MAYOR FENTON REPORT FOR 3/10/05                       

 

DAISY MYERS

 

SEE ATTACHED -

 

 

GANG AWEARNESS

 

ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO I SAW SIGNS OF GANGS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I AM A CORRECTIONS OFFICER AND PART OF MY JOB IS TO RECOGNIZE AND IDENTIFY GANG MEMBERS WITHIN THE SYSTEM. I LEARNED THIS THROUGH THE CLASS TAUGHT BY JOHN ANTINORO AND RON HOLVEY.

 

ON MAY 17, 2004 AND OCTOBER 20, 2004 JOHN ANTINORO, SENIOR INVESTIGATOR AND RON HOLVEY, PRINICIPAL INVESTIGATOR, SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION, NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS WERE INSTRUCTORS AT THE BRISTOL TOWNSHIP GANG AWEARNESS SEMINARS.

 

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP INVITED POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, SOME SENT REPRESENTATIVES, SOME HAD OTHER COMITTMENTS, BUT ALL WERE INVITED TO ATTEND. THE SEMINARS WERE VERY INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL WITH INFORMATION OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNAWARE OF, BUT THAT IS WHY I CALLED THESE SEMINARS TO EDUCATE SO WE KNOW THE SIGNS BECAUSE GANGS ARE VERY BIG IN OUR WORLD BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR. WE HAD A SECOND SEMINAR AND INCLUDED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND OFFICIALS WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS. BOTH WERE A HUGH SUCCESS.

 

SO, ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2005 AT 7:00PM THE TOWN WATCH GROUPS ARE INVITED HERE TO THE MUNICIPAL HALL TO ATTEND ANOTHER SEMINAR AND THIS TIME I AM INCLUDING THE WEED AND SEED COMMUNITY AND SEVERAL DIGNITARIES ALONG WITH THE TOWN WATCH GROUPS. IT IS A VERY INFORMATIVE PROGRAM AND WE HOPE TO DO THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS AND ALL THE LOCAL DISTRICT JUSTICES.

 

IT IS MY GOAL TO EDUCATE ALL OR AS MANY COMMUNITY GROUPS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS AS POSSIBLE.  BRISTOL TOWNSHIP WILL HAVE TWO OFFICERS SPECIFICALLY TRAINED TO IDENTIFY GANGS AND GANG RELATED CRIMES. IF THE INDIVIDUALS AND AGENCIES INVOLVED IN OUR LEGAL SYSTEM HAVE THESE TOOLS, WE CAN ALL DO A BETTER JOB, AND ENSURE TOUGHER PENALTIES FOR GANG RELATED OFFENSES.

 

I AM ALSO ADVOCATING FOR THE CREATION OF A REGIONAL GANG TASK FORCE.

 

 

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP CERT PROGRAM

 

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP NOW HAS A COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM. THESE PEOPLE ARE TRAINED TO HELP UNTIL FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVE DURING A MAJOR EVENT. ANYONE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER INTERESTED BEING PART OF THE NEXT TRAINING PROGRAM PLEASE CONTACT GARY ROBERTS AT 215-788-5811 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

 

 

 

NO PLACE FOR HATE

 

IN JANUARY COUNCIL AND I SIGNED A PROCLAMATION ANNOUNCING THE INTENT OF BRISTOL TOWNSHIP TO BECOME A NO PLACE FOR HATE COMMUNITY. SIGNING THE PROCLAMATION WAS ONLY THE FIRST STEP. WE ARE WORKING ON DEVELOPING A COMMITTEE THAT REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF BRISTOL TOWNSHIP AND INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT, RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, SCHOOL, BUSINESS AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. PLEASE JOIN US AT THE INFORMATIONAL MEETING THAT WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 15TH AT THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING. THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 1:00PM. REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THE PROGRAM AND ASSIST US WITH FINALIZING OUR COMMITTEE AND MOVING FORWARD. I URGE YOU TO ENSURE YOUR ORGANIZATION IS A PART OF THIS OPPORTUNITY BY SENDING A REPRESENTATIVE TO THIS MEETING.

 

 

EASTER EGG HUNT

 

THE BRISTOL TOWNSHIP ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT WILL BE HELD SATURDAY, MARCH 19TH (RAIN DATE MARCH 26TH) 12 NOON HERE AT THE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX FOR CHILDREN AGES 12 AND UNDER. PLEASE BRING YOUR LITTLE ONES AND ENJOY THE HUNT.

 

 

 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROCLAMATION

 

 

ON TONIGHT’S AGENDA IS A MATTER OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO BRISTOL TOWNSHIP. PRESIDENT BUSH HAS PROPOSED THE ELIMINATION OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM IN THE 2006 BUDGET. AT NO TIME IN THE PROGRAM’S 30 YEAR HISTORY HAS BRISTOL TOWNSHIP EXPERIENCED SUCH A DIRECTED, PREMEDITATED ASSAULT FROM THE ADMINISTRATION!

I AM URGING COUNCIL TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 6-2005 ON TONIGHT’S AGENDA.

 

FISCAL YEAR 2005 IS THE FOURTH IN A ROW THAT THE PROGRAM HAS RECEIVED A CUT, CDBG FORMULA LEVELS ARE AT THEIR LOWEST IN A DECADE.

 

STILL, IT IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WHAT A DOMESTIC PROGRAM OUGHT TO BE; A PROGRAM WITH BROAD LOCAL OBJECTIVES, THAT INCLUDE A HOST OF FLEXIBLE ACTIVITIES, ALL OF WHICH ARE LOCALLY DETERMINED THROUGH A CITIZENS PARTICIPATION

PROCESS.  

 

SOME EXAMPLES OF ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

START-UP LOANS FOR SMALL BUSINESS

HOUSING REHABILITATION

LITERACY PROGRAMS

JOB TRAINING

DAY-CARE FOR THE ELDERLY, DISABLED AND CHILDREN

PROVIDING HOT MEAL AND HEALTH SCREENING FOR THE ELDERLY

UTILITY BILL PAYMENT

FIXING SIDEWALKS AND CRUBS

 

BRISTOL TOWNSHP HAS MET THE PERFORMANCE AND JUSTIFICATION TESTS, IT HAS DONE SO, AND DONE WELL FOR MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS.   APPARENTLY THIS IS NOT ENOUGH.

 

TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO PUT A “FACE” ON THE BRISTOL TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM. I ASK ALL OF THOSE WHO BENEFIT FROM THE CDBG PROGRAM TO COMMUNICATE WITH CONGRESSMAN MIKE FITIZPATRICK, U S SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER, U S SENATOR RICK SANTORUM, AND ANY LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIAL OF ITS INPORTANT ROLE IN THEIR LIVES.

 

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