PRESS RELEASES

Date:
Wednesday, July, 28, 2010

For more information: Haddonfield Police Chief John Banning (856) 429-4700, ext. 250

Arrests made in Haddonfield bank robbery

On Wednesday, July 28, Haddonfield Police responded to an armed robbery at “The Bank” located on unit block of Kings Highway West. 

Initial information led police to the nearby PATCO Hi Speed line parking lot where a suspect was found in a vehicle attempting to leave the scene. 

A second suspect was located a short distance away in the 100 block of Grove Street. The suspects were apprehended by the Haddonfield Police Department with the assistance of surrounding police departments. 

All proceeds and the weapon were recovered.

The accused, Micah Williams of Lindenwold and Jes U Run of Sicklerville, N.J., were charged and remanded to the Camden County Jail with bail set at $500,000.00 each.

The suspects were also charged with a second bank robbery that occurred on June 5 at the same location.

Date:
Friday, July 16, 2010

For more information: Haddonfield Police Chief John Banning (856) 429-3000

Haddonfield Police: Lock your car doors

Haddonfield Police are telling residents to lock their car doors after a rash of thefts in the borough this past weekend.

Police recorded eight thefts from unlocked vehicles this past Saturday, July 10. The thefts took place on the 200 block of Jefferson Avenue, 300 and 400 blocks of Warwick Road, 400 block of Washington Avenue 100 block of West Summit Avenue and 100 block of Lafayette Avenue.

The list of items stolen include everything from electronics to cash: two Dell laptop computers; two Apple Ipods and an Ipod Touch; credit cards; gift cards; two radar detectors; and a total of $170 in cash.

Public Safety Director Ed Borden remarked, “We have experienced literally dozens of these thefts from open vehicles over the past few years. Just this summer, this is the second time that police have warned residents of the importance of locking their car doors. These are eight crimes of opportunity, eight crimes that could each have been prevented by the simple act of locking a car door.”

Anyone with information about the burglaries is asked to contact Haddonfield Police at (856) 429-4700, ext. 250.

Date:
Friday, June 25, 2010

For more information, contact:
Haddonfield Borough Administrator: Sharon McCullough at (856) 429-4700, ext. 215
Haddonfield Police Chief John Banning: (856) 429-3000

Haddonfield police team with 7-11 for a cool summer

Haddonfield youth will have a cool summer – if they play it safe.

The Haddonfield Police Department has partnered with local 7-11 owner Mir Sajid to reward children and teens who wear helmets while riding their bikes this summer. Police officers will be handing out coupons for a free Slurpee to children riding with a helmet. The coupon can be redeemed only at the Haddonfield 7-11, located at 615 Haddon Avenue.

Sajid was first approached about the concept by Haddonfield Police Corp. Dan O’Pella. After consulting with 7-11 corporate headquarters, Sajid received approval to implement the program – one that could spread to 7-11s nationwide.

“I’m ready to jump into it,” Sajid said. “It’s good for the kids.”

Police caution children to not approach police officers, who might be engaged in other police activity, seeking the coupons. Rather, officers will approach bike riders when appropriate and present them with coupons. The program started the last day of school and will continue into the summer.

As for those bike riders found without a helmet, the bad news is that state law requires everyone 17 years of age and younger to wear helmets when riding a bike, so a court summons is possible. The good news is that the department also has secured discount coupons to the Sports Authority and Dick’s Sporting Goods that provide for $10 off a bike helmet or 10 percent off the purchase of safety equipment. Police officers will be handing out those coupons to riders this summer who are spotted not wearing a helmet.

Sajid, O’Pella and School Resource Officer Lou Bacelice put the program together.

Cutline: Kicking off Haddonfield’s bicycle helmet safety initiative are, back row from left, Corp. Dan O’Pella, 7-11 owner Mir Sajid, Police Chief John Banning and School Resource Officer Lou Bacelice. Front row, from left, are Michael Brady and Daniel O’Pella Jr.

Date:
Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Contact:
Sharon McCullough, (856) 429-4700, ext. 215
Haddonfield Police, (856) 429-4700, ext. 250

Haddonfield Police: Lock your car doors

Following three reported burglaries to automobiles in Haddonfield over the holiday weekend, Haddonfield Police are urging residents to keep their car doors locked at all times.

“In all of the cases, it appears that the burglar entered the vehicles through an unlocked door,” Police Chief John Banning said. “Proceeds from the burglaries include cash, electronics and personal documents.”

