MT. ARLINGTON POLICE...SAVED!!

This page is dedicated to highlighting the Mt. Arlington resident who has heart-warming stories about thier relationship with the Mt. Arlington Police.  Each week we will highlight new testimonial(s).

"We went thru a similar situation in our town about tens years ago. In the end it boiled down to a few key points: 1. Having your own police force that knows the town & the residents better that any shared or contracted deparment could. Our residents made that abundently clear to our governing body, including the fact that residents were willing to pay a little extra for this. 2. Residents were convinced that the quality of service could not be maintained by a neighboring town. 3. While there may be some cost savings initially, how can the town assure its residents that when it is time to renew the contract with a neighboring town, the costs will not surpass that of maintaing our own PD. Let alone the costs to re-establish a PD, if the shared services fail. 4. Once the services are contracted out, what controls does the governing body have to adrress problems, poor coverage, poor response times or inadequate service. When this topic first arose in our town I was for the shared service and cost savings, but when you look at the bigger picture & the intangibles. I am glad I quickly changed my mind. I am very happy in our small town & our small PD, I will go as far to say as I am proud of Netcong PD. Part of living in a small town is our PD. it is a major factor in our quality of life! Just one small eample of this: I was working late in my gargage and went to bed about 11 pm, not realizing I had left the garage door open. a couple hours later my phone rang, it was one of our Netcong patrol officer's He called me personally from his cell phone to let me know that my garge door was open. I want to point out some obvious points in this event. One that the officer new who lived in this particular house, that he took the time to call personally, and the fact that he noticed the door and took the time to adress it. While I mean no disrespect to larger area departments, but would this level of service be provided by a contract to a larger neighboring community?? I urge everyone in Mt. Arlington to look for the bigger picture. "A better quality of live versus a few extra tax dollars each year!"

- Peter Schroeder, MAPD supporter


"I think our police force is one of the best. When making a decision to disband the police force you must also take into consideration that there are many down sides to this that I am sure the report will not reflect, such as the liability that Mount Arlington will assume for the acts of the officers on the other police force, has the proper research been done to include whether or not there are suits, claims, actions filed against each and every officer on the other department. Perhaps the other police department's officers are not as profressional as ours and the potential liability to our residents could be substantially increased by the acts of these officers. I believe that for the report to be extensive enough to address all of the possible issues with merging forces with another municipality you must not only take into consideration the positive effects but also the potential for negative impact on our municipality. Be very careful when making decisions to get rid of a well oiled machine."

- Diane Sibilia, Mt. Arlington Resident


"You ask me to be unemotional and wait. You ask me to hold my voice and wait. You ask me to be trusting in your decisions and wait. You say don’t worry about it, just wait. With that being said, can you tell me how I can sit back and wait when my friends, those that have proven their trustworthiness, are in jeopardy of losing their jobs? Can you tell me how I can sit back and wait when my friends, those who have protected me day in and day out, are put on notice that the department they have worked in for years may be disbanded. Can you tell me how I can sit back and wait concerned that my friends, who have treated me like their family, may not be a phone call away to care for my loved ones, as they have for years, on a moment’s notice? I will not and cannot sit back and wait! The officers that serve Mt. Arlington are a part of my family, they have proven that they are a necessary part of our community and we want to show our support. We share similar stories of the impact they have had on this community. The country that we live in has granted us the right to speak our minds, we are acting as Americans, standing up showing our concern and letting our local government know how important Rich, James, Keith, Reggie, Ed, Bill, Greg, Gregory, Pat, Joe, Dennis, Chris, Matt are to us. We do NOT want to see them go and we will do what we can to keep them patrolling the streets of the Mt. Arlington we are proud of. SaveMAPD"

- Mt. Arlington Resident, (published in Roxbury Register on 9/25)


"I have been a police officer for about 10 years and I have nothing but respect for the MAPD- they are well trained, disciplined and loyal to their community. I am also a resident of Roxbury Twp., and I think the Township of Roxbury is best served by keeping their PD focused on their large township. It is very rare for a municipality such as Mt. Arlington to have such loyal officers with a community so strongly behind them - I encourage the residents of Mt. Arlington to stand strong and fight to keep their local PD. If and when the MAPD is gone, they will be gone for good!  I hope the residents of Mt. Arlington  and Council realize that there is no "getting them back" once they're disbanded. It is a risky proposition for the Mayor and Council to "roll the dice" with their police department because there is no guarantee they will receive the same excellent service they now enjoy."

