On May 21, 2024 we experienced an unprecedented event at Wilde Memorial Park after there were gun shots on the basketball courts. Since then, the Borough administration, police, and OEM have formed a Public safety group (and two sub groups) to evaluate and look at how to move forward and keep the residents safe while at Wilde Memorial Park.
The main Public Safety Group includes:
- GRPD Chief, + 2 Lieutenants
- Mayor + 2 council members
- OEM (Fire Chief, GRPD Sgt., 1 civilian)
- Borough Administrator
- Borough Attorney
- Parks & Rec. Director This groups tasks include:
- Reverse 911 Protocol Review/ PIO
- Outreach to private schools for assistance with crisis management.
- Research Green Acres Rules/Obligations
- Outline GRPD regulations. (Marijuana, large gatherings, smoking, foul language)
- Signage/Infrastructure Assessment
- Ordinance Research/Review
- Review/Respond to BCPO Report
- Create Public Survey
- Outreach to neighboring PD’s
In addition to this group, they formed a sub group
- Borough Administrator, Lenora Benjamin
- Mayor Morieko, Council President Orlich, Councilmember Barchetto
- OEM members: Tom Jennings & Joanne Perry
- Borough Attorney
- Parks & Rec Director, Bryan McDonnell Tasks include:
- Request to have GRPD at all council meetings.
- Outreach to Neighboring communities.
- Outreach to Statewide officials.
- Engage Borough Engineer, DPW.
- Review and report usage of all fields/courts at Memorial.
- Analyze recommendations from Public Safety professionals.
- Plan Public Forum for the Community
During the town hall meeting on September 14, 2024, Mayor Kristine Morieko presented the following recommendations to move forward:
Physical Changes:
- Installation of permanent Cameras
- Establish Park Hours
- Establish operating hours for the Basketball Courts.
- Electric Locking System for gates
- Additional Exit Gates
• Increased Signage Creating “Zone”s for Park identification Improving Sightlines/Lighting
The other idea was to repurposing the basketball court. The suggestions include: 3 more pickleball courts, Futsal Court, batting cages, or “indoor” volleyball court.
Fast forward to the Mayor and Council meeting on 9/25/2024.
During the work session, the mayor and council talked about the Public Safety recommendations on how to re-open the courts, citing recommendations to make physical changes as well as increased police presence at the park. The physical changes include self locking gates, These would self lock at 6pm every night. If the GRPD see people on the courts after they are locked, they have cause to remove them and will monitor from GRPD HQ.
It was also mentioned that another thought could be to relocate the courts to someplace else in the borough to take easy access away from out-of-towners.
One of the recommendations, more police presence, is being addressed by adding multiple camera monitors in the police department and at Central Dispatch so that they can see, at all times, what is going on at the park. These are currently up and running with the temporary camera system that is installed at this time. The permanent cameras are expected to be completely functionally by mid October. Regarding extra police presence, Chief Ackermann asked for funding to move forward to hire another special officer, whose training would begin in January. Until such time, officers will continue their increased patrols through the park.
After couple of residents asked if they could publicly see the reports from the task force findings, Chief Ackermann and the Borough Attorney, stated “This information could be used against the safety of the borough so it will not be shared publicly. What can be shared is shared through the police blotter sent out to the media every week.”**
The Council voted unanimously (the Mayor does not vote) to move forward to start securing the Basketball courts with the recommended physical changes to the park as listed above. After these changes are done, then they will reopen the courts.
** AS stated at the work session, Banana Tree News does publish the police blotter every week when we receive it from the GRPD.