All of the burglaries took place during the night of May 30, along Chestnut Street, Euclid Avenue and Landsdowne Avenue.

Among the items taken were a Sirius radio and a GPS system. Personal documents also were stolen, including credit cards.

Anyone with information about the burglaries is asked to contact Haddonfield Police at (856) 429-4700, ext. 250.

Date:
Friday, March 12, 2010

Contact:
Sharon McCullough, Borough Administrator
856-429-4700 x 215

Substance in Haddonfield's Hopkins Pond is benign

The Camden County Health Department has determined that a substance on the surface of Hopkins Pond in Haddonfield is not sewage and does not pose a threat to public health.

Haddonfield's Water and Sewer Department received a report at about 3pm on Thursday that an unidentified substance was flowing into the pond near Grove Street. Borough representatives observed a sheen on the surface of the pond in that region, but no solids. There was no detectable odor.

In response to a second report, to the Haddonfield Police Department at about 6pm, Borough officials called in the Camden County Health Department and Parks Department, and notified the Haddonfield School District. The J. Fithian Tatem Elementary School is near the pond, and some students walk by the pond on their way to and from school.

At about 10 o'clock on Thursday night, a member of the County's HAZMAT (hazardous materials) unit advised Borough officials that the as-yet unidentified substance was benign. County health and parks representatives will continue to monitor the pond and environs in the coming days.

Date:
Friday, March 12, 2010

Haddonfield's COAH plan approved; Property owners’ rights restored

The Borough of Haddonfield reported today that the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) has given “substantive certification” to Haddonfield’s Third Round Housing Element and Fair Share Plan. COAH certified the plan on Wednesday, March 10, after years of litigation.

COAH also lifted the "scarce resource restraint" it placed on all Haddonfield properties in November 2004, preventing the Planning Board from hearing applications for many types of development. As a result of this action, Haddonfield property owners can once again seek approval to construct buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings.

Haddonfield filed its proposed Third Round plan on time and in accordance with COAH's rules, and subsequently participated in mediation to address issues raised by the only objector, the Fair Share Housing Center. After mediation failed to settle the differences, Haddonfield asked COAH to approve its plan despite Fair Share’s objections, which COAH did.

COAH does not require municipalities themselves to provide medium- and low-income housing. Rather, it requires them to have a plan that specifies what their “fair share” of such housing is, as part of a total requirement for the state as a whole. The plan also identifies properties within the municipality that, if developed, would be required to include a certain number of affordable housing units.

Municipalities that do not have an approved Fair Share Plan, or that have not submitted such a plan to COAH, are subject to “builder's remedy" lawsuits that, if successful, require them to approve proposed developments that might not include the required number of affordable housing units. Having received substantive certification from COAH, Haddonfield is now immune from such actions (as it has been ever since it filed its plan).

Haddonfield's proposed Third Round plan was posted on the Borough’s Web site – www.haddonfieldnj-org – at the time it was filed: www.haddonfieldnj.org/pdf/Coah-thirdround-plan-11-08.pdf

February 23, 2010

Contact:
Commissioner Ed Borden: 609-519-4003
Chief John Banning: 856-429-4700 x 250

Camden man arrested in Haddonfield burglaries

The Haddonfield Police Department has reported that charges have been filed against a Camden resident in connection with a number of burglaries in the Haddonfield business district.

Danny Wiles, 46, has been charged with four counts of burglary, four counts of theft, and one count of criminal mischief.

The break-ins took place in late January during the late evening or early morning hours. In most cases, a small window adjacent to the front door lock was broken. The perpetrator presumably reached inside to open the door.

Wiles is being held in the Camden County Jail.

Break-Ins In the Business District – Police Alert (pdf)

Haddonfield featured in the travel section of Washington Post

Date:
Monday, January 18, 2010

Contact:
Commissioner Ed Borden: 609-519-4003 (cell)
Chief John Banning: 856-429-4700 x 250

Arrests reported in Haddonfield robberies

The Haddonfield Police Department has reported that three adult males and one juvenile male were taken into custody on Saturday night, January 16, following two separate incidents in which five Haddonfield residents, all juveniles, were robbed.

One incident took place on Washington Avenue near Lafayette Avenue at about 11pm. Two victims -- one male and one female -- were approached by three males wearing "hoodies" and carrying two baseball bats. The suspects demanded that the victims hand over their possessions. After being given a cell phone and two dollars in cash they fled by car.

