Point Pleasant Officials Aim To Beef Up Public Safety

Beefing up police staffing and giving officers more equipment to do their jobs in today's uncertain world are two priorities borough officials and Police Chief Richard P. Larsen are considering in the 2017 budget, according to the Ocean Star.

Officials cited the September 16 bombing in Seaside Park at a special budget workshop meeting on Feb. 20 as reasons to make some improvements.

“I attended the FBI breakdown of some of the bombings that have been going on in our region," Mayor Robert A. Sabosik said. This council ... is dedicated to creating a safe environment for our citizens. These are changing times. Some of the things we are planning to do, you will not know. The good thing you will know is that if anything bad happens, we will be there to the best of our ability.”

“Since the bombing in Seaside [Park] I have increased staffing at various functions in the municipality,” Police Chief Richard P. Larson said.

Larsen requested patrol rifles, lightweight tactical ballistic helmets; nonballistic face shields for the helmets; ballistic shields, and ballistic shields - meant to stop bullets; as well as riot shields - which protect officers from bottles, rocks and other debris.

“The borough has not purchased any tactical equipment like this since the 1960s and that equipment no longer exists, it is obsolete,” he said. "“What is happening in America, and what is being directed towards officers, I need to give my officers something they can protect themselves with. They have a job to do and I need them to have the equipment to do their job.”

Larsen would like to hire three more officers with a start date of July 1, which would bring the number of sworn officers to 34. That could be accomplished through attrition like retirements and resignations, he said.

"Thirty-six officers is my ideal manpower and we did have that a few years ago," Larson said.

“I need the manpower," he said. "Traffic is at the heart of our citizens, it is at my heart, if I get the extra officers it would easily facilitate dedicating work solely on traffic issues. I am also looking at increasing my narcotics and drug enforcement. The additional manpower [and] the suggestions I make are for the betterment of our community.”

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Image: Patch file photo.