Butler Committee Meeting Minutes 09-14-2009

Submitted by Nancy Jones- Communications Secretary
Committee Members present: David Jorgensen (Butler Chair), Dante Ricci (External Relations Rep), Anna Frost (dolly/Butler life coordinator), Nancy Jones, Nicole Jui (gardening co-coordinator), Bo Xu (Web Master), Ed Matteo (Treasurer), Bronwyn Smith (Community Room Coordinator), Rachel Galvin (social chair)

Community members present: Olivia Martel, Angel & Ofra Amihay, David Vinyard, Chase Zachary, Ping Liu, Jeff Dwoskin, Ryan Harper, Christa Pehl, Jim Lanzi (Public Safety Rep), PTL. Kim Hodger (Princeton Twp Police Dept.), Olga Rodriguez, Det. Annette Henderson (Princeton Tw. PD), Praveena Joseph de Saram, Simon & Maria-Magdalena Fuchs, Matthew & Rebekah Sandefer, Scott Gregory, Jim Bonk, Margaret Ng, Nazor Harb & Balkis Hassane Harb, Luke & Aubrey Yarbrough, Samantha Cohoe,  Julie Johnson, Francisco Robles, Theodor Brasoveanu, Mor Segev.

Meeting called to order at 9:00pm.

　

David began the meeting with a presentation from the Public Safety Rep Jim Lanzi.

Jim first addressed any questions.

Q: What is the frequency of patrols in the area?

A: depends on the shift. No foot patrol. 2 to 3 times a shift. June & July issues with peeping tom increased the patrols.

　

Q: What was found out from the last safety walk?

A: Safety walks have been standard for the last several years. Areas were noted for needing lighting improvement, etc.

Q: Is there any hope of improving the lighting on western way?

A: Short term there is no quick fix. He agrees that some enhancement is needed. Street lighting is an issue with PS&G Company. There is no good answer.

Olivia said that the GSG & University have been working on this issue. The University does want everyone to be safe and they are taking this situation seriously.

The PS Rep did mention that some new lighting has been installed in some areas and has improved the safety in those areas.

Q: What is the turn around for the emergency notification system?

A: There is a process that a certain language goes out in notifying the public, typically the notice is out in less than 24 hrs. Normally it’s out in the first 8 hour shift. This last incident public safety was not involved in the initial investigation, so they did not have all the info to notify the community of the alert right away.

Q: Is it standard practice that if more information is discovered, that a follow up e-mail be sent out to update the community?

A: Not necessarily. If the criminal is apprehended, it is sent out.

Q: What suggestions do you have to help us as community unite to protect one another? What guidelines can you offer us as residents/citizens to act against crime?

A: Encourage the community to be one big town watch. Share information among each other. Look out for each other. Hold public forums such as this meeting. Call Public Safety when there is a concern.

Q: What is the suggestion for notifying the community directly about any incident or suspicion? E-mail the Butler committee, etc? Should the committee be notified as well as public safety?

A: Alerts go out to the community through public safety. The committee doesn’t check e-mail all day. It’s best and most useful to contact public safety first.

Jim pointed out the following tips: Go by your instincts. Respond! Get involved. Know your neighbors/neighborhood. He recommends that you share any information, any crime, etc with your neighbors. PS doesn’t want to send out alerts for every small incident, as the community could begin to overlook the alerts if they are too frequent. Again, share the information with the community. If you have any feeling that something is a miss, act on it. Call PS! Jim also stated that it was fine for the Butler Committee to email information about smaller crimes (theft, peepers, etc.) so that we can share information and protect ourselves better.

Q: How far into an investigation of an incident (missing child, etc), should we call PS before they will act on it?

A: Immediately. It will not necessarily go out as a missing person’s report right off, but they will assist in the search, etc.

Q: How do the university & the township treat violence towards women? Is it a hate crime, what? (This resident in concerned that the big issue is that women are main targets for acts of violence such as this latest attack.)

A: 1 in 4 women is assaulted in the 4 yr college period, usually involving drugs, alcohol, someone the victim knows. The definition of a hate crime is determined by the State of NJ.

Q: Do we have any blue light/emergency phones in Butler?

A: Olivia answered that we as a committee and GSG have been working on this issue for a while. They are trying to make it happen as soon as possible. The honest obstacle in getting them is the financial side. Each phone costs about $5,000.

Jim said that there is no process set for the installation of the phones. It’s not as easy as just sticking in a phone. They are working through this issue.