The second incident occurred on Warwick Road near Moore Lane, where the suspects approached three males with a demand to hand over their possessions. When the victims rebuffed them, one of the suspects struck one of the victims in the leg with a bat. The suspects then fled by car.

In both cases, the victims called 911 promptly. Subsequently, a patrol car from the Haddon Township Police Department spotted a vehicle in the vicinity of Haddon Avenue and Maple Avenue that matched the description of the vehicle in which the suspects had fled. When officers stopped the vehicle on Coles Mill Road they found four males and two baseball bats inside.

Three adult males were taken into custody and transported to the Haddonfield Police Department for processing: Alexander Martin Constantine, 19, of Southampton; Anthony Vincent Paladino Jr, 19, of Haddon Heights; and William John Petrina, 19, also of Haddon Heights. They were charged with numerous offenses and remanded to the Camden County Jail in lieu of $50,000 all-cash bail each.

A juvenile male was taken into custody as well. A resident of Haddon Heights, he was transported to the Haddonfield Police Department and was subsequently remanded to the Lakeland Juvenile Correctional Facility.

The suspects' vehicle was impounded. Individuals charged with criminal offenses are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Commissioner Ed Borden, who serves as Haddonfield's Director of Public Safety, commended the victims on their prompt and detailed reporting of the incidents. "There is no question that their response to the assaults made it possible for the County communications center to get a description of the suspects' vehicle out quickly," Borden said. “This resulted in the suspects' prompt apprehension.”

Haddonfield Police Chief John Banning complimented his colleagues in Haddon Township for their vigilance and decisive action. "Our departments have a long history of working well together," Banning said. "We're very grateful to the Haddon Township patrol officers for making it possible for us to press charges in relation to these very serious crimes."

----

Date:
Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Contact:
Commissioner Ed Borden: 609-519-4003 (cell)
Borough Administrator Sharon McCullough: 856-429-4700 x 215
Chief John Banning: 856-429-4700 x 250

Haddonfield appoints new police chief

A 26-year veteran of the Haddonfield Police Department has been appointed the Borough's new Chief of Police.

John J. Banning, who joined the department as a patrol officer in 1983 and rose steadily through the ranks, will succeed Richard W. Tsonis, who retired in July. Banning has served as captain, the second-highest rank, since 2000, and as acting chief for the past four months.

The appointment was announced today by Commissioner Ed Borden, the Borough's Director of Public Safety. The new chief will be sworn in during the Board of Commissioners' meeting on Tuesday, December 8 (Borough Hall, Room 102, 7:30pm).

A graduate of Gloucester City High School, Banning began his law enforcement career with the Wildwood Police Department in March 1983. Several months later he transferred to Haddonfield. During a decade of service as a patrol officer, he specialized in juvenile matters. He also became accredited as a crime scene technician. He was appointed senior patrol officer in 1988, corporal in 1994, sergeant in 1995, lieutenant in 1997, and captain in 2000.

In addition to training at the State Police Academy, Banning has studied at Camden County College, Glassboro State College, and Thomas Edison State College. He has completed six levels of the NJ Department of Personnel's certified public manager program, and various management and executive courses offered by the NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police, the NJ Division of Criminal Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A longtime resident of Gloucester City, Banning is married with two adult sons.

In commenting on his appointment, Banning said he was looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that his new responsibilities will present.

"Our department has a fine reputation," Banning said, "but we can't rest on our laurels. I am determined to ensure that the departmental slogan, Exceptional Service and Protection, is more than just words painted on our patrol cars. It's what the members of this community expect and deserve, and on my watch it is what they will get."

Banning also said he was grateful to the Haddonfield commissioners for the confidence they showed in him by appointing him as chief of police. "Very few of the young men and women who choose law enforcement as a career get to rise all the way through the ranks," Banning said. "Serving as chief is the pinnacle of a police officer's career and I am honored by the commissioners' faith in me."

Commissioner Borden said the Borough had five outstanding candidates to choose from. "It’s a great testament to our department that we had such a strong field of candidates," Borden said. He added that he and his fellow commissioners were grateful to all the officers who applied for the position and who submitted themselves to the rigorous interview process. "I am confident that they and the other members of the department will give our new chief their unqualified loyalty and support."

