Important Update for Public Safety      

Dear Neighbor,

In continuing my commitment to Public Safety and exploring innovative ways to deal with current public safety challenges, I am very proud to launch a partnership with the City Prosecutor's Office in the creation of a Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor program for the Belmont Shore and Belmont Pier area.

This has been several months in the making as I have been working  with City Prosecutor Doug Haubert to develop this new program. The Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor will work with the Police Department and the community in order to better connect the enforcement efforts with needed services and necessary prosecution. It is expected to improve the enforcement of laws through better communication and coordination between police, community members, and the City Prosecutor's Office.

We are finally able to begin this program by dedicating funds from my council office's 2017 budget year savings. What this means is that prudent spending by CD3 during the 2016-2017 budget year means we can initiate this program now without using additional city funds.

Through this program, one prosecutor will have a percentage of his or her time dedicated to working with the community and the police department to improve enforcement of repeat offenders specifically in the Belmont Shore and Belmont Pier area with a positive effect throughout the district. Chronic offenders who appear to need social services will be actively offered relevant services. Having a specific prosecutor handling the cases from this target area will expedite the connection to services for those persons in need of mental health, substance abuse assistance, and other services. Additionally, if services are repeatedly declined and the individual continues to commit crimes, then the prosecutor would be able to follow the individual case through the process and make recommendation to the judge based on a more complete history of the individual and what approaches will have the best results for the community. Through consistent communications with the police department, the prosecutor would focus efforts in a targeted manner so that individuals are getting the treatment and services they need, either prior to filing criminal charges or as a term of probation, and to ensure that a stay away order is put into place that stops repeat offenders from returning to the same location.  

The Neighborhood Impact Prosecutor will also track progress and evaluate impacts on the quality of life for the residents and visitors to Belmont Shore and surrounding areas, as well as attend regular "working meetings" with interested stakeholders to ensure the designated prosecutor, the police department and the community can each give valuable input. If this program is successful, it could be expanded to other geographic areas of the city.

This additional special focus comes on top of a host to public safety measures that my office has introduced at City Hall focused on public safety, traffic safety and quality of life. 

We have never had a coordinated program like this in the Third District and I am very optimistic about its potential as is the City Prosecutor and the Police Department. You have talked and I have listened. Through this program and other efforts, we continue to address the illegal activities that some residents have witnessed and continue to have concerns over. The Third District is a great place to live and we want to make sure no resident is expressing a reasonable fear to walk at night, let their kids ride their bikes, visit our beach and business corridors, or risk losing their secured property. Together we will have a major impact on reducing quality of life related crimes and stopping repeat offenders from returning to our communities. This renewed partnership starts now. 

Sincerely,
Suzie Price
Councilwoman, Third District