Kenilworth police report: 957 calls for service in December, 7 arrests and Flock camera alerts aided intercepts

Councilman Fenestrella read the borough's public safety report and summarized December activity for the Kenilworth Police Department, including calls, overtime and results from the Flock license-plate camera system.

Fenestrella said the department responded to 957 calls for service and 151 911 calls in December. He said the department logged 664.5 hours of overtime for the month (about 552 hours for scheduled patrol overtime and about 60 hours for dispatch overtime). Fenestrella also reported that the department completed 552 hours of training across firearms and other certifications.

According to the report, the police department received 337 "Flock" hot-list alerts in December; those camera hits are triggered when a plate on a hot list is observed. Fenestrella said units responded to seven high-priority Flock alerts and were able to intercept suspects before they could victimize borough residents.

The department recorded seven arrests for the month. Fenestrella also noted completion of dispatcher testing on Dec. 3 to fill two open dispatcher positions created when two dispatchers were sent to the police academy. Two candidates were selected and were in the hiring process at the time of the report.

Fenestrella concluded with a message from the chief reminding residents to lock vehicles and report suspicious activity promptly. He also noted a major boulevard micro-milling project had been completed and that full paving of the boulevard was anticipated in early 2025.

Why it matters: The report provides baseline public-safety metrics and staffing/activity updates for the borough, including how license-plate cameras contributed to intercepts during the month.

No formal action was taken; the report was entered as the monthly public-safety update.