Monday, August 27, 2012
The Lawrence Township Police Department bid a bittersweet farewell on Friday to four police officers - Erini Papafilipakis, Chris Schuster, Iwona Smith and Chris Stylianou - who have transfered to Hamilton Township to avoid being laid off in Lawrence.
“Bittersweet” was the word often repeated Friday afternoon (Aug. 24) as Lawrence Township said goodbye to four police officers during a ceremony that was held at the Lawrence Township police station just hours after the four were officially sworn in by their new employer, the Hamilton Township Police Department. Erini Papafilipakis, Chris Schuster, Iwona Smith and Chris Stylianou decided to pursue and accept transfers from Lawrence Township to Hamilton Township’s police force in advance of being laid off because of Lawrence’s municipal budget woes. Smith and Styliano were set to lose their jobs as part of the layoffs that will take effect in Lawrence at the end of this month, while Papafilipakis and Schuster were under threat of losing …
Monday, August 20, 2012
With layoffs looming, four Lawrence officers are transfering to another police department in the county. Meanwhile, elimination of DARE education in township schools and changes in how officers respond are possible as a result of cuts to police staffing.
With five positions in the Lawrence Township Police Department set to be eliminated as part of the municipal layoffs that will take effect at the end of this month, and with additional police cuts possible at the beginning of 2013, four officers are currently in the process of transferring from Lawrence to another police department in Mercer County. Speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, multiple sources within the police department confirmed that the transfers were in the works. As the transfers will not be finalized until later this week, Patch is withholding the names of the four officers, as well as the name of the police department they will soon join. Citing legal restrictions that …
Friday, May 18, 2012
The writers are Police Officer Andres Mejia of Lawrence Township Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 119, and Police Officer Andrew Lee of Lawrence Township Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 209.
- OPINION
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Friday, May 18, 2012
Editor's Note: The following two formal statements by police union officials were read during the public participation segment of the special Lawrence Township Council meeting held last night (May 17). They were submitted to Lawrenceville Patch as Letters to the Editor and are presented in their entirety. During the council meeting, Township Manager Richard Krawczun and members of township council responded to some of the comments made by the police union officials in the these letters. Some of those responses can be found in this story about the meeting and can also be heard in their entirety via the meeting audio available from the media box at the right. While Mejia and Lee are among the seven Lawrence Township police officers who last …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
“When you call the police and no officer is available to respond, people could die. Brace yourselves – layoffs could cost lives.” ~ Tom Egan, a Lawrence Township resident and Robbinsville police officer.
Despite passionate statements offered by police union officials and township residents about how cuts in police staffing will endanger the safety of both officers and the general public, result in many crimes never being investigated and have an overall adverse effect on the quality of life in the township, members of Lawrence Township Council at their meeting yesterday evening (Tuesday, May 15) decided to move forward with a plan that would eliminate over a dozen township positions – including five in the police department – in an effort to plug a $2.27 million hole in the 2012 municipal budget. The elimination of those jobs – done through a combination of layoffs, retirements and not filling currently vacant positions – will, together …
Lawrence Township Police Office Andrew Lee, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 209, spoke out against layoffs during Tuesday's township council meeting.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Editor's Note: The following statement was read by Lawrence Township Police Officer Andrew Lee, president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 209, to Lawrence Township Council at Tuesday's (May 15) meeting. Good evening, ladies and gentleman, Mr. Mayor and members of Council. My name is Andrew Lee and I am the president of the Lawrence Township Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 209. I am here today with respect to the amendment to tonight’s budget involving the layoffs of several of my officers in the Lawrence Township Police Department. I am going to keep this presentation rather short but to the point. I am going to focus on three key issues: (1) the safety of my fellow officers; (2) the safety of the community; and (3) alternatives …
Tom
9:55 am on Monday, September 10, 2012
Responded to what? Are you saying someone called the police to report that a 10 year old climbed a fence into their yard and the police responded? The only thing I can think is that whoever called made it sound like a break-in and that is why the police responded with two cars. more ›