Chief Tracy Seeks to Create Community Policing Bureau
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Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus USPS 680020 Published Every Thursday OUR 111th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 06-111 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. Thursday, October 19, 2000 Since 1890 (908) 232-4407 FIFTY CENTS State Releases Chief Tracy Seeks to Create Re-Scored ESPA Tests Community Policing Bureau By LAWRENCE HENRY By PAUL J. PEYTON public, “and be very fair and con- all permits lots, with the exception of Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Specially Written for The Westfield Leader structive in doing it.” Waterson Street, will increase from After releasing preliminary results New Westfield Police Chief Ber- He said the goal of issuing speed- $30 a month to $50 per month for of the state-administered Elemen- nard Tracy told the Town Council ing tickets is not to increase revenue persons paying semi-annually. Per- tary School Proficiency Assessment Tuesday night that he is developing a but to change people’s behavior. sons paying annually will pay $45. (ESPA) last month, the New Jersey plan to create a combined bureau of “I think my officers should be part Those rates would be effective Janu- Department of Education “pulled community policing and youth aid in of the community. I think a Westfield ary 1, 2001. back” the test results, according to the town. police officer is a Westfield police Rates of $65 and $58.50, that had Westfield Assistant Superintendent The new combined unit would re- officer and I think he should know been scheduled to go in effect next of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. place the current Juvenile Bureau. that. “I don’t think that by distancing year, will now be effective January 1, Janie P. Edmonds. Juvenile investigations would be yourself from the public and from 2004, Town Administrator Thomas At the Tuesday meeting of the turned over to investigators who cur- the merchants you are doing your Shannon told The Westfield Leader. Westfield Board of Education, Dr. rently only handle adult cases. Offic- job.” The Council intends to amend its Edmonds explained that the state ers would be assigned to schools on He said the department needs to parking fee ordinance, unveiled last then re-scored the Language Arts a rotating basis so all officers de- formulate a “clear and concise week, to scale the fee hikes back. portion of the test, and re-released velop a relationship with school chil- policy” that is goal-oriented that of- “The Council feels this is a win- the scores. dren. ficers would follow. Chief Tracy said win in softening the rate increase,” Westfield’s results were uniformly Chief Tracy noted that in the early he objected to the enforcement of the Mr. Shannon stated. high, showing 85 percent or more of 1970s, the town had three detectives jaywalking ordinance after 25 years He indicated that the Council may students passing all portions of the assigned to juvenile crime, which of not enforcing the statute, stating have to approve placing a “small test. In the math and science sec- was very high at the time. He said that any such decision must be backed infusion” of tax revenue into future tions, the district’s schools rated in there are the same number of inves- up by a goal-oriented plan and a municipal budgets to offset projected the 90 percent range. A drop of about tigators assigned to juvenile crime “clear and precise policy statement.” deficits for the operation of a parking five points from last year was seen in cases, despite the fact that the juve- The new chief also said his ser- deck planned for lots 1 and 8 at Elm the re-scored Language Arts section. nile crime rate is one-tenth of what it geants need to become “micro man- and Prospect Streets. “We will look at that,” promised was in the 1970s. agers” by evaluating the department’s Fourth Ward Councilman Superintendent of Schools Dr. Will- “It’s a goal to introduce all of my goals and needs. He said police su- Lawrence Goldman said he was con- iam J. Foley. officers into the community and into pervisors need on-going training. cerned of increasing rates in one full The revised scores will be mailed the schools; have school resource Currently, training ends when an of- swoop, in seeking a phased-in rate to parents this week, along with a officers and have these people be ficer moves up to the rank of ser- increase. four-page letter from Dr. Foley. The part of our community,” he told the geant. Mr. Shannon said the town will letter echoes some of the things Dr. council. Chief Tracy also said he wants stay with the plan to double short- Foley said at the September 14 board “I want to create a better