Political Arguments Overshadow Westfield Resolution Addressing Crime

WESTFIELD, NJ — A politically divided Town Council prompted disagreements and bickering at the Feb. 13 council meeting.

The Council unanimously voted in favor of passing a resolution "demanding Governor Phil Murphy and the New Jersey State Legislature Act urgently to address the rise in car thefts."

Before the vote, almost 20 minutes of political arguments broke out regarding a release sent out to the public earlier in the day by the Westfield GOP. (See the full release below)

The letter announced that "Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis introduced the groundbreaking crime bill A3806 in the New Jersey General Assembly. This necessary legislation is the direct result of tireless advocacy from Westfield Councilmen Todd Saunders, Dr. Mike Armento, Mike Domogala, and David Kiefer, who have worked diligently to address the concerns of Westfield residents regarding escalating crime rates."

Mayor Shelley Brindle said when she saw the release she thought it was something printed in the satirical newspaper The Onion and was "disappointed" to see it.

"You are right this shouldn’t be political and you all made it political and that is what is unfortunate. And you can deny that but you made this a political conversation. And that was really unfortunate because we are all on the same page here," said Brindle to the Republican councilmen.

Domogala said the resolution "came about because what we saw over the last few years did not avail a bill that could be brought forth to any relevance. The juvenile offenders who perpetrate these crimes in town have to be addressed somehow. Now I understand full well that you would’ve liked to be a part of it... We felt it was necessary to take a stand and go ahead and put something forth. We are not precluding from working together."

Councilman David Contract said that the Republican's actions "blindsided" the rest of the Council.

"Not even saying you are doing these things is a slap in the face to bipartisanship and working together," said Contract. "You didn't get elected to serve a political mission you got elected to serve the town's mission and I'm not seeing enough of that."

"We did get elected to go ahead and help to stop this prime mission. And this wasn’t being done before," said Domogala. "I think addressing the home invasions and the car thefts are a necessity. I think it has taken way too long and that is exactly why we had to act the way we did. In a professional manner no less."

Councilwoman Dawn Mackey defended the Council saying they have worked for a very long time and taken innumerable steps to help stop crime including staffing the police department to its highest number of officers in history.

Councilman Todd Saunders disagreed pointing to the data on crime in town.

"The results aren’t there from the actions. So we can say we are taking action but we all see the data and the results are not happening. That’s a fact," said Saunders.

In January, Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro gave the Council a recap of 2023 crime statistics. Read More: Vehicle Thefts Rise 60 Percent In 2023 In Westfield

In 2023, 24 vehicles were reported stolen in Westfield. This is a 60 percent increase from 2022, when there were 15 reported stolen, according to Battiloro.

He noted that this number is an approximate 17 percent decrease from 2021 when there was an all-time high of 28 vehicles reported stolen.

In 2024 so far, no vehicles have been reported stolen.

To combat this rising trend, Battiloro said Westfield officers are continuing to aggressively patrol the entire town and they have adjusted patrol shift start and end times. Read More: Cops 'Aggressively Policing' Westfield In Effort To Combat Crime

"This police department is aggressively policing this town Every. Single Day. Every. Single. Night," said Battiloro at the Jan. 30 Town Council meeting.

Additionally, on Feb. 5, the Town of Westfield, NJ Police Department announced police cars would be using cruise lights, which are non-flashing red and blue lights mounted on the top of the vehicle in the light bar. The officers use them while performing area checks of neighborhoods

The resolution ultimately passed by the Council calls on Murphy and the New Jersey State Legislature to take the following actions:

• Swiftly adopt a multifaceted legislative framework that aligns with the initiatives outlined in the various bills pending in Trenton to combat vehicle theft, safeguard communities, and ensure swift and fair justice for victims of car thefts;
• Prioritize the review and passage of comprehensive laws in the current legislative session, especially as related to efforts to enhance deterrence, improve law enforcement capabilities, strengthen penalties for offenders;
• Explore additional legislative and policy avenues aimed at bolstering public safety, including by increasing law enforcement resources, community engagement initiatives, and technological solutions to curb car theft;
• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of implemented measures on car theft rates, making necessary adjustments to uphold the enduring efficiency of New Jersey's comprehensive approach to combating vehicle theft;
• Collaborate with local government authorities, law enforcement agencies, community stakeholders, and advocacy groups to ensure effective implementation of legislative measures and to address the specific safety concerns of communities across New Jersey;
• Execute strategies that address the root causes of car theft and extend support to victims
• impacted by such crimes;
• Fulfill their constitutional duties to act swiftly to approve more qualified candidates to the Judiciary and give the Judiciary the resources needed to effectively adjudicate car theft cases.

RELEASE - Republicans Announce Introduction of Crime Bill by Alexis Tarrazi on Scribd

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