MAYOR'S UPDATE:
OCTOBER 22

This has been a very difficult week for our entire community, following the home invasion and sexual assault on Tuesday afternoon. This unimaginable series of events has left all of us very shaken as we try to process how this could have happened in the middle of the afternoon, right in the victim’s home. An act like this preys upon our worst fears and has exposed our vulnerabilities -- and as a wife, mom of daughters, and this town’s first female mayor, it has felt very personal to me. 

As you saw earlier today, an arrest has been made in this case, for which we are all very relieved. I want to congratulate the members of the Westfield Police Department, who have been working around the clock, in partnership with both the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey State Police, to bring this suspect under arrest. Through their extraordinary police work, Chief Battiloro and his entire force have brought this case one step closer to the justice that the victim deserves.

I know many of you have questions about the details of what transpired in this horrific crime and what measures were taken during the initial course of the investigation. Those answers will come at the appropriate time, when law enforcement professionals determine that the release of any further information will not compromise the integrity of their case.

In the meantime, what I can tell you is that the suspect was known to have left Westfield before schools were dismissed on Tuesday, which is why the shelter in place order was lifted at Franklin and Roosevelt for normal dismissal procedures. In addition, he was identified very early on in this process, and had been under constant surveillance with his whereabouts known since early Wednesday. Like many other details, that information could not be released in real time when every effort was being made to make an arrest through proper law enforcement procedures. 

We can all be proud of the level of professionalism demonstrated by our police department, and I ask you to trust their judgment when details are not always made available as quickly as we may like. I recognize that this crime was very frightening for all of us, but the top priority here was always to apprehend the suspect as quickly as possible which I know is something we all wanted and can be grateful for today. I have asked Chief Battiloro to provide further details about the investigation and arrest at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting. This was the Westfield Police Department at their finest hour, and every resource at our disposal will continue to be utilized until this case is brought to full completion.

Thank you for your outpouring of compassion and concern for our fellow resident at what is surely an unspeakably difficult time for her and her family. I am grateful to live in a community where we are neighbors above all else. 

COVID-19 UPDATE

FEMA

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams began making their rounds in Westfield on Wednesday, a process that will continue over the next several weeks ahead of the November 4 application deadline.

If you see a FEMA team member, feel free to approach them with any questions or concerns, as they will not be ringing doorbells. Instead, they will be canvasing/walking through impacted neighborhoods, distributing informational flyers, and helping in the following ways:

• Assisting with registration for FEMA assistance.
• Checking the status of an application already in the system and can make minor changes to applications.

DSA teams can easily be identified by their federal photo identification and FEMA clothing. New Jersey residents are reminded to ask for official photo identification before sharing personal information. 

The teams are following CDC safety guidelines for COVID-19 including social distancing and use of protective equipment.

You can also visit the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at the Cranford Community Center (220 Walnut Street, Cranford), Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm, and Saturday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. As a reminder, you can apply for FEMA assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or apply/check your status by phone at 1-800-621-3362.

POLICE UPDATE

In addition to the previously communicated crime and resulting arrest on Longfellow Avenue, Chief Battiloro reports that the following notable incidents also occurred in Westfield this past week.

October 17
The 2015 Land Rover Range Rover reported stolen on October 15 at approximately  2:25PM from a driveway on the 500 block of the Boulevard was recovered after its involvement in a fatal motor vehicle crash in Irvington on Sunday, October 17, at approximately 9:45 PM. This vehicle was left unlocked with its key fob in it at the time of its theft.

October 18
At approximately 7:01 AM, a resident of the 200 block of Delaware Street reported that his Ring doorbell camera system captured a person in his driveway who appears to have been targeting his 2011 Nissan Murano for theft. This vehicle was locked and no entry was gained.


Chief Battiloro reports that 24 vehicles have been reported stolen to date in Westfield in 2021, 22 of which have been recovered. Keys or key fobs were used to steal every single vehicle and 91.6% of these vehicles were left unlocked with their key fobs inside at the time of their thefts.   

PROSPECT STREET

I’m glad to share some news out of Ward 1 from earlier this week that addresses the concerns of Prospect Street residents. A special meeting of the Public Safety, Transportation & Parking (PTSP) Committee was held to discuss the double yellow lines painted on Prospect Street last month. The recently completed State and Town counts, which average daily vehicular traffic, were reviewed and considered by the Committee. The NJ State Traffic Division determined that 4,200 average vehicles travel on Prospect Street per day, below the 6,000 threshold when double yellow lines would be required by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

While the MUTCD recommends that double yellow lines be installed, the Public Safety, Transportation & Parking Committee agreed that the lines should be removed based upon the DOT’s traffic counts falling well below the required threshold. Our recommendation to the state will be to remove them via micro surfacing, which we anticipate to take place in the spring of 2022. This work will be paid for by the State, as the paving job was originally State funded.

The PTSP Committee also discussed the implications for Brightwood Avenue, which had double yellow lines painted in 2019. To determine the best path forward for Brightwood Avenue, we will ask the State to place the traffic counters there as well, and we will host a neighborhood meeting once the count results are complete. 

Thanks to the area residents for their feedback and open lines of communication throughout this process, and to Ward 1 Councilmembers Habgood and Boyes for their ongoing diligence to reach a reasonable resolution. I’m also grateful to NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti for her personal involvement to expeditiously help resolve this issue.

Going forward, we are implementing new protocols that require the Town Engineer to notify and consult with the PTSP Committee and appropriate Ward Councilpersons before any proposed changes in road striping are implemented. 

HALLOWEEN

We’re all looking forward to a safe celebration of Halloween for the community next weekend! As in past years, the Town does not implement specific trick-or-treating hours, although we remind all residents to follow basic public safety guidelines for pedestrians and motorists, as well as for COVID mitigation. The CDC has issued helpful guidelines for celebrating safely, which you can find below. 

And don’t miss the Cops & Goblins Halloween Spooktacular on October 31 from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM outside of the Police Station. Our Police and Fire Departments, as well as the Volunteer Rescue Squad, will be on hand with entertainment for the kids, and of course some candy.

LEAF COLLECTION

The 2021 Leaf Collection Program information is now available online, and was also mailed to all homes this week. 

At the recommendation of the Public Works Committee of the Town Council, we are implementing designated collection weeks by zone this year. This is part of an increased effort to minimize leaves in the streets that can clog our stormwater systems, particularly following the impact of Tropical Storm Ida. Our previous collection system meant that leaves were in the roadway all over Town for more than two months, which in addition to drainage problems, also caused parking and traffic safety issues in some areas. The sequence and cadence of the leaf collection is not changing -- the only change is having designated timeframes when your leaves can be placed in the street. 

For residents who choose to bag their leaves, which is a great alternative, we are once again offering up to ten free leaf bags at the Conservation Center with proof of residency. The Center begins its expanded fall hours on Monday, and will be open seven days a week through December 18. As always, residents can deposit leaves at the Center during this time of year without a permit. For more information on leaf collection, visit westfieldnj.gov/leafcollection.