- Sean O'Hare, Morris Twp. Police Officer

"I know how important it is to keep our police department in place. Merging the PD with another town, will only increase our taxes in the not to distant future. In addition to losing control and public safety, We the resdients will be forced to pay whatever Roxbury charges Mount Arlington for the services they provide to our town. The thought that our taxes will be cheaper is not true. It is a smoke screen, it is window dressing. Mr. Mayor, you know that! Mount Arlington is a safe place to live and raise our families, lets keep it that way. "

- Carlos Irimia, Mt. Arlington Resident

"The Mount Arlington Police Department is one of the finest in the area. I have required their emergency services in the past, fearing my mother was having a heart attack. MTA Police responded in two minutes with a full EMT kit and quickly controlled the situation. No other department watching over our town could beat that repsonse time. I feel safe living under the protection of the Mount Arlington Police Department, and as a Mount Arlington resident and voter I feel that to disband the department would be a terrible mistake on the part of the mayor and council."

- Joseph Juzwin, Mt. Arlington Resident


"Urge our elected officials to realize the long term results of any change that removes the feelings of comfort and safety of our residents as a result of the loss of a dedicated police department."

-Beth E. Ward, Mt. Arlingto Resident


"I urge Mayor Ondish and our Council to be diligent in their research and cautious in their conclusions. The Mt. Arlington Police Department is a part of "who we are." They have kept our community safe and been responsive to its citizens. I am not in favor of merging their services with another township."

-Audrey Svenningsen, Mt. Arlington Resident "In 2004, I retired as Chief of Police of the Pequannock Township Police Department after 30 years of service. I was shocked when I recently learned that Mount Arlington is considering disbanding their fine police department. While I recognize that professional policing costs money, what price do you put on public safety especially in these most trying times? Who better knows their community better than their local police officers. Law enforcement is not a job but a vocation. Officers take this job knowing the dangers, undesireable work schedules, public apathy, and the lack of a normal family lifestyle. They enlist because of their strong desire to make their community a better place for their fellow citizens. A neighboring police department contracting police services for Mount Arlington may provide acceptable services, but will never put the interests of a secondary community on par with their own. I hope you seriously reconsider disbanding your police department. The residents deserve better. Public safety cannot be taken lightly. Your local police department is the heart and soul of the community, and its officers dedicate their entire professional careers to make it a better and safer place. Thank you! I'm confident you will do the right thing."

- Chief William Montano, Retired - Pequannock Twp.

“I cannot believe that the Council and Mayor feel that having our own police department is not necessary. These officers are the heart of the community. They work together with the schools to keep everyone safe. They care about the students and have helped our students in many ways. Personally, they have been a great comfort to me. When I lost my husband, K. Licata had the awful task of notifying me that my husband died on the job. He was compassionate, kind, and caring and I'll never forget how well that terrible situation was handled. I also live alone and knowing that these officers are only 1 to 2 minutes away is such a great comfort. When my alarm went off at 3:00 oclock in the morning, indicating a break in, they were there immediately to search the grounds and house and make sure that everything was ok. I am sure that most officers do their jobs well, but the Mt. Arlington police really cares about its citizens - we are family. I don't believe officers from Wharton, Jefferson or Roxbury are going to have the dedication and loyalty to this town that the Mt. Arlington police do. If something in town must go, then let it be the town council.”

- S. Longo , Mt. Arlington Resident

"The Mount Arlington Police Department are highly trained, professional Officers who take pride in serving our community. They have dedicated their life’s to serve and protect the citizens of Mount Arlington and in doing so enhanced the quality of life in our ever increasing community. Now it’s time for the residents of this town to stand together and protect them. Please help Save MAPD so our town can continue to receive the highest level of professional law enforcement services."

- Tim Abline, Mt. Arlington Resident

"Having your OWN Police Dept. in the town that you live in is ALWAYS more beneficial than having another Dept. take over your Town, because the Connection and Trust formed between the community and the officers is a bond that has been developed over a long period of time; a bond that can't be replaced by outsiders who know nothing about the people and the community as a whole. The Best Thing for the Mayor to do, is to Think about the Safety and Concerns of the Public in which he serves and Re-think his intensions of a Break Up of Our Police Department! Remember- The Mayor is only an elected position - The members of the Community Will Always have the Last Say. Taxes paid for A Police Dept. is Always a 'Yes' on a voting Ballot."

- Melissa Huizenga, Mt. Arlington Resident