COBNJ Members Meet with Middlesex County Officials on Sept 3rd

[Manager- COBNJ]

A team of 3 COBNJ members had a meeting with the the top officers of
the Middlesex County Prosecutors office on September 3, 2010. The
meeting that was arranged by the Mayor of Old Bridge was attended by
the Mr.Bruce Kaplan, Middlesex along with several senior members of
his prosecutorial team, Mr. James Phillip, Mayor of Old Bridge, Mr.
William Volkert, the newly appointed Chief of Police of Old Bridge,
Lt. Robert Greenway, officer in charge of the neighborhood watch
program of Old Bridge Police. COBNJ was represented by Suresh Kumar,
Satish Penkala and Murali Sastri.
The topics discussed included the status investigation into the murder
of Dr Sinha, measures to enhance security and safety of residents of
Old Bridge, the neighborhood crime watch program, involvement of the
educational system in bias education and an educational seminar for
residents. Mr. Kaplan assured the COBNJ members that all possible
measures have been and continue to be taken to ensue that the
criminals involved with the murder of Dr Sinha will be brought to
justice. Although he could not reveal details of the ongoing
investigation, Mr. Kaplan felt confident that the outcome will meet
the gravity of the crime. He assured COBNJ that the County will extend
full support to the residents of to be train and better prepare them
to prevent and better with such incidents in future. One the
initiatives proposed by the prosecutor was a Citizens Police Academy
for the residents that will provide training in basic techniques and
skills involved in policing and emergence response.
A topic that was discussed at length was a Educational seminar for Old
Bridge residents that COBNJ is organizing along with the the Old
Bridge Township, the US Department of Justice-Community Relations and
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). The event planned for
Sept 25th will focus on education on bias incidents, knowing your
rights and a discussion on the COBNJ model of collaboration with local
law enforcement to enhance public safety. A follow-up meeting was
proposed on Sept 8th to discuss the details of the event.
The meeting lasted for over 2 hours and created a good foundation for
COBNJ's interaction with the local government to foster a atmosphere
of trust and collaboration.
Please stay tuned for more details of the Sept 25th seminar.
Wishing you a Happy Labor day weekend.
Manager-COBNJ