During the period between July 24, 2023, through July 30, 2023, members of the GRPD handled 254 calls for service, the highlights of which included
07-24-2023
8:37 AM – The staff at the Glen Rock Recycling Center discovered yard waste that had been dumped in front of the Recycling Center gate after the facility had closed on Saturday, July 22nd. The responding officer viewed video surveillance footage which identified the occupant of a white Tesla who had dumped waste at the gate after closing on Saturday, July 22nd, and the occupant of a Mercedes Benz who had also dumped waste at the gate Sunday morning July 23rd. The officer was able to identify both individuals, a 39-year-old Glen Rock man and a 38-year-old Glen Rock man, both of whom were issued summonses for illegal dumping. An appearance in Glen Rock Municipal Court will be required for both.
07-26-2023
3:40 PM – As a result of an investigation into a vehicle stolen from a Ferndale Avenue residence on July 9th, Det. Lucas Doney recovered the vehicle in a parking garage in the Bronx, NY. The vehicle in question, a 2021 Audi Q5, was found to have had its vehicle identification number (VIN) altered and the vehicle’s license plates were removed and replaced with out-of-state plates. The key fob for the vehicle was recovered with the cooperation of the garage manager as well as video surveillance footage. Det. Doney was able to confirm that the vehicle was in fact the one stolen from Glen Rock.
The New York City Police Department – 42nd Precinct, and the Audi Stolen Vehicle Department assisted with the recovery of the stolen vehicle. The investigation is continuing.
07-27-2023
Several residents contacted police after sunrise to report suspicious activity which had occurred outside their homes. Three residents provided video footage of two actors prowling around their homes between 2:00 AM and 3:00 AM. These incidents occurred on the 500 block of Ackerman Avenue, the 200 block of S. Highwood Avenue, and Rockingham Place. The residents were not aware that these attempts had occurred until they woke up after 6:00 AM and found the alerts on their home surveillance systems.
No theft or property damage was reported in any of these incidents, which are becoming increasingly common throughout the region. This serves as a reminder to everyone that it is important to lock your homes, and your vehicles, and never leave your keys or other valuables in your vehicle. Most often these individuals go from house to house, unnoticed in the darkness, looking for unlocked doors. If everything is secure, they ordinarily move along. Members of the public are asked to contact the police immediately, but not to confront these individuals, some of whom are believed to be armed.
07-27-2023
2:19 PM – Patrols, along with EMS personnel, were dispatched to the Glen Rock Landfill in response to a worker injured by an overturned excavator. A Glen Rock DPW worker in his 40s suffered trauma and a laceration to his left leg when the Bobcat Mini Excavator he was operating flipped on its side.
He was treated on scene by Paramedics from Valley Hospital and EMTs from the Glen Rock Vol. Ambulance Corps was then transported to the Valley Hospital ER with non-life-threatening injuries.
Glen Rock Firefighters also assisted on the scene.
A follow-up investigation is being conducted by the NJ Department of Health – Division of Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health.
07-27-2023
4:04 PM – A Glen Rock resident reported discovering four fraudulent charges on their debit card. The charges were generated via Apple Pay. The complainant notified their bank, and the debit card was immediately canceled. Apple declined to release information about the purchases to the complainant, citing privacy concerns. The matter has been referred to the Detective Bureau for review.
07-28-2023
5:58 PM – A resident reported that two individuals, claiming to be roofing contractors knocked on their door unsolicited, stating the complainant’s roof appeared to be in need of repair and offered to provide an estimate. They provided a business flyer and the resident agreed to the estimate. Shortly thereafter the resident heard a banging on their roof and went outside to find that the men had climbed up on their roof and that there was now a hole in it. The resident demanded that they stop and that the damage done to their home be repaired. The purported roofers claimed that they would leave to obtain some wood and shingles and return to fix the roof, which they did not. The complainant could only describe the vehicle as a grey pickup truck with damage to the rear, however, they were able to provide video images from their home surveillance system.
The business flyer provided a website www.goldentouchpavingandmasonry.com, however, the phone number listed was not in service. The Detective Bureau is currently investigating.
Roofing scams are extremely common. Most often when someone knocks on your door unsolicited and offers to inspect your roof for free, they are scammers. After the inspection, the conclusion is, of course, that the roof has substantial damage and needs to be fixed right away. There are many scams out there, but they are all variations of fraud. Don’t let anyone on your roof without doing your homework.
Here are some questions you should ask a roofing contractor:
- Ask for a permanent place of business, telephone number, tax identification number. Home improvement contractors are required to register with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs. newjersey.mylicense.com/verification/
- Insist on seeing copies of the contractor’s liability insurance coverage and workers’ compensation certificates. Make sure the coverages are in effect during the job.
- Request client references and a list of completed projects. Call these clients to find out whether they were satisfied.
- Insist on a written proposal and examine it for a complete description of the work and specifications, including approximate start and completion dates and payment procedures.
- Ask the contractor to explain their project supervision and quality-control procedures. Request the name of the person who will be in charge, how many workers will be required, and the estimated time of completion.
- Request a roofing warranty. Carefully read and understand it and watch for provisions that would void it.
- Keep a healthy skepticism about the lowest bid. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