partner- good people and communication term meter rates from 25 cents to 50 meeting, when he criticized the state ship between my police department skills to be a major quality the de- cents per hour. However, long-term testing procedures. and all of Westfield, from the young- partment requires in its recruitment meter, eight- and 12-hours in length, “I am troubled by the way the est child to our senior citizens,” Chief efforts. will be kept at a quarter an hour. testing system is being carried out in Cheri Rogowsky for The Westfield Leader Tracy indicated. In other business, the Council The parking fee increases are ne- New Jersey,” Dr. Foley wrote in the HANGING ON FOR HALLOWEEN…Scarecrows constructed for a competi- He also said he wants to increase agreed to scale down the rate in- cessitated to crease a user-supported letter. In particular, “The test scores tion at Williams Nursery in Westfield attracted the eyes of shoppers and production of his police officers, such crease for commuter and downtown parking deck of between 600-800 do not tell us anything about a child’s passersby with their unique and clever themes. Pictured, above, this Harry as the writing of tickets and making employee parking permits. spaces. The cost of the deck has been progress. Your child could score in Potter scarecrow hangs on until the results of the contest are revealed. arrests to communicating with the Under the proposed rates, fees for projected at $8.7 and $11.5 million. the high proficient levels on all tests Construction would begin in early and actually have grown very little 2002 and be completed by the holi- academically. The test score ratings day shopping season that year under are arbitrary…” North Avenue ShopRite Gets the Go-Ahead a tight schedule projected by Mr. And finally, the subject that vexed Shannon. the board at Tuesday’s meeting: “The Councilman Goldman indicated he test results provide little basis for believes the town as a whole should improvement.” From Garwood After Eight Years of Wrangling support the deck in part. As Dr. Edmonds said repeatedly in By SUSAN M. DYCKMAN Mr. Vinegra emphasized that Vil- and safety on East Broad Street. In a grid between East Broad Street and In terms of Westfield’s permitted her presentation, “We are not al- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader lage has been “pretty cooperative,” separate proposal, said Mr. Sullivan, North Avenue, including the antici- parking stalls, Third Ward Council- lowed to see the questions.” Dis- It has been eight years since agreeing to make changes to its origi- RBA “could help the town develop a pated impact of a ShopRite develop- man Neil F. Sullivan indicated that tricts, in fact, are not allowed ever to Norman Sevell of Westfield Lumber nal site proposal that are more in traffic-calming method for the entire ment.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 see the ESPA tests or the individual ESPA results. “We’re not even sup- & Home Center signed a contract keeping with Garwood’s downtown posed to read the tests over the with Village Supermarkets of Spring- redevelopment program. For ex- children’s shoulders,” Dr. Edmonds field to allow Village to buy his busi- ample, Village agreed to make some stated. ness site at 628-710 North Avenue to aesthetic improvements to the front The result, according to Dr. Foley’s build a ShopRite supermarket. of the site (e.g. brick pavers). As the letter, is that “There is no item The Town of Westfield fought the municipal engineer pointed out, these analysis…in skills that might help us idea, while the Borough of Garwood improvements are not required, but better target instruction.” embraced it. In the end, Garwood will make the area look more attrac- Teachers don’t have a chance to won, and the supermarket will be tive. help children improve. constructed only on the Garwood Last spring, the Westfield Plan- Dr. Edmonds said that, in re-scor- ing the Language Arts part of the portion of the property. ning Board approved the Sevell re- ESPAs, the state “lowered the bar,” “It was one thing after another, quest to tear down its old lumber both for a passing score (“profi- one lawsuit after another — and here building on one end of its property cient”), and for a top score (“ad- we are,” said Michael Sevell, the and build a new structure on the vanced proficient”). At the pass-fail senior Sevell’s son. Westfield side of the property. mark, the score between “partially “(Garwood) wanted it for a long “It’s good news,” said Mr. Newell. proficient” (which means “not time,” explained Robert Newell, a “We thought we may lose Westfield passed”) and “proficient” (which member of the Westfield Planning Lumber. We’re happy to see West- means “passed”), the re-scoring re- Board.