Rahway’s 14-percent drop in crime last year followed a wider trend throughout the area of declining crime rates, including a 13-percent dip in Union County overall and a 4-percent drop statewide.
Continue reading Drop in Rahway crime rate followed regional trend
Overall incidents of crime in Rahway dropped by 14 percent from 2012 to 2013, including an 11-percent decline in nonviolent crime and 38 percent in violent crime, according to the latest Uniform Crime Report (UCR) released last week by the State Police.
In an effort to improve traffic safety as well as security around the train station, the Police Department has startd installing lane barriers along Milton Avenue, beneath the train trestle.
Illegal parking under the railroad has been an issue for some time. “This is something we have put a lot of thought into, and we have tried enforcement with negligible results,” Police Chief John Rodger said. “When we issue summons or chase cars out they come back pretty quickly and we just don’t have the ability to be there every moment.”
A layout was tested two weeks ago and the east side of the street was installed on Monday, with the other side pending weather and manpower, the chief said.
It’s always been illegal to park under the bridge and with the alert system in place post-9/11 the area was specifically designated a problem, Rodger said. Police also get a lot of complaints that motorists trying to turn left from Broad Street onto Milton Avenue can’t see and have to pull out into the intersection.
“We are hopeful that this solution will deter parking in that area, and eliminate the mid-block pedestrian crossings to get to vehicles previously parked under the bridge, while at the same time providing line of sight for vehicles trying to enter the intersection,” he said.
Once both sides of the street are completed, Rodger said there will be zero tolerance for vehicles parked in the bus stop or taxi stand on West Milton Avenue.
Overall crime dropped 13 percent last year compared to 2011, including a nearly 10-percent dip in violent crime, according to statistics released by the Rahway Police Department.
After four years of declines, Rahway saw a spike in reported crime incidents of almost 10 percent in 2011, nearly twice as high a jump as the countywide rate, according to the latest Uniform Crime Report (UCR) (.pdf) by the New Jersey State Police.
The state’s suspension of the red light camera system isn’t stopping Rahway from capturing violators because the city’s two cameras had been in compliance, according to Police Chief John Rodger. State Department of Transportation officials said 63 of the 85 cameras in the state had not been tested to check that yellow lights were timed correctly (one second for every 10 miles per hour), according to this report from nj.com last month.
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| St. Georges Ave at Maple Ave |
Rodger said the state’s blanket suspension of the red light program doesn’t affect Rahway because the timing of the city’s existing cameras (at Routes 1/9 at East Milton Avenue and St. Georges Avenue at Maple Avenue) were certified. Violations are still being captured — as they are in other towns that are in compliance — and once the suspension is lifted, violations will be issued. Rodger said the department has 90 days to issue a violation and expects the statewide suspension to be lifted shortly. He estimated about 1,000 violations monthly at Rahway’s two intersections.
Meanwhile, two more cameras are set to be installed later this summer, at Inman and St. Georges Avenues and Routes 1/9 and East Grand Avenue. After a 30-day test and evaluation period, Rodger expects they could be operational by sometime in September.
The $55 fine is split between Union County and Rahway, which receives another $18.50 for court fees (for a total $46). An additional $55 goes to the State Highway Trust Fund, according to Rodger, and the Safe Corridor violation (along Routes 1&9) is $140.
Overall crime in Rahway dipped some 15 percent last year, led by drops in larceny, burglary and motor vehicle thefts. It’s the fourth year in a row crime has dropped, according to the state Uniform Crime Report (UCR).
Expect increased enforcement of the parking restrictions beneath the train trestle on West Milton Avenue.
Continue reading Increased enforcement beneath train trestle