In commenting on the selection process, Borden paid tribute to senior law enforcement professionals who assisted him with the selection of the new chief: Thomas Kelly, retired deputy chief of investigators in the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office; James McAleer, a retired FBI special agent; Francis Burke, an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Rowan University and Camden County College and a former Washington Township chief of police; Donna Spinosi, an attorney and former chief of the child abuse unit in the County Prosecutor’s Office; and Brian Jacobs, an attorney and former commander of the Prosecutor's special prosecutions unit. McAleer, Spinosi, and Jacobs are Haddonfield residents, and Jacobs is a former member of the Haddonfield Police Department. The panel is continuing to examine the managerial structure and training regimen of the department.

"The committee was exceptional," Borden said. "Their insights, input, and advice were invaluable and I am enormously grateful that they were so willing to share their expertise, for the benefit of both the community and its public safety force."

Borden also thanked his fellow commissioners, Tish Colombi and Jeff Kasko, for endorsing his selection of Banning, and he complimented Borough Administrator Sharon McCullough on her assistance with the application and interview process.

Headquartered in the basement of the Borough Hall, the Haddonfield Police Department is staffed by 22 uniformed and plainclothes officers, a parking enforcement officer, and an administrative assistant. In addition to the Borough's 11,600 residents and 500 businesses, it serves the small neighboring borough of Tavistock. The department is supported by a 12-member volunteer Auxiliary.

Date:
October 29, 2009

Contact:
Commissioner Ed Borden 609-519-4003 (cell)
or Captain John Banning 856-429-4700 x 250

Title:
Haddonfield Police Encourage Residents to Drop Off Old Medicines

More than 250 police departments throughout New Jersey have signed on to participate in Operation Medicine Cabinet, an initiative designed to enable residents of their communities to properly dispose of unused, unwanted, and expired medicines.

Local residents may take such medicines to the Haddonfield Police Department, at the rear of the Borough Hall, between 10am and 2pm on Saturday, November 14.

The drop-off is anonymous. The attending officer will merely receive the medicines and place them in a secure container for disposal. He will not ask any questions about the medicines, nor will he ask for the name, address, or ID of those who stop by.

Commissioner Ed Borden, Haddonfield's Director of Public Safety, said the initiative has two goals: to combat prescription drug abuse by removing unused drugs from medicine cabinets, and to stop unwanted drugs from entering the water supply.

"Prescription drug abuse is a much bigger problem than most people realize," Borden said. A survey conducted last year by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America found that one in five teenagers reported abusing a prescription medicine; more than half said they got the pills from a home medicine cabinet.

"Many addicted teens take outdated prescription drugs from their parents' and grandparents' medicine cabinets," Borden said, "and the adults are totally unaware. It's a serious problem."

Borden also said that flushing unwanted medicines down the toilet is not an appropriate way to dispose of them. "It would be better to mix them with water and cat litter and put the mixture in the trash," he said.

The best solution? Take unused, unwanted, and expired medicines to the Haddonfield Police Department on November 14, Borden said.

Operation Medicine Cabinet is being spearheaded by the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. In Haddonfield, it is being sponsored by the Police Department and the Municipal Alliance.

The Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA in New Jersey, Gerard P. McAleer, said that law enforcement agencies throughout the state "are concerned with the alarming trend in the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, with potential access to these drugs coming from the medicine cabinets of family and friends.”

NJ Attorney General Anne Milgram said that Operation Medicine Cabinet will reduce the availability of potent drugs that lead kids down a path to addiction. "We can't break a cycle of dependence," she said, "if powerful prescription drugs are stashed in our own homes, tucked away in drawers and cabinets."

“We are calling on New Jersey residents to see their medicine cabinets through new eyes," Milgram said, "as an access point for potential misuse and abuse of over-the-counter and prescription medicine by young people.”

The 2007 National Study of Drug-Use and Health found that 70% of people who abuse prescription pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that upwards of nine million people use prescription medication for non-medical uses. A Parents Tracking Survey conducted in 2009 by the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey found that nearly half of the parents of middle school students said they know "a little or just about nothing" about prescription drug abuse.

Haddonfield residents who have questions about Operation Medicine Cabinet should call the Police Department at 856-429-4700 x 250. Additional information can be obtained at www.OperationMedicineCabinetNJ.com .

