November flew by. Thanksgiving gave us some time to think about all the things that we are thankful for.   2020 has certainly been a different year.

The County’s contractor is putting the finishing touches on the Boulevard. One more lane of overlayment, then the striping of the lanes. It seems like the manholes are more prevalent than expected.  We have notified the County for correction.

Our team is wrapping up the water main on 72nd Street. The services have been switched over and the hydrant is back in service. We will be patching the blacktop prior to repaving in the Spring.

Winter storms are coming, and we are getting all the equipment ready for mobilization. Our guys do a great job under pressure.

Please prepare your homes for the winter.  If leaving your house unattended for the winter, draining pipes is more secure than leaving on the heat.  Remember, in times of storms, power outages are common.  Outside showers: turn off and drain early!  If we have to turn off your water at the street, it is $50 during working hours and $200 for after hours, weekends and holidays.  

We are also working on our water diversion permit. The application was resubmitted with the State. We continue to use more water than our current permit allows, causing us to apply for a new permit.

We are working on budget items for 2021. There are a lot of things to accomplish. I am looking forward to keeping the town moving forward. Feel free to contact me if you have items that need to be addressed. 

First off, we would like to thank the Harvey Cedars Taxpayers Association for their generous donation towards the purchase of a second Polaris beach vehicle to be used for our handicap beach access program next year.  Along with their money, we will be using a portion of the $34,000 CDB Grant to fund the purchase.  The remainder of that money will be used to offset the cost of beach mats.  We have also received grant money from NJ Natural Resources for the purchase of two new heating and air conditioning units and LED lighting for the borough hall.  It will cover roughly 50% of the cost and allow us to pay off our portion, at 0% interest, over the course of the next 5 years.  We have been notified that more grant money will be coming our way to pay for the repaving of both Holly and West Essex Avenues in 2021. 

 

First, on behalf of myself, Police Chief Burnaford,  Beach Patrol Chief Townsend, and all the members of the HCPD and the HC Beach Patrol, we wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and a great and Happy New Year.

NO SHAVE NOVEMBER is over! Every member of the HCPD, including the Chief and myself, participated in No Shave November campaign to raise money and awareness for those impacted by a cancer diagnosis. This year, we were able to raise over $1,000 for David's Dream & Believe Cancer Foundation. The foundation announced that 100% of the proceeds will go directly back to those who are impacted and need assistance. There is still time to donate on www.hcpolice.org Thank you to everyone who participated and everyone who donated!

The Boulevard repaving project is wrapping up and once again I would like to commend the HCPD Officers for their diligence. The Boulevard, as we know, can be “unsafe.” The HCPD Officers did a great job in keeping us safe throughout the roadwork project.

Coyotes!  By now you have probably heard about the coyotes on LBI. There have been several sightings on the Island, north and south ends. There has been at least one reported sighting in Harvey Cedars. We have been in communication with the Stafford Animal Control (whom we contract animal control services with) and they are well aware. Anyone sighting a coyote should call Animal Control at 609-597-1000. And please be vigilant with regards to pets - do not let them outside unattended - and be extra careful with garbage bins.  Visit Wildlifehelp.org  for more information about coyotes.

Governor Murphy has signed legislation that will require all uniformed State, County and Municipal Patrol Law Enforcement Officers to wear a body worn camera. Governor Murphy signed this legislation to “promote transparency in policing and build trust between police officers and the communities they service”. The HCPD has always believed that transparency, for both the public and the officers, is extremely important. Additionally, cameras are another tool to provide an added level of safety to the officers as well as the public. Since 2011 each Harvey Cedars marked patrol vehicle has been equipped with in-car cameras and microphones that each Officer wears while on patrol. This has been a voluntary measure, not State mandated, that has been added to our vehicles for these many years. We will be diligent in trying to ensure that the Governor also provides the necessary funding for this mandate.

NIXLE: for those of you who receive messages through NIXLE, be aware that NIXLE will now be sending the majority of messages in the form of an email and NOT a text message. We encourage residents to download the NIXLE (Everbridge) app as you will then receive regular messages and updates from the HCPD.

The Harvey Cedars Taxpayers Association has generously donated $1,500 towards the HC Beach Patrol for the purpose of obtaining a second Polaris Ranger Crew 1000.  This is the vehicle that is used for the Beach Access Program - which we intend to have fully back to normal next season, making a second vehicle essential. The Beach Access Program allows us to transport those in our community who need assistance getting on and off the beach.  

Another reminder: We urge all property owners to utilize our free winter house check program. Property owners can go to www.hcpolice.org and register their home. Officers will periodically check on their property to ensure that all doors and windows are secure, there are no water leaks, etc. And, most importantly, if there is an issue with the property, the Officers have up to date contact information to successfully notify the property owner of the issue.

As mentioned last month, we had planned a series of six monthly “HCPD Community Forums” for this year, so that HC residents can learn about the HCPD, its Policies and Procedures, and meet the members of the Department. Obviously, we could not do that this year, but hopefully we will next year. In November’s “Communication” I presented the HCPD Organization Chart.  For this month, and each month going forward, I thought that I would present the background of one of our Officers, starting with our Chief, Robert Burnaford:

Chief Robert Burnaford:
38 Years Old
Member of the Harvey Cedars Police Department for 15 years, since 2005
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Rhode Island
President, Ocean County Police Chief's Association
Member, New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Association
Member, International Association of Chiefs of Police
rburnaford@hcpolice.org
609-276-1306

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