Police and Fire

The following is the Maplewood Police blotter for February 6 through February 26: February…

“All those communities that were devastated by Tropical Storm Ida and by all the subsequent storms, they all relied on that obligation to do work,” said Township Committeeperson Vic DeLuca. “People spent money and they need to be reimbursed.”

“We talked to a lot of adults, we talked to a lot of people who are supposed to defend me, protect me. And it’s confusing to me,” said the student. “They’re supposed to protect me and defend me from people trying to hurt me and people attempting to assault me. And they didn’t do that.”

Supporters say actions that were taken in protest of an IDF soldier were justified; local and statewide leaders say protesters crossed a line.

“To our dismay, Friends of Frank is now under attack for standing up for Frank”, read an email raising funds for the three defendants. Meanwhile, former BOE member Elissa Malespina said that “false statements made about me have caused significant damage to my reputation, my career, and my emotional well-being.”

Meanwhile, Irvington Avenue and several nearby streets will soon see some traffic calming measures like blinking pedestrian crossing signs and solar-powered speed displays.

Mayor Sheena Collum: “This is such an important issue to the South Orange Council, to members of our community, and not just people in our community, but people who work in our community, people who visit our community.”

Councilwoman Jennifer Greenberg: “The pain and fear that these acts create cannot be underestimated. In these challenging times, we cannot allow intolerance to take root.”

The vandalism and protests were related to programming that featured an elite rescue unit of the Israel Defense Forces. The incident is being investigated as a bias crime.

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