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Vol. 4 – No. 16 ♦
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FR EE
December 14, 2019 – December 20, 2019
SAFETY SURVEILLANCE
Two Men Charged in Stabbing Death of Medford Woman By DouGlas D. MeleGari Staff Writer
Photo By Douglas D. Melegari
Pemberton Township Police Chief David Jantas holds a discussion with community stakeholders on March 26 at the Browns Mills Improvement Association (BMIA) Building regarding the launch of the Pemberton Township Police Department’s body-worn camera program. Sitting to the chief’s left is Lt. David King (Investigation Division), and sitting to the chief’s right is Lt. Jay Watters (Patrol Division) and Lt. Brian Wechkus (Administrative Division).
Pemberton Township Police Department Near Launch of Body-Worn Camera Program
By Michael Garofalo Staff Writer
PEMBERTON—Officers of the Pemberton Township Police Department will soon be outfitted with new equipment that officials say will improve the safety of officers and civilians alike: body-worn cameras. T he Pe mb e r t on Tow n sh ip Pol ic e Department is poised to launch its body-worn camera program in early 2020, Police Chief David Jantas told members of Pemberton Township Council at its Dec. 4 meeting. Jantas informed council that the police department expects to receive the cameras in mid-January. He said police are currently undergoing training on the department’s policies governing the use of the cameras. “We are doing policy training this month so that they (the officers) understand what we expect of them when they get the actual product,” said Jantas, adding that officers
will receive further technical training on the use of the devices once they are delivered. The department was awarded a $75,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2018 to purchase the cameras. The department subsequently met each of the federally mandated requirements necessary to receive the funding, including the preparation of detailed policies and procedures for the use of the cameras. Jantas proudly quoted federal evaluators’ findings that called the 21-page document prepared by his department a “comprehensive and thoughtful body-worn camera policy.” “The policy is in the process of being finalized and will be made public on the department’s website as soon as it is finished,” Jantas said. “It will be out there for everyone to see. There is nothing in here that has police secrets to it, but there are some things in here that should make the public
feel more comfortable.” Councilwoman Elisabeth McCartney expressed her gratitude to Jantas for pursuing the grant and implementing the department’s body-worn camera program. “I just want to thank you for that, because you and the people with you have chosen the best for our officers, and it is going to provide safety for our officers, as well as our residents,” she said. Jantas said that body-worn cameras will be turned on “any time that an officer is acting in his (or her) capacity as a law enforcement officer.” Jantas touted a feature that will integrate the department’s body-worn cameras and police vehicles. “This is one of the beauties of this system,” Jantas said. “As soon as we hit the lights and sirens, the body camera goes on. See SAFETY/ Page 14
MEDFORD—Two men from Camden were arrested after a brief foot pursuit earlier this month and charged with the murder of a Medford Township wom a n fol low i ng the discovery of her body in the riverfront city’s Farnham Park on Dec.2. Luis ColonMoli na , 36, a nd Wilfredo BoulonesC r u z , 49, w e r e apprehended by the Delaware River Port STEINBERG Authority (DRPA), af ter a br ief foot pursuit, following the discovery of 31-yearold Hayley Steinberg’s body in the park, near the 1600 block of Baird Boulevard, just after 12:22 p.m. Steinberg, according to Gloucester/Camden/ Salem County Medical Examiner Gerald Feign, MD, had suffered multiple stab wounds and ruled her manner of death to be a homicide on Dec. 3. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office charged Colon-Molina and Boulones-Cruz with felony murder, murder and armed robbery in the Farnham Park homicide case on Dec. 9, according to Acting Camden County Prosecutor Jill S. Mayer and Camden Police Chief Joseph Wysocki. Colon-Molina and Boulones-Cruz were remanded to the Camden County Jail pending a pretrial detention hearing. Mayer’s office said that no additional information is being released at this time. A law enforcement source told the Courier Post, a newspaper that serves the Camden area, that the suspects were using Steinberg’s bloodsplattered vehicle when DRPA police stopped the vehicle near the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Colon-Molina and Boulones-Cruz were previously arrested in August and charged in connection with a July 25 strong armed robbery of a woman who was walking home from her day of shopping at the Audubon Crossings Shopping Center in Haddon Township, according to an Aug. 22 Facebook posting by Haddon Township Police. Steinberg’s friends told the Courier Post See CHARGED/ Page 19
INDEX Community ....................... 11 Hobbyist............................ 15 Marketplace ...................... 19 Christmas Countdown ........ 2 Dental Column .................. 19 Health ............................... 13
Job Board ......................... 18 Opinion ............................. 10 Leo the Lion Challenge..... 11 Senior Column .................. 11
Here's My Card ................. 16 Local News ......................... 4 Worship Guide .................. 12
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