Several residents of Pennsauken told the Township Committee on June 19 that repeated late‑night parties, cars with amplified audio systems and what residents described as street racing are damaging quality of life and lead to vehicle thefts.

The most detailed account came from Priscilla, who said she has “lived a nightmare the last year and a half,” describing repeated incidents of cars “blasting music” past her house and reporting that “the police don't witness what's happening.”

Why it matters: residents described safety risks near schools and bus stops, repeated sleep disruption and property crime. Committee members and public‑safety officials said they are tracking the complaints and outlined near‑term steps intended to improve response and prevention.

Residents' accounts and scope

Priscilla said she keeps a written log of incidents and that officers often arrive after the cars have passed. “No warnings or fines can be given. It's like trying to swat a mosquito in the dark,” she told the committee. Dennis Steele, who lives at Cooper Crystal Plaza Gardens, said vehicle thefts there have “gotten bad” and reported losing a vehicle valued at about $77,000 after retirement.

Richard Curry and other speakers described similarly loud late‑night parties, repeated harassment and fear of retaliation after calling police. Eleanor Lake said she narrowly avoided being struck by a speeding car near a bus stop and urged additional safety measures.

Officials' response and planned steps

Director of Public Safety Tristan told Priscilla the township would follow up: “We're going to talk to the judge, we're going to continue to have some conversations with our officers to understand why, how did we get to where we are and where we're gonna go from here.” He said the township would seek continued meetings with the police and the courts to understand gaps residents reported.

Pennsauken's chief of police (Joseph) said the department is increasing community‑policing efforts this summer, including more officers on foot and a new temporary substation on Westfield Avenue, and urged residents to use an anonymous tip app. “The app will get you to instantaneous contact with an officer on the other end,” the chief said, adding the department will post a QR code on the township website.

On vehicle thefts specifically, officials said the township will meet with owners and managers of Cooper River Plaza to discuss security and to request a security assessment at the property. Tristan said the police are monitoring an uptick in stolen vehicles and coordinating with building management; he described the planned meeting as a joint effort rather than an administrative order.

No formal new ordinances or votes were taken on policing or noise enforcement at the meeting. Committee members repeatedly thanked Town Watch volunteers for reporting incidents and emphasized the role of resident tips and the new app in speeding response times.

What remains unresolved

Residents asked for more visible enforcement and more creative, proactive policing tactics such as unmarked cars and targeted stakeouts; officials said staffing and workload limit how often those tactics can be used but that they will try to increase foot patrols and targeted operations in hot spots. Officials did not set deadlines or specific dates for the Cooper River Plaza security meeting during the session, but said they would follow up with individual residents after the meeting.

Ending

Committee members encouraged residents to continue reporting incidents through dispatch and the department’s tip app and said the chief and public‑safety director would remain available after the meeting for further questions. No formal policy change or enforcement order was adopted during the session.