By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Grovers need to know about the violence problems in Asbury Park. The article linked below appeared in the Asbury Park Press. As you know from past items on BF, Asbury Park is a major hub for drug trafficking, so the problems go beyond the gangs and the violence—they go into other communities around here. That fact has been well documented by the APP in the reports of drug overdose occurrences (usually heroin) in nearby towns (although none reported in OG)
Old timers in the Grove tell of drug dealers in our neighborhoods, and there is suspicion by current Grovers that drug dealing is still going on in town. Keep your eyes open and call the Neptune Police if you see unusual activity in your neighborhood. This is more important than stealing bikes and lawn ornaments, but the NTPD doesn’t warn us of this stuff in their Neighborhood Watch reports.
OhGee contacted BF today with this comment:
“I tell friends visiting town that as idyllic as OG is, there is amazing the amount of violence that occurs less than a mile away in Asbury Park. We are very fortunate to not have more crime here than we do. Is there drug dealing in OG? Wouldn’t surprise me. A few years ago during the off-season there was a drug operation busted at a house on Ocean Pathway.”
If you know anything about the history (current or past) of drugs in the Grove, please comment below.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
If you read the Tri-City News Facebook page, they have the Asbury Park police blotter. At least five of the drug arrests for the past two weeks have been Ocean Grovers. It’s real folks. And it’s not getting any better. CALL THE POLICE. Even if it takes 1/2 hour (and it won’t). The safer the drug dealers feel here the longer they will stay. You don’t have to leave your name. Just call.
I have seen stuff going on, at the N.End parking on Ocean Ave. Happen to see this guy waiting a while in front of his car.Then a van pulls up and parks, guy goes in van for a few min. then they separate happen a few times.
You can’t call the cops; they take 20 min. to half hour to respond.
I have to agree with Frank S. While temporarily in the Grove, post Sandy, we lived on Lake Avenue.; ALWAYS a scary proposition late at night with the kind of dealing we saw going on, booze bottles, and used condoms on the Wesley Lake sidewalk.
I have observed drug deals happening in OG on Lake avenue beside Wesley Lake. Publicly on pathway there and from houses there
AP Police Chief Kinmon who can’t seem to decide whether to retire or not and who has been suggested to be new AP City Manager is a joke. He has done a horrible job. The facts speak for themselves : A record amount of shootings & murders in AP and poor communication & cooperation with the community.
Perhaps diligently, but definitely slowly. Has the situation improved in over, say, the past 3 years? Dubious in my mind. This is the same stuff that was going on back then. And similar articles in the paper.
Bythesea: The Asbury Park Police are working diligently on these issues. —-PG
If NYC can clean up Manhattan, why can’t AP police clean up their small town? Is there a lack of will or is there complacency there? Surly they could stamp this out if they wanted to. The town is not big.
Blogfinger has heard from an anonymous source who lives near the Whitfield Hotel, that drug trafficking there has been flagrant. The police were notified. Fortunately, that place will probably be torn down early next year, and the neighbors are awaiting that day.
What Problem? : You sound defensive about drug issues in AP. Are you saying that Asbury Park’s drug problems are minor—just the work of a few people, and, gee,they’re only gang members and they’re only from the southwest section?
Perhaps you haven’t heard about gun violence in AP? Do you think that drugs might be behind that?
One year ago, AP was second only to Camden in violent crimes. At that time, AP Mayor Johnson said, ““We’re not going to arrest our way out of this.We could have police on every single corner of the city and it won’t stop this. We have to deal with the (drug) customers, the dealers, the gang members, and then create opportunities and make sure there are jobs.”
It is what it is, and it ain’t pretty.
Here’s a link from the APP October, 2012.
http://www.app.com/article/20121021/NJNEWS2003/310210012/
Grovers: Be careful out there.
I do not know what article you read, but the one I read said there was only about 20 known people causing all the problems in Asbury Park’s sw side…Sounds more gang related to me…
As to drugs in Ocean Grove…you will always have someone who is doing drugs in any community; a watchful eye of people coming in and out of a house quickly all hours of the day and night is a good indication that something is not right…