Mall sweeping from a Police point of view

Police point of view At 0900 on Friday morning, December 7, 2007, law enforcement people met at the Paramus Life Safety Center in the Municipal Complex. While waiting for the participants from the NJ State Police, the Bergen and Hudson County Rapid Deployment Forces, the Bergen County Police, the Paramus Police Emergency Service Unit,
the NJ Transit Police and the individual municipality police assigned to this operation, NJ State Trooper Melvin Sanders and PPD Lieutenant Ken Ehrenburg briefed the assemblage.

Lt. Ehrenburg assigned this reporter to the Paramus Police Emergency Rescue vehicle under the tutelage of Police Officers Tom Coppa and Brian McGovern. He couldn't have picked two finer officers or a vehicle. I think that I bumped Lt. Bob Guidetti from that jumpseat ride. Luckily Bob didn't hold it against me!

Milling about at the PLSC, I encountered members of the media including one of my favorites, Paul Murnane of WCBS 880 radio. The press was very busy gleaning stories, taking videos and recordings of the goings on. They were interviewing the