Next time someone says we need more cops, tell them no we don't

We need to make better use of the ones we have.

When Mayor Fulop was elected he said he'd help make better use of Jersey City Police resources, specifically he'd use civilian "monitors" instead of police officers to stand around construction sites and get in and out of their cars, play with their iPhones and talk with workers. Fulop said at the time, and we completely agreed, that Jersey City cops could do a better job fighting crime if they were actually on patrol or in an official police capacity.

So Mayor, what happened? Was it because first you had a Chief of Police then you didn't then you did for a short while and now you have another? Is your message not getting through? Did you simply not follow up on this? Which is it? Did the police tell you in no uncertain terms those were their gravy assignments? Tell us Mr. Fulop. Right now in the Powerhouse Arts District there are no less than five Jersey City police officers standing around a five block area.

This happens all too often.

Jersey City Desk file photo

So, five police officers who could be out working followup on cases, doing paperwork or helping fight crime standing around, sometimes sleeping in their cars, and not one of them has saved any local citizen from any construction related malady. Mayor, is it too much for you to make this a priority? Stop puffing your chest about hiring unneeded cops if you're not going to effectively use the ones we have on staff now. Where's this effective streamlined government you spoke so enthusiastically about just a year ago? People in Greenville and the Heights sure would be willing to put a citizen monitor outside a construction site if they could get even one more cop on patrol we're certain.

Or do you simply not care now that you're on to the whole gubernatorial thing?