Residents,
Please take the time to read this message in its entirety as there is pertinent information regarding several incidents of criminal activity within the Borough thwarted by our officers, as well as critical personal safety and preparedness information for all residents.
Not long ago, our officers conducted a motor vehicle stop and found a vehicle had a fictitious temporary registration affixed to the same. Three adult suspects occupied the vehicle, which had been legally rented from a rental car agency. The vehicle was legally registered in another State but had a fictitious paper temporary registration placed over the actual license plate. Our officers determined this to be a willful attempt at disguising the vehicle in furtherance of criminal activity and began an extensive investigation. The officers eventually observed, in plain view within the vehicle, an electronic key programming and cloning device used to clone and reprogram key fobs. The device is illegal to possess and can be utilized for the purpose of stealing motor vehicles without key fobs being present within the vehicle. The three suspects, some of whom are known to have a previous gang affiliation, were all adult males with significant criminal histories. All three suspects were arrested and lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility.
On another occasion, our officers located a subject driving a motor vehicle with what appeared to be a fictitious temporary registration in the center of the Borough. Upon conducting a motor vehicle stop, the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Several of our officers descended upon the area and captured the suspect placing him under arrest. Shortly thereafter, it was discovered the suspect was wanted for an armed robbery in northern New Jersey. A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle and a loaded handgun was located within the vehicle along with a significant amount of suspected cocaine. The vehicle was also found to be stolen out of New York. The suspect, believed to be an affiliated gang member, was lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility.
This past weekend, in the early hours of Sunday morning, our patrols located a potential stolen vehicle travelling on Gregory Drive. Upon officers spotting the vehicle, it fled and a search for the same ensued. An alert resident on Kenneth Court heard and observed four male suspects trying to enter her backyard and yelled at them from a window. The suspects fled as she contacted 9-1-1 to provide our officers with descriptions and their direction of flight. A perimeter was established with the assistance of several police agencies within Morris County, as well as the State Police Aviation Unit. A systematic search for the suspects, assisted by heat-detecting drones and the State Police Aviation Unit, located two suspects hiding in the wooded area behind Brooklake and Briarwood Schools. Officers swarmed the area and captured two of the suspects. The captured suspects advised the officers one of the remaining two suspects at large was in possession of a handgun. Additional officers continued the search for the remaining suspects, one of whom was located along Briarwood Road and the last suspect was located along Crescent Road. All suspects were arrested and transported to police headquarters while a BB Gun was located along the path the suspects took while fleeing. The vehicle they had been driving was located on Kenneth Court and confirmed to have been stolen. Three of the suspects were juveniles, one of whom has an extensive criminal history, but all were required to be released to their parents after having been charged with several criminal offenses. The fourth suspect was an adult with a lengthy criminal history and was lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility.
I have to thank the following law enforcement agencies who responded and assisted with this tremendous undertaking, bringing the same to a successful conclusion:
Madison, East Hanover, Livingston, Millburn, Montville, Hanover Twp, Morristown, Morris Twp, Chatham, the Morris County Sheriff’s Department and the NJ State Police Aviation Unit. The teamwork exhibited and dedication to communal safety was the overwhelming determining factor in the successful resolution of this incident. I also have to thank the resident of Kenneth Court, whose vigilance and timely reporting to the Police was critical to our officers establishing a sound perimeter, which contained the suspects, allowing other assets to respond and assist.
In each of three incidents detailed above our officers exhibited significant competence and dedication to duty. Their efforts occur continuously every day and night with the interest of our resident’s safety and security in the forefront of their motivations. Please take a moment when you see them to thank them for what they sacrifice for the benefit and safety of our community.
Lastly, there have been repeated warnings, from FBI Director Christopher Wray, regarding a potential attack on the homeland. According to the Director there have been several red flags raised at levels more significant than those prior to the 9/11 attacks. I relay this information to our residents for purposes of preparedness, having a plan in the event a catastrophic incident affects us as individuals, as a community, a State or a Nation. The little things we all do to be mindful and vigilant can have a tremendous impact on communal safety. Like the resident of Kenneth Court, all residents must take communal safety seriously and not be lulled into a false sense of security that living in a great community like Florham Park can have on your psyche. The Department of Homeland Security provides preparedness strategies for civilians at the link below:
https://www.dhs.gov/prepare-my-family-disaster
Stay Safe,
Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police
March 18, 2024