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Police Department

Union County Gun Surrender Program

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Union County Board of County Commissioners, Union County Police Chiefs Association, Union County Sheriff’s Department, and Union County Police Department along with the local police departments from Berkeley Heights, Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Fanwood, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden, Mountainside, New Providence, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, Springfield, Summit, Union, Westfield, and Winfield present the Union County Gun Surrender Program.

Click here to view and/or download the informational flyer for the Union County Gun Surrender Program.

  • What: Union County Gun Surrender Program. Accepting firearms, ammo and/or prescription drugs. Amnesty program: no questions asked. Surrendered items can be received at any location.
  • When: Saturday, October 5, 2024 from 9am until 4pm.
  • Where: John T. Gregorio Center, which is located at 330 Helen Street.
  • How: For more information, contact your local police department.

CPR Training

Mayor Derek Armstead, the City of Linden, the Linden Police Department and Linden Fire Department are pleased to offer free CPR training to Linden residents. Two opportunities to attend. Space is limited, register today!

Click here to view and/or download the informational flyer for the CPR Training.

  • Who: Linden residents.
  • What: CPR training. Earn your CPR Certification in this American Heart Association Training Course presented by Certified First Responders from the Linden Police and Fire Departments.
  • Where: John T. Gregorio Center, which is located at 330 Helen Street.
  • When: 5:30pm
    • Wednesday, October 9, 2024
    • Thursday, October 17, 2024
  • How: Free training. Click here to register. For more information, email here.

September 11 Memorial Ceremony

Mayor Derek Armstead, Council President Michele Yamakaitis and the City of Linden invite you to attend the 2024 September 11 Memorial Ceremony with the Linden Police and Fire Departments.

Click here to view and/or download the informational flyer for this event.

  • Where: Wanda Green Park, Mack Place (Mack Place is located in the Eighth Ward off of Grier Avenue).
  • When: Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 6:30pm.

For more information, please contact Council President Michele Yamakaitis at (908) 494-0880.

Linden Police to Participate in End of Summer Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Enforcement Campaign

During the Labor Day holiday period, including the end of summertime and the busy holiday weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be working alongside the law enforcement community in Linden to decrease impaired driving. From August 16 through September 2, the Linden Police Department will be participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement period. In support of the law enforcement community’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you’ll see officers working together during this time to take drunk drivers off the roads. No matter how you plan to celebrate the end of summer this year, make sure you plan to do it safely.

According to NHTSA, 13,384 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2021 — that’s one person every 39 minutes. On average, more than 11,000 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes each year from 2017 to 2021. This is why the Linden Police Department is working together with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal; it’s a matter of life and death. As you head out to festivities during the end of summer and Labor Day weekend, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.  
 
“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Police Chief David Hart. “The Drive Sober campaign is an awareness effort to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Let’s make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this senseless behavior,” he said.
   
During the 2021 Labor Day holiday period, there were 531 crash fatalities nationwide. Of these fatalities, 41% (216) involved a drunk driver, and more than a quarter (27%) involved drivers who were driving with a BAC almost twice the legal limit (.15+ BAC). Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday period in 2021, 488% of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher. There are plenty of options to help impaired drivers get home safely, such as designating a sober driver or calling a taxi or rideshare. If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact law enforcement immediately.  
 
No one should mix drinking and driving, and no one is immune to the effects of drinking. If you find yourself drunk and stranded with your vehicle, give your keys to a sober driver who can safely drive you home. Remind your friends to never get into a vehicle with a drunk driver. If you have a friend who is about to drive after drinking, take away their keys and help them get home safely. Most importantly: Always have a plan before you head out for the evening. If you wait until after you’ve been drinking to figure out how to get from one place to the next, you will already be too impaired to make the right choice.  
 
Click here for more information on impaired driving.

NJSACOP Accreditation Assessment Team Invites Public Comment

Click here to view and/or download the NJSACOP Accreditation Assessment Invites Public Comment News Release.

A team of assessors from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) will examine all aspects of the Linden Police Department’s policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services on Thursday, August 15, 2024, Chief David Hart announced today.

Verification by the assessment team that the Linden Police Department meets the Commission’s “best practice” standards is part of a voluntary process to achieve accreditation, a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence,” Chief Hart said.

