Mayor’s Column: Voorhees Police has two new initiatives to increase public safety
The Voorhees Township Police Department has two new initiatives to increase public safety for our residents. We now have a Safe Exchange Zone at our police headquarters and a NextDoor application is now live.
The Safe Exchange Zone is designed to help protect our residents as robberies, thefts and scams become more prevalent with online transaction sites such as Craigslist. The Safe Exchange Zone is set up in the parking lot in front of the police building located at 1180 White Horse Road. The lighting in the area has been upgraded and is monitored 24 hours a day by a state of the art camera surveillance system. If a meeting with a stranger is arranged to conduct an online transaction, the Safe Exchange Zone is now available for your peace of mind. Signs are posted stating the area is under 24-hour surveillance by our police. Municipal employees are not available for legal advice or allowed to settle disputes between parties involved in transactions occurring at the police station. Transactions involving weapons, drugs or drug paraphernalia are barred from the Safe Exchange Zone.
NextDoor is an application that allows residents to sign up to share information concerning their neighborhood via the Internet, similar to a community bulletin board. Neighbors can post things such as parties, items for sale, lost or found animals, helping neighbors in need, etc. Through a privacy filter, the police will monitor topics being discussed on NextDoor. Our police cannot view the actual conversations between residents, but will see the topics and can respond if a topic is police related such as crimes, home security, suspicious activity or speeding. Our police can reach out to the parties and get involved if requested. Residents can also contact our Police Department directly through this site. The site is being equated to “The Neighborhood Watch” of the future. You can sign up at the free site at www.nextdoor.com.
**The Lions Club will host “Breakfast with Santa” on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Lions Lake Park Banquet Facility, 101 Dutchtown Road. Santa moves from table to table to visit with the children so bring your camera. For more information, call Dennis Hunt at (856) 795–4273.
** In addition to their service while on duty, our police are active in serving our community while off duty. For more than a decade the Voorhees Township Police Department has sponsored a Holiday Fund Drive to help bring smiles to the faces of deserving local families. Donations can be made in person or by mail to Stephanie Fowler, the Voorhees Police Holiday Fund, 1180 White Horse Road, Voorhees NJ 08043. Make checks payable to the Voorhees Police Holiday Fund.
** Santa Claus has arrived at the Voorhees Town Center. He will be available for photographs Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pet photos with Santa are available from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays. For more information about holiday events, visit www.voorheestowncenter.com.