September 11, 2009

Contact:
Commissioner Ed Borden 609-519-4003 (cell)
or Captain John Banning 856-429-4700 x 250

Title:
Haddonfield Warns of Door-to-Door Scam

Haddonfield Public Safety Director Edward Borden and Captain John Banning announced today that the Haddonfield Police Department has received several reports that young adults, claiming to be college students, have been going door to door in Haddonfield soliciting donations on behalf of organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House and Veterans Affairs, without their authorization.

When a resident offers to contribute by check, the solicitor asks that the check be made payable to an entity called “Academic Marketing Group” or “ACM.”

The Police Department urges residents to not give donations to door-to-door solicitors – especially not in cash – unless they are satisfied that the solicitor represents a bona fide organization.

Peddlers and solicitors are required to obtain permits from the Borough before they go door to door. Residents should not hesitate to ask to see permits or other ID, and should report questionable solicitations without delay by calling Police Dispatch at 856-429-3000. In an emergency, always call 911.

July 17, 2009
Haddonfield Police Chief to retire

A veteran member of the Haddonfield Police Department, who joined the force as a rookie in 1983 and rose through the ranks to become the borough's Chief of Police, will retire at the end of July.

Chief Rick Tsonis has led the 22-member department for the past ten years.

“Rick's career has been a distinguished one," said Commissioner Ed Borden, the borough's Director of Public Safety, “and on behalf of the entire community the Commissioners wish him well as he begins a new phase in his life.”

Borden announced that Captain John Banning, a 26-year veteran of the department, will carry out the duties of the Chief for the next four months, while retaining the title of Captain, and that Sergeant Gary Pearce will serve as an acting Lieutenant during the same period.

During that time the borough will consider changes in the managerial structure and training regimen of the department.

Borden has asked a number of senior law enforcement professionals to work with him in that task and in the selection of a permanent Chief: Thomas Kelly, retired Deputy Chief of Investigators in the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office; James McAleer, a retired FBI Special Agent; Francis Burke, an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Rowan University and Camden County College and a former Washington Township Chief of Police; Donna Spinosi, an attorney and former Chief of the Child Abuse Unit in the County Prosecutor’s Office; and Brian Jacobs, an attorney and former commander of the Prosecutor's Special Prosecutions Unit.

 

“Each of these individuals has a wealth of experience in law enforcement and the management of law enforcement personnel,” Borden said. “I am enormously grateful that they are willing to share their expertise, for the benefit of both the community and its public safety force."

April 16, 2009
Haddonfield Chooses Architect for Library Evaluation (PDF 40K)

April 2009
Haddonfield Named Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation (JPG 880K)

April 10, 2009

IMPORTANT NEWS RELEASE

A Runnemede man whom police say was responsible for a robbery and kidnapping incident on Park Place in May last year has been taken into custody.

Borough officials released the following statement on Friday afternoon (April 10):

* * * * *

Haddonfield Public Safety Director Edward Borden and Chief of Police Rick Tsonis announced today that Haddonfield police arrested and charged a Runnemede man with robbery and kidnapping in connection with an incident that occurred on Park Place almost a year ago. The suspect, Abasi Hamilton, age 31, is lodged in the county jail on $400,000 bail, said Borden. Chief Tsonis noted that the suspect had given a statement admitting to his involvement.

The incident involved an attempted abduction of an adult woman on Park Place at approximately 10:30 AM on May 7, 2008. The victim was forced into a white van. Fortunately, she was able to fight back and escape from the van within a relatively short distance. She immediately reported the incident to the police and was able to provide information on the incident and the assailant to the police.

On Wednesday, April 8, Bellmawr and Barrington police took Hamilton into custody on other charges. The Barrington officer recalled the composite sketch made as a result of the victim’s input and noted similarities to Hamilton. Barrington alerted Haddonfield PD. “We are really indebted to the heads up work of the Barrington officer,” said Chief Tsonis. “This was the break we needed.”

Commissioner Borden credited that “fantastic police work” of Corporals Stephen Camiscioli and Brian Trippel of Haddonfield PD. “Our detective bureau has been following up leads since the incident. They never let up. When Steve and Brian got word of the Barrington arrest, they immediately followed up with interviews of associates of Hamilton.” Then, in a lengthy joint interview with Sergeant Aida Marcial of the Prosecutor’s Office, Camiscioli secured a statement from Hamilton.

February 23, 2009
Bancroft Bomb Scare Incidents Solved (PDF)