Residents,

I hope everyone enjoyed their summer.  I wanted to touch base with everyone to provide a few updates as we move into the new school year and the end of 2023, if you can believe it.

First, I want to applaud our residents and our officers for doing a tremendous job of safeguarding the community during the summer months.  Several of our surrounding jurisdictions were being victimized routinely, while Florham Park did suffer some victimization, it was not near the frequency of other jurisdictions.  There were three motor vehicles stolen in Florham Park, from June 1st thru August 31st.  Two of those vehicles were left unsecured with the key fobs inside the vehicle.  Our detectives were successful in identifying, locating and arresting four juveniles involved in one of those thefts.  Unfortunately, despite their significant criminal histories, they were all released to their parents.  The third motor vehicle theft, and the incident of greatest concern, involved a residential burglary where the vehicle keys were taken from inside the residence.  This is another opportunity for the Police Department to reiterate and promote our philosophies of resident vigilance, reporting of any suspicious behavior/persons to the police immediately and to never leave your vehicles unsecured with the keys inside of the same.  We, as a community, could have reduced our victimization to one stolen vehicle by simply locking vehicles and removing keys from the same.  The third stolen vehicle, resulting from a burglary, is still under investigation.  

Early this past Sunday morning, at approximately 3:15am, a resident of Woodcrest Road called to report a home invasion/burglary as two males were attempting to enter their home through the rear doors.  A Patrol Officer was on Edgewood Road at the time of the call and responded to the residence within seconds of the call.  The homeowners advised the officer they observed two males enter their property, via video surveillance, and attempt to enter the rear of their home.  The suspects fled through the rear of the yard as our officer was arriving.   A link of the video surveillance is provided below.  Luckily, this resident’s home was equipped with outdoor sensor lighting and video surveillance which assisted in alerting the resident to the suspect’s presence.  Our officers, who patrol throughout the night, were in close proximity and able to assist in deterring these criminals from being successful at victimizing our residents.  Detectives will be following up on the investigation this week in an attempt to identify and locate the suspects.

https://neighbors.ring.com/n/OkmQnBpfbV

We have personnel trained in home security assessments who can provide homeowners with tips necessary to safeguard their homes like the incident detailed above.  Simple and inexpensive solutions can help prevent victimization.  Contact me at any time, jorlando@fppd.net, to schedule an officer to speak with you about home security assessments.

The 200 Club of Morris County is sponsoring First Responder Day, which is being hosted by Florham Park, on September 23rd at Emmett Field from 3:00pm until 7:00pm.  There will be food trucks, live bands, Home Run Derby, Corn Hole Championships and a Closest to the Pin Golf event.  The entire event is free for all who attend.  Please try to attend and support Morris County’s First Responder community.

The Police Department is planning our Annual Safe Night Out for mischief night.  We hope to see all of your children in attendance.

Remember, overall communal safety is everyone’s responsibility.  Please remember to obey speed limits, parking rules and traffic safety.

Stay safe!!

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police
September 18, 2023

The Water Department will be conducting their annual hydrant flushing program beginning Monday, September 18, 2023, from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. The program will take approximately four weeks to complete.

If you see a Borough crew flushing a hydrant on your street, avoid running tap water and using the washing machine or the dishwasher until the flushing has been completed. Residents can expect some discoloration of the water for a short period of time (few hours) after flushing. It is not harmful to your health, and this condition can be remedied by allowing the cold water to run until clear.

For more information, please visit www.fpboro.net. If you have any questions or problems, please call (973) 410-5471. Thank you for your cooperation.

With the first day of school being tomorrow, September 11th, we would like to remind residents of a few things.   Please leave extra time for your morning commutes and afternoon errands to account for school traffic - our crossing guards, bus drivers, and students walking to school will appreciate everyone driving safely! 

 Also, we want to remind parents and guardians to be cautious about sharing your children’s back to school pictures on social media.  Though a fun and exciting tradition, it is important to be mindful that information posted online could be used by scammers and predators.  Posting photos including your child’s teacher, the school they attend and even their age are discouraged.  Keep the photos limited in detail and personal information.  We also encourage parents and guardians to routinely check their social media security settings as well as friends and followers lists.

Our School Resource Officers, Officer Langereis and Officer Carney, can’t wait to welcome the students back for the 2023-2024 school year!

Residents have been reporting an increased number of coyote sightings in the Borough. Do not approach or engage wildlife. Coyotes are by nature wary of humans. However, coyote behavior changes if given access to human food and garbage. The NJ DEP Fish and Wildlife Division offers the following guidelines to avoid conflict with coyotes: 

• Never feed a coyote. Deliberately feeding coyotes puts pets and other residents in the neighborhood at risk. Feeding pet cats and/or feral (wild) cats outdoors can attract coyotes. The coyotes feed on the pet food and also prey upon the cats.
• Put garbage in tightly closed containers that cannot be tipped over.
• Remove sources of water, especially in dry climates.
• Bring pets in at night.
• Put away bird feeders at night to avoid attracting rodents and other coyote prey.
• Provide secure enclosures for rabbits, poultry, and other farm animals.
• Pick up fallen fruit and cover compost piles.

If you observe coyotes in the daytime that show no fear of humans or if a coyote attacks a person, immediately contact your local police and NJ Fish and Wildlife at 908-735-8793; outside of normal business hours call the DEP Hotline at 877-WARN-DEP.

Click here to sign up for the new community alert notification system

AlertFlorhamPark will allow you to get emergency notifications in any manner you choose, including phone, email, text, or social media, so you can stay informed during major storms or other emergencies taking place in Florham Park or throughout Morris County. Users have the ability to enter multiple addresses located in multiple jurisdictions within a single profile. If you care for a loved one who lives in another Morris County town and want to be notified of issues affecting that person’s municipality, your one registration process will satisfy that need.

AlertFlorhamPark also offers a free Smart911 signup option for county residents, providing a greatly enhanced and potentially lifesaving 9-1-1 emergency call service for anyone who registers for it.

Smart911 is FREE, and your information is secure, accessible only to a 9-1-1 call taker. This service can provide key information to responders that can make your family safer. For example:

• Address Details: How to access your home, number of bedrooms, location of utility shut-offs, and if you live in a multi-family building;
• Family Details: Number of residents, ages, photos of children, and your landline and mobile phone numbers;
• Medical Information: Medical conditions of certain residents, medications taken/required, allergies, mobility of residents, and if special equipment is needed in an emergency;
• Animals: A list of your pets, service animals and livestock, and their names so responders are aware of them as they enter your home. Also, include the name of your veterinarian;
• Emergency Contacts: Family members, friends or neighbors to be contacted in case of an emergency;
• Vehicles: Make, model and license plate number in case of a motor vehicle accident.

Residents can offer as much or as little information to first responders through Smart911 as they wish.