Mayor’s Column: SEE IT — HEAR IT — REPORT IT!
SEE IT- HEAR IT — REPORT IT!
You may have noticed signs throughout Voorhees with this slogan encouraging residents to assist our Police Department in preventing criminal activity.
Crime prevention is the anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a crime risk and taking action to remove or reduce the risk. If you see a crime in progress or suspicious activity, or hear something strange such as a crash, loud bang, or scream, you should immediately contact the Voorhees Township Police Department. Try to provide as much information as possible. In an emergency, dial 911. In a non-emergency, call (856) 428–5400. The Police Department’s Anonymous Crime Tip Line is (856) 627–7174.
Also, since this is a popular time for leaving your house unoccupied to go on vacation, you can inform our police the dates you will be away and they will provide an increased patrol of your home. Our Police Department is also offering a free security survey to all residents and business owners in Voorhees. Sgt. Bill Walsh has over 10 years of experience in the department and will use his crime prevention knowledge to educate homeowners and business owners of the dangers associated with crime and burglaries. Sgt. Walsh will meet with homeowners and business owners to identify potential security weaknesses. To schedule an appointment for the survey or to have our police keep a watchful eye on your home while you are on vacation, call the Voorhees Township Police Crime Prevention Office at (856) 882–1104.
The Voorhees Police Department is also requesting residents, businesses and organizations that have security cameras on their property to complete a short registration form. The registration does not give the Voorhees Police Department access to your camera system, but allows our police to maintain a database of active cameras in the event a crime occurs in your area. For example, if a burglary occurs down the street from your property, the police would contact you and ask permission to access your camera to see if an image of a vehicle or suspect was captured on your camera. A detective would phone you and ask to review the footage. Participating properties will receive a decal with the official Voorhees Police Safe Cam logo to display as an additional deterrent to crime. The form is on the Voorhees Police web page, www.vtpd.com.
The Voorhees Police Department is also active on Nextdoor. Founded in 2010, Nextdoor helps you share relevant updates in your neighborhood and fosters communication with your neighbors on everything from finding a babysitter to helping each other after storms or floods.Nextdoor is a free service that anyone can join. Users need to verify their address to prove they live in the community they are joining. Our police are not able to see any of the content on your Nextdoor website, but you can reply to police messages and send them private messages. To join Nextdoor, visit https://nextdoor.com/. You can also sign up and follow our police on Nextdoor by visiting https://nextdoor.com/agency/nj/voorhees-township/voorhees-township-police/.
The Voorhees Police Department has also established a “Safe Exchange Zone” in the visitor parking lot at the Voorhees Police Administration Building located at 1180 White Horse Road. There is an area on the northeast corner of the visitor parking lot with a painted yellow sidewalk and signage marking the zone. It should be noted that police personnel are not in the police station at all times and it is recommended that that transactions be conducted during normal business hours, Monday-Friday. If this is not possible, the area is recorded with 24 hour video surveillance and routinely patrolled.
Keeping our community safe is a team effort between our residents and our police department. Please take advantage of the many safety programs the Voorhees Township Police Department has to offer.
**The deadline to submit applications for this year’s Voorhees Veterans Wall of Honor is July 29. Information about the Wall and the application may be found on the homepage of our website at www.voorheesnj.com or obtained in the Municipal Clerk’s Office at Town Hall.
** The second show in our Summer Twilight Series is Thursday, July 21 and will feature “Parrot Beach,” the Jimmy Buffett tribute band. “Parrot Beach”captures the laid back attitude and authentic tropical sounds for which Buffett is famous. Soak up the beach experience and enjoy a “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” The show is free and begins at 7:30 p.m. at Connolly Park.
** Voorhees Township is offering discounted tickets to Morey’s Piers in Wildwood. Tickets are available in the Municipal Clerk’s Office at Voorhees Town Hall. Prices vary according to the type of ticket and several options are available to residents and non-residents. For more information about tickets visit www.voorheesnj.com.