MT. ARLINGTON POLICE...SAVED!!
This page will highlight some of the recent press that relates to this issue and the SaveMAPD campagin. The articles and press are listed chronologically by month.
Note: Some of the links to the newstories may not work since they are older news items.
October 2007
* We have scheudled a celebration party. Please consider attending the party at Pub 199 - Sunday, November 11th - 3PM. Officers, Borough Employees, Council Members and Residents of the local community are ALLWelcome! Click here for more info on the party...
* On October 22nd, 2007 the council decided to discontinue the idea of a shared services agreement. I can only conclude that your support and the recent Cusack/Martinez report had a lot to do with that decision. Thank you for your support and efforts! Stay tuned for information about a community celebration party.
* Please take the time to read the Cusack/Martinez unbiased and thorough examination of the MAPD situation. This study, requested by the SaveMAPD campaign also addresses the shortcomings of the Blue Shield Study which Mt. Arlington paid $43,400 AND presents new alternatives for the Mayor and Council to consider. Here is the letter to the mayor and council regarding this NEW study and here is the study itself. Also, here is an email exchange between Mayor Ondish and Coleen Cusack in which Ms. Cusack explains to Mayor Ondish in more detail about the shortcomings of the Blue Shield Report. Please take the time to review some recent press about the Cusack/Martinez report: here is the Roxbury Register (PDF) article, this is the Daily Record article (PDF); and here is the Star Ledger (PDF). Finally, here is the Blue Shield study itself.
* Take the time to review Councilwoman Mulligan's response to the Blue Shield Study as well as other responses to the Blue Shied Study below:
* Please review the recent press regarding the Cusack/Martinez study; this is the Daily Record article (PDF); and here is the Star Ledger (PDF), here is the Roxbury Register (PDF) article. Finally, here is the Blue Shield study itself.
* Here are some initial resident responses to the Blue Shield Report that was just released.
* Take a moment to read the front pageDaily Record story titled "Report: Get rid of Mt. Arlington Police Department". Also, here is the PRINT HEADLINE, "Report: Nix Mt. Arlington Police!" We are confident that this headline will serve to further motivate us!
* Please take a moment to reivew the agreement between MTA and Blue Shield.We are looking to make sure the contracted services are in alignment with what is included in the report.
* The local Jefferson newspaper took the time to attend a recent council meeting and report on this issue. Take a few moments to read the article in AIM Jefferson.
* We thank Diana, the Community Relations Manager at New Seasons assisted living for taking the initiative and starting a petition at their communicy in Mt. Arlington. (PDF)
* Thank you to the NJ Libertarian Party who is currently taking the time to investigate whether certain provisions of the OPMA (Open Public Meetings Act) may not have been followed. Click here to read the recent letter to MTA officials.The OPMA law is meant to make sure that residents of a community have fair and equal access to certain information contained in private and public meetings. As a SaveMAPD supporter, we need to be assured that we have access to all information related to this issue. Here is the Daily Record article (PDF) which discusses this issue as well.
September 2007
* Thank you to the Daily Record for publishing this very positive article about the MAPD and its' officers!
* The Thursday edition of the Roxbury Register has a front page story about the MAPD issue. The headline reads, "Residents grill council on possible merger. Consultant's skill questioned". Thank you again for everyone who took the time to attend!
* Take the time to read the article in Monday's Daily Record. Although the article is a bit slanted, it does give some good publicity for the SaveMAPD cause.
* The SaveMAPD campaign has aquired the Mine Hill / Wharton study (pdf) conducted by Blue Shield Consulting. It is important that we take the time to read this study so that we can ask questions about it.The decision to disband the Mine Hill department is based on this study and the decision to disband the MAPD will heavily rely on the study Blue Shied Consulting is now conducting.
* Please take the time to read a well written and emotional letter to the Mayor. We apprecaite SaveMAPD supporters who take the time to write about why our Mt. Arlington police officers are the "best" and cannot be replaced.
* The SaveMAPD campaign applauds MTA residents like Mrs. Veronica Silkes who have taken the time to do research on this issue and Blue Shield Consulting. Mrs. Silkes then took the time to write to Mayor Ondish as well as a Morris County Freeholder. If you are a supporter of the MAPD, we encourage you to write to various elected officals and ask them to get involved with this issue.
*Thank you to the Roxbury Register for publishing this piece and showing support for the SaveMAPD campaign by allowing us to have equal space in the recent edition of the Register.
August 2007
* Thank you News 12 New Jersey for taking the time to cover this important issue. Click here for the news story that aired on August 31 (video).
* A nice article about the SaveMAPD campaign appeared on the front Page of the Star Ledger Morris County section.They made a small mistake with regard to the donations collected - It should read $4,000...not $40,000 - we wish we had that amount of funds to work with!
* Fred Snowflack of the Daily Record wrote a very interesting article in the Sunday Daily Record which mentions the SaveMAPD campaign as well as other town issues.
*On 8/23, the Mayor approached the SaveMAPD campaign and asked if we would be willing to post an article which discusses some potential advantages of sharing services. In an effort to show the Mayor and council that the SaveMAPD campaign is willing to "work" with the council, we have decided to post the article as they have requested. Please take a moment to skim the article and then read a well-qualified resident who took the time to respond.
* We thank SaveMAPD supporters like Carla who take the time to write a letter to the Daily Record. Please take the time to read what Carla has to say.
* MTA Council Meeting Recap:We thank all the SaveMAPD supporters who took the time out of their busy schedule to attend the MTA council meeting on 8/13. Without question, it was the most well attended council meeting in the past several years! We have put together a recap of the meeting. Please take the time to read through this recap carefully as it will help us ask the "right" questions at this point in the SaveMAPD campaign. Click Here for Recap.
* A front page article in the Roxbury Register appeared today; the campaign was not directly contacted with regard to the article. We are uncertain how exactly the mayor can guarantee that services won't dimish...? That is a bold and daring position to take when we think about the relationsip the officers have with the community and the rapid response time that residents' currently enjoy. These articles are great publicity for the cause, as we have seen from our poll, there is a 9 to 1 ratio from supporters to non-supporters - every bit of press is good press because we find new supporters! Thank you Roxbury Register!
* Several SaveMAPD supporters have written letters to the editors! We thank them for taking the extra time to submit thier opinion to the Record. Here is an opinion by Ms. Bongiorno-Howard and one by Mr. Glavin.
*An unsigned letter and/or article was published in the Daily Record today. It seems very odd and irresponsible that the Daily Record would publish an article that was unsigned! In any case, click here to read the story and make sure your leave your comments at the end of the story!
* Great publicity for the SaveMAPD campaign continues to spread! Here is the 8/7/2007 article in the Roxbury Register.
July 2007
* The Sunday Daily Record published the NJ FOP's opinion of this issue on 7/22/07. Also, the FOP sent a mailer (pdf) to all residents of Mt. Arlington. Please take the time to read these well written pieces.
* Good word for the cause is getting around! The Daily Record article entitled "Don't get rid of Mt. Arlington's own cops" (pdf) appeared on the front page of the 7/11/2007 Opinion Section!
*A 15-year resident of Mt. Arlington writes to the editor of the Daily Record on 7/15/2007 and says "Don't outsource our police dept.".
*Take the time to read the 6/28/2007 Daily Record article, "Mt. Arlington leads way in Census Growth". Should the 3rd fasest growing town in NJ consider disbanding its own police department?