Expect To See More Police Foot Patrols Near Bloomfield Businesses

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The Bloomfield Police Department is ramping up a new foot patrol campaign in several commercial areas of town, authorities recently announced.

Police officers will be patrolling Bloomfield Center, North Center and parts of Bloomfield and 1st avenues for the initial leg of the campaign. Foot patrols will be supplemented with bicycle patrols and Segway patrols as the summer progresses.

Bloomfield town officials said the foot patrols will hopefully lead to more positive interactions with pedestrians, the local business community and their customers.

Public Safety Director Samuel DeMaio selected two veteran officers, Victor Gonzalez and Teobaldo Osis, to lead the initiative.

“These officers have a record of superior performance and a love for the department and community that makes them a perfect fit for this type of initiative,” DeMaio said. “We want the same officers out there in the selected areas every day so the residents and business owners can get to know them personally and build a positive connection.”

Mayor Michael Venezia said the local police department “works incredibly hard” to keep residents safe.

“It is critical to all of us that interactions between our police officers and the community are overwhelmingly positive and a great way to ensure that this is the case is by having our officers engage with the community on a regular basis,” Venezia said.

“Community policing is a key component of policing in our township and it will continue to be in the future,” the mayor added.

• See related article: Bloomfield Police Give 'De-Escalation' Training To 50 Officers

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Bloomfield Facebook page.