Clinton Township Newsletter

2 m a r c h 2 0 2 3 W W W . C L I N T O N T W P N E W S L E T T E R . C O M Happy St. Prick's Day! Locally Owned and Operated by Phil & Diane Koury 185 Center St., Clinton 908.735.4499 Family Owned and Operated Over 70 Years U.S. Highway 22 E. Whitehouse NJ 08888 908•534•2125 www.vandorenoil.com e-mail: info@vandorenoil.com HEATING OIL • GASOLINE • DIESEL FUEL • BURNER SERVICE • POST-HOLE DIGGING Oriental Rug Specialist Since 1934 Sale & Service of Oriental Rugs & Carpets Ask Officer Raff: Dear Officer Raff, I continually get illegal garbage dumped on my property in Clinton Township. It has occurred four times in the last twelve months. First was a pile of old brick removed from a construction project, then the remains of a wire fence. Recently it was a large piece of sheet metal typically associated with HVAC conduits. Yesterday it was a huge bag of garbage, plus loose garbage strewn all over. In each case I have patiently removed the items and disposed of it through my garbage collector, since I can't stand the unsightly view on my property. I have ordered signage and cameras to be installed, in the hope to put a stop to it. I know I should report this to the local police, but I have avoided it, since I feel the police has more important things to deal with. However, this has been costing me time and money. What should I do? Signed, Phil A. Hi Phil, I am sorry to hear you are having this ongoing issue. Installing signage and cameras will certainly be helpful in identifying the culprit(s). Please do not hesitate to contact your local police to make a report if this should occur again, as we are here to investigate all offenses and crimes which impact our residents. We would only ask that you use the non-emergency number, 908.735.7233 in Clinton Township, to report offenses such as illegal dumping, and reserve 9-1-1 for true emergencies. Sincerely, Officer Raff Dear Officer Raff, Wondering what the best approach is, if new to town, and I have a neighbor through the woods, on the street behind me who ties their dog out in the cold leaving the dog to bark for an hour or several hours at night, just as I'm trying to go to sleep. Then again, in the early morning before the sun comes up, the barking starts again. Often the barking continues for long periods during the day too. Not sure if they are leaving the dog out all night? Falling asleep, and waking to a cold barking dog is not what I hoped to experience when moving into my new house. I feel terrible for the dog, as last night was cold and rainy too. My dog was tucked in at my feet. Not sure if I should just go knock on their door? Thanks for your thoughts. Signed, Julie W. P.S. It is definitely a dog. We had coyotes in the woods where I moved from. I am familiar with the difference. :) Hi Julie, The short answer to your question is, "it depends." If you feel comfortable approaching the neighbor and voicing your concerns, that may do the trick. If not, there are laws which address tying domestic animals up outdoors during adverse weather conditions (www.state.nj.us/health/vph/documents/4_22-17%20Text%202018.pdf). Each law enforcement agency is required to have a Humane Law Enforcement Officer (HLEO) to investigate claims of animal cruelty and neglect. Please feel free to contact our HLEO with any questions regarding this matter. In addition, there are Township ordinances regarding barking dogs (https://ecode360.com/9547277). You can contact our non-emergency number and request an officer to document your complaint about the barking dog and for guidance about how to sign a complaint, if necessary. Regards, Officer Raff n Officer Raffaella Vastola grew up locally in Kingwood Township, and has been in law enforcement for almost two decades, serving many of them with CTPD. She, her husband and their five children currently live in Raritan Township. One of their sons is following Raff's footsteps – he's beginning his law enforcement career after serving in the Marines. Officer Raff thinks Clinton Township is a wonderful place to work, live and raise a family, and she's very proud to serve and protect our community with a dedicated group of men and women who help to keep it that way for everyone. n Do you have questions for our local Clinton Township Police Department? Ask Officer Raff by emailing: ctnl@comcast.net or: rvastola@ctpd.org and add the words "Ask Officer Raff" in the subject line.

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