Q: Is there any merit to the concern that an emergency phone goes to just the Public safety, when the local police are the ones the caller needs?

A: 911 calls from a cell/home phone go to state police who transfer to the proper county, then proper township, etc. It delays the response time. Whereas the emergency phones go directly to Public Safety who can respond sooner.

Q: Information is power, but we’ve only been given “snippets” of what the incident was/is. Can you tell us if any more details or information?

A: With permission from the victim of the recent assault, Det. Henderson gave the details of the attack:  The victim was approached from behind, when the attacker covered her eyes, dragged her to the ground, and punched her repeatedly in the head. The victim realized she needed to get up and began fighting back, and the criminal fled.

Q: Is there a connection between the peeping tom and this attacker?

A: The descriptions of races from witnesses between the two are different.

Q: What can be done about the bushes & trees that are blocking the views near the windows of our apartments, particularly at night? And also lighting for porches?

A: Suggested that they put in a work order to have the trees cut back, and ask about porch lighting.

A suggestion was strongly encouraged that we help those who need it. If someone is screaming, go help them!

Jim also suggested the R.A.D= Rape Aggression Defense course which is offered.

David thanked the public safety and police officers for coming, and let them be dismissed from the meeting.

Reports from committee officers than began:

 Dante (external relations)-  Explained that he was able to go on the “safety walk”, and explained how serious and professional the officials were about it. When the “walk” came to Butler, all were surprised and disappointed in the poor lighting here. Butler is the least lit of all the areas on campus and housing areas.

Nicole asked if any residents from Western Way were invited on the “walk”, because those residents have caused obstacles with other university issues as well.

Dante said that the issue is whether the university or the township owns that street. The university can only do so much. Regardless of what happens to Butler (torn down or not) the university feels that there needs to be improved lighting on that street for general safety.  There have already been discussions of what kinds of lighting will be suitable and non-“offensive” to the residents on Western Way.

David suggests having a Butler-Stanworth Task force meeting soon. He then explained to those in this meeting’s attendance why we have that task force.

Ed (treasurer)-  Garden budget is unchanged from the last 2 months. Grad school funding did post on July 1^st. Received the events board funding and it did post. The budget is clean from the last fiscal year.

One of the child-flag speed signs is for sure missing. Ed tried to walk around and locate it. Do we want to replace it? The one taken was from Harrison Lane, which we originally bought them for that specific street.

Julie Johnson asked if the one sign near the exit at Devereaux can be moved to the stop sign on Devereaux & Marshall? David said let’s buy 2 more. The suggestion was made by Jim (PS rep) to Ed previously to rotate the signs around the streets so people won’t get desensitized.  

Julie also asked if we could get an order in about painting a cross-walk on the corner of Halsey Court & Halsey St. Olivia will put in an order.

Rachel Galvin- Olivia is doing the Fall Welcome Event: Tuesday September 22^nd 5:30- 7:30pm. Some butler committee members are volunteering to bring desserts. No alcohol. Please come and meet your neighbor!

Anna (Butler Life coordinator) -  She has the new copy of the Bugle for this year. David asked if any new residents present were given a copy of the Bugle when they picked up their keys?

Anna asked for volunteers to help deliver the Bugle to the residents’ doors. A PDF format will be e-mailed by David and Bo will put it on the website.

Nicole Jui (gardening co-coordinators)- the gardening season is wrapping up. Tao has resigned as she is done with her studies here.  Since the season is slow, we will wait to have an election for the new gardening co-coordinator.

Nancy (secretary)- No new business.

Bronwyn (Community Room)-  She is also resigning in November. We will wait also on the election for this position.  

A bin was purchased for the board games that she bought previously and it has been labeled for Butler Community use and to return to the bin when finished.

Olivia-  Mowing the lawn: it is done every 11 days probably on a Tuesday.

Laundry room: Matt Ferry took pictures of the carts, they were fine and there are ample for the size of the room. Done deal. Lighting has been addressed and is still in progress.

Bo (webmaster)- Explained to the new residents what the site offers. Asked Olivia how people can subscribe to it.  She explained that there are 2 lists: Butler-res and Butler-sl. Students are on it, but spouses are not. Spouses need to register on the list to receive the e-mails from the list serv.  Butler-res is more business information, and Butler-SL is more for social information.

David (chair)- his business has all been covered.

Meeting adjourned at 10:25pm