that it is not a major offense, and that the charge is not significant enough.
Wow. Yet you defend and support the AP police using 4 cars & 4 officers (1 a detective) to stop & detain me for a 1/2 hour for an anonymous false complaint about me snapping pictures at a carnival. How ironic.
So Chuckie B – you are saying that the citizens of OG just have to suck it up and live with it. This complacent attitude is precisely why these petty thefts will continue. I really don’t care who the thieves are, it should not be taken so lightly. You should also not have to worry about thugs walking on your porch and taking things left there either. It’s getting to the point where people not only have to lock up their bikes, but their metal outdoor furniture too. All crime cannot be eliminated but some can be deterred by vigorously enforcing the law.
@ Bullets: “If the police weren’t tied up on calls regarding … cars parked in front of a house in the homeowners “\’spot’…” We can do that!! Cool. (Seriously, I doubt that’s a major issue in Ocean Grove.)
ByTheSea, It’s wonderful that you can leave stuff out in your hometown but Chuckie B (Can I call you that? Or do you prefer Mr. 07753?) is exactly right. We can’t do that here; part of the nature of living in an urban-esque setting. And a transient town in the summer. Common sense would rule here.
Bythesea – I don’t think either of those locations are next door to AP.
And this issue isn’t a Neptune/OG issue. It’s a shore issue. Very common in areas with a high tourist turnover who like to “borrow” bikes but “forget” to return them. I lost a particularly awesome GT Pro Performer in Sea Isle that way. Broke my heart, since I’d had it since the seventh grade. I managed to get it back when a buddy of mine “borrowed” it to get home from a house party a month later. Lock it up or kiss it good bye. And those criminal thugs? Usually a mix of petty thieves and the well-bred, well-brought up local teenagers of good Christian homes.
3-6 months in jail would send a message, and I think worth the investment to nail 3 or 4 thieves. Word will get around that its risky to steal bikes.
To those who think leaving a bike unlocked is contributory negligence I say — what planet are you from? We have a house in Princeton Township and we never, ever lock our bikes. We leave them on our front yard, on other peoples’ yards, at the nearby park, and I have never heard of one being stolen. When we have rented at beach communities, such as Kiawa Island where we went last August for a week, we never, ever locked our bikes and they were never stolen. It’s totally crazy for me to hear that my neighbors in the Grove think that it’s our fault that some moralless criminal thug steals our stuff. It’s time for you to get real and expect more from the police. BIKE THEFT IS NOT NORMAL AND BIKE OWNERS ARE NOT TO BLAME!!!!
To Bullets I say — while I recognize that the police are very busy, if you do not try to enforce the law, then you are, in effect, decriminalizing bike theft. That is why dozens and dozens of bikes are stolen each year. That is why criminal thugs feel free to roam Ocean Grove looking for anything they can to steal — because there are no consequences. While the police are responsive if you call them, and I think every officer I have met is outstanding, we need to get serious about some approaches to stop the petty crime. Petty crime leads to more serious crime — it’s a proven fact.
Yes STP, I have suggested the seat thing a few times. Makes the bike basically unridable and should be an attention getter when seen. Most seats these days are easily detatchable. Unfortunately, determined thieves will not let locks and chains deter them for long if the opportunity is there. Hanging small noisy wind chimes from the bike can help too! Thieves don’t like noise.
While a bike theft “sting” might seem like a good idea, the reality is that as a crime, its not a major offense. We might be more sensitive to it in OG because it happens here, but compared to the other crimes in and calls for service the police handle, a sting would require off-duty police being paid overtime to occur.
In return, the suspect would be charged with a Disorderly Persons Offense and not punishable by more then $1000 or 6 months jail time. That’s not significant enough
If the police weren’t tied up on calls regarding neighbors whistling too loud or cars parked in front of a house in the homeowners “spot” they might have time to do this stuff.
I thought the idea of removing the seat from the bike was a good one. Anyone caught riding, towing or selling a seatless bike is almost certainly a thief.
Graffitti on the pavillion. Gang tag? Those crazy Methodists.
Dear Fellow OGers – please do yourselves a favor and buy either a u-bar lock or better yet, head over to the hardware store and invest in a nice length of hardened, tempered steel chain and a heavy duty padlock. Most commercial bike locks won’t stop a thief for more than a couple of minutes. Better still, keep the bike on-hand or inside whenever possible.
Ken., Yep. Personal responsibility. What a concept.
There is a term to describe the action of leaving valuable items unattended and unlocked – it is called: “contributory negligence” and a consequence can be that an insurance company may refuse to cover the loss.
Dear Police:
Seriously guys, you need to do some stings to catch these bike thieves. If some folks go to jail, maybe others will think twice. Right now, you are doing nothing and we will again have many bikes stolen — as there are no consequences. Please do something to help us.