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Absecon police chief urges residents to report solicitors and recent vehicle burglaries; thanks volunteer divers for creek recovery
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Summary
Chief of Police told the council the department has issued local ordinance citations to unpermitted door‑to‑door solicitors, urged residents to call police at the time of incidents, described multiple recent vehicle burglaries with arrests, and thanked the Underwater Forensics and Education Foundation for volunteering to recover a vehicle from a creek.
The Absecon police chief updated the council on recent public safety matters and urged residents to report incidents promptly.
During the public safety report the chief said the department has received multiple calls about unpermitted solicitors and has been issuing local ordinance citations: "You have to call us. In order to have a solicitor's permit...they have to come here, fill out the paperwork. They get an ID badge that they're supposed to be wearing," he said, urging residents to contact police at the time of the visit rather than days later.
The chief also described recent vehicle burglaries. Officers responded to a report of a person seen in a backyard, located a suspect and took him into custody; while processing that incident the department received seven additional calls about vehicle burglaries. The chief emphasized that prompt calls increase the likelihood of solving crimes and recovering property.
On a related matter, the chief described coordination with the Underwater Forensics and Education Foundation to recover a partially submerged vehicle from a creek. The foundation provided volunteer divers, aided by officers and city towing, to remove the remains of a vehicle rather than pay several thousand dollars for commercial recovery.
Why it matters: The chief's briefing covers enforcement of local solicitor rules, recent property‑crime activity that affected multiple residents, and a low‑cost recovery method used by the city that involved a volunteer nonprofit.
What’s next: The department indicated it will continue public outreach about solicitors' permits and enforcement and will increase training and bicycle patrol presence at seasonal events.