As part of this final on-site assessment, employees and members of the general public are invited to provide comments to the assessment team. They may do so by telephone or email. The public may call 908-200-9251 on Thursday, August 15, 2024 between the hours of 10am and 11am. Email comments can be sent here.

Telephone comments are limited to 5 minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with the NJSACOP standards.  Please contact Sergeant Leon Paster at 908-474-8557 for information about the standards.

Anyone wishing to offer written comments about the Linden Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation is requested to contact the Accreditation Program Director by email here, or write the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at 751 Route 73 North, Suite 12 Marlton, N.J. 08053.

The Linden Police Department must comply with NJSACOP LEAP standards in order to achieve accredited status. Chief Hart indicated, “Accreditation results in greater accountability within the agency, reduced risk and liability exposure, stronger defense against civil lawsuits, increased community advocacy, and more confidence in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and respond to community needs.”

The Accreditation Program Director for the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police is Mr. Harry J Delgado, Ed.S. “The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners from similar New Jersey law enforcement agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview agency members, and visit offices and other places where compliance with the standards can be observed. Once the Commission’s assessors complete their review of the agency, they will report to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accredited status,” Harry J Delgado stated.

Accreditation is valid for a three-year (3) period during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting to their continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited. 

The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police through its New Jersey Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission is the legitimate authority and accreditation agency in the state of New Jersey. For more information regarding the Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission please write the Commission at New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at 751 Route 73 North, Suite 12 Marlton, N.J. 08053 or email here.  

Linden Police Department Community Meeting

Mayor Derek Armstead, the City of Linden, and the Linden Police Department invite you to attend the Linden Police Department Community Meeting. Meet Mayor Armstead, Chief Hart, and many of the Police Officers who work in your neighborhood.

Click here to view and/or download the informational flyer for this event.

  • What: Linden Police Department Community Meeting. Learn about various Police Department Programs and discuss crime and traffic concerns in your neighborhood.
  • Where: John T. Gregorio Recreation Center, which is located at 330 Helen Street.
  • When: Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 7pm.
  • How: For more information, contact Captain Christopher Guenther via email here.

Swearing in Ceremony of 2024 Linden Police Officers

View the 2024 swearing in ceremony for the new Linden Police Officers.

CPR Training

June in national cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) month. Mayor Derek Armstead, the City of Linden, the Linden Police Department and Linden Fire Department are pleased to offer free CPR training to Linden residents. Two opportunities to attend. Space is limited, register today!

Click here to view and/or download the informational flyer for the CPR Training.

  • Who: Linden residents.
  • What: CPR training. Earn your CPR Certification in this American Heart Association Training Course presented by Certified First Responders from the Linden Police and Fire Departments.
  • Where: John T. Gregorio Center, which is located at 330 Helen Street.
  • When: 6pm
    • Thursday, June 13, 2024
    • Monday, June 17, 2024
  • How: Free training. Click here to register. For more information, email here.

Nationwide Click It or Ticket Enforcement and Education Campaign

Linden Police to participate in Nationwide Click it or Ticket Enforcement and Education Campaign from May 20 through June 2, 2024. The Linden Police Department will join law enforcement officers from around the country in cracking down on unbuckled motorists and passengers as part of the national “Click it or Ticket” high-visibility enforcement effort.

  • Click here to view and/or download the memo regarding the 2024 Click it or Ticket Campaign.
  • Click here for more information about New Jersey seat belt laws.

The annual “Click It or Ticket” national mobilization, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, utilizes high visibility seat belt checkpoints and saturation patrols in combination with local and national publicity efforts to reiterate the life-saving value of seat belts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,302 of the passengers killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2022 were not wearing seatbelts. While a national compliance rate near 92% seems high, the data reflects some concerning trends; 60% of the young adults killed and 57% of those killed in nighttime crashes were not buckled. “Putting on your seatbelt is the single most important step you can take when you get into a vehicle,” said Police Chief David Hart. “Taking just a few seconds to buckle up can cut your chances of being seriously hurt or killed in a crash by 45%, and it is 100% in your control.”

In New Jersey, everyone must be buckled up, regardless of where they’re sitting. A violation by the driver, front seat passenger, or passenger under the age of 18 is a primary offense, so a police officer may stop a vehicle and issue a ticket without witnessing any other violations. While passengers over the age of 18 are responsible for themselves, drivers are responsible for all passengers under the age of 18.