Praise for our police

[admin]

www.app.com/article/20090828/NEWS/908280363/1285/LOCAL09/Cops+to+get+complaints+in+two+languages

FREEHOLD — Complaint forms are now available in both Spanish and English on the borough police department's Web site, according to Police Chief Mitch Roth.



"It's very convenient," Roth said Friday.

Complainants can print the forms from the department's Web site, www.fbpd.net, and either mail or fax them to the department. Complaints concerning borough police officers can be lodged anonymously, Roth said.

The decision to post the forms online was made after a suggestion by the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, Casa Freehold and the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network.

"We thought it made sense with the large Spanish-speaking population (in Freehold)," said Roth.

Frank Argote-Freyre, director of the Latino Leadership Alliance's Monmouth County chapter and a borough resident, praised the move this week.

"This is an important step for the entire community, but particularly significant for the immigrant population, which is often unfamiliar with its rights," said Argote-Freyre, who urged all police departments to follow the borough's example.

"It's intimidating," said Argote-Freyre, to file a complaint against a police officer at the police station. "This (the online form) takes a lot of the stress out of the way."

The department Web site also includes a link set up to receive compliments, Roth noted.




Kim Predham: [phone] or [e-mail]

[admin]

The above article was in the APP today. It emphasizes complaints against the police and briefly mentions compliments. That is the wrong headed approach.

[glow=red,2,300]I am asking all readers to send in a compliment![/glow]

Here is the link so that you can send in a compliment.

www.fbpd.net/Officer%20Compliments.htm

If you do not think this is good enough, write a letter to the papers.

Please, let our police know tha you appreciate the job they do for us. They get kicked in the teeth too many times by the wrong people for all the wrong reasons. Our police need to hear from the decent people in our town.

[admin]

Just a bump on this thread for those of you who may have missed it before.

Please, send a complimentary letter to our police department. They earn it every day.

[admin]

Even the LLA praised our police on this one......

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2009/0916/front_page/032.html

Alliance commends police dept.


FREEHOLD — The Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey (Monmouth Chapter) has voiced support for a recent decision by Freehold Borough police to put the departmental complaint form online in English and Spanish because it will foster a better relationship between police and the general public.

"We support the recent decision by Police Chief Mitch Roth to place the complaint form online," said Frank Argote-Freyre, director of the alliance's Monmouth Chapter. "Often members of the public are too intimidated to file a complaint against a police officer at the police station. The new borough policy allows members of the public to fax it or mail it in. It gives the police an opportunity to receive feedback from the public, both positive and negative, because the police website also has a place for compliments as well.

"This is an important step for the entire community, but particularly significant for the immigrant population which is often unfamiliar with its rights,"Argote-Freyre continued. "The goal is to provide better police service and foster an atmosphere in which the police are respectful of the public and respected by the public."

Representatives of the alliance, Casa Freehold and the New Jersey Immigration Policy Network made the suggestion to place the complaint form online in English and Spanish at a February meeting. A second recommendation, to place a document online outlining citizens' rights with regard to the police, was fulfilled several months ago, according to a press release from the alliance.



Online complaint forms are a central policy goal outlined in the chapter's report "Monitoring the Police" issued in June 2008. In its press release, the alliance urged all police departments to adopt the same policy implemented by Freehold Borough.

The alliance is currently studying the pattern of police traffic stops in Freehold Borough and expects to issue a report on the subject in the next two weeks, according to the press release.

[Mike Rosseel]

I have been a Freehold boro resident my entire life. There have been numerous occassions over the years were i have had nothing but great experiences with our police department. In recent times, I have seen a few articles critizing our department and that makes me very angry. We are so fortunate to have the best poilce department protect and serve us in Freehold Boro. These men and women put there lives to the side each day to make sure Freehold is a great place and a safe place. I would to point out an occassions which our department has gone above and beyond. A few months back,my dog was struck by a car and was killed, Officer Brian Rugger was amazing with the way he handled the situation with me and my dog. He was compassionate and just went above the call of duty to help me through that horrible night. So hats of to the best police department we could ask for. Officer Rugger, Sweetman, Healey and Det. Michael George, and the rest of our force, as a boro resident, I thank you all for going above and beyong each day in making Freehold a great town to live in, Thank You!