UPDATED: This evening, the Township Committee will vote on authorizing the Mayor to apply for a grant to combat gangs in Lakewood. The grant application, spearheaded by Committeeman Meir Lichtenstien, would ask for $750,000 of State and Federal moneys available for these programs, which include school programs and more.
Earlier this month, Committeeman Meir Lichtenstien met with several officials from Irvington, NJ to discuss possible solutions to the growing gang issue in Lakewood. According to a recent report published on TLS, Lakewood has the highest numbers of gangs in NJ, which stands at 289 members.
“The Township is committed to tackling the gang issue in town”, Mayor Menashe Miller tells TLS. “There are plenty State and Federal grants out there that we will be tapping into”, the Mayor says.
Police believe that many shootings – including the fatal shooting of Officer Chris Matlosz – were gang-related, but officials did not officially label them as such.
Also blamed on gangs, is the rise in graffiti in many areas around town, which Committeeman Lichtenstien has also took the initiative in combating.
The Committee is set to vote on the authorization for the application tonight. TLS.
UPDATED 10:00 PM: The Committee has authorized the Mayor to apply for the grants.
Why do they have to vote on this one?
Of course they should apply for the grant .
tell me where to go, i’m voting! it’s about time!
anyone else notice the gang graffiti on the school sign?
will we have a list of exactly where this money is going & to whom..! how do we know exactly 289 gang members.???
to #1. It cost money to apply for a grant. You need to pay the grant writer and there’s no guarentee that you’ll ultimately be awarded the grant.
Am I missing something? Lakewood would apply for a grant to fight the gang problem. The gangs are in the schools= they may be students=they are residents. If the town would get a backbone and start raiding these homes and show a strong police dept then they would leave. The real problem in Lakewood starts with the section 8 landlords.
Plus we support day laborers and Illegals. If I were the government I wouldn’t give this town a dime. They created the problem-they need to fix it. Here’s another observation I never see any gang activity on Forest Ave or that side of town? route 9 almost divides the town into two different worlds. Maybe the gangs are brought in to run down the neighborhoods so they can be purchased cheaply. Look down by ridge-manetta 400,000 homes are rising among whole blocks that were block busted. Just a year ago the whole block was section 8 now its new homes. Someone needs to call the attorney general not apply for a grant.
#6 you sure got my attention on that issue. you most definetly have the right answer to the problem….
responding to negative comments in app.com:
Words can not express how much Lakewood needs this money. I say words can not express because actions speak louder then words and the action of gang members murdering my son is enough for me. I see all the previous comments of such ignorant people speaking about ethnicity and just killing them off. Wakeup!!! Because all your doing is keeping the chain of violance flowing by making negative comments. There are still good people in this world! The comment about the $750,000 being a waste when it comes to the community comming together is a cheap shot. Because when a community comes together, THINGS HAPPEN!!! If your comment was to imply that the communities can’t or won’t come together then that is all the more reason why this $750,000 is needed. I want to first say that with the way the police reacted and responded to the killing of Officer Matlosz was tremendously comforting to many Lakewood Residents. The comfort of knowing that we have what we need to make things happen & make a difference. The response from the Jewish community regarding my sons murder was amazing and greatly apprciated, they cared! This proves that if our community comes together, WE WILL OVERCOME!!!! The community needs to have a common goal in order to come together, GANG AWARENESS IS DEFINITLY A COMMON GOAL. Again, we need this more then words can say!!!!!
we need the state police more than words can say, we need the FBI more than words can say, we need honest zoning more than words can say, we need self respect more than words can say and we need the money more than words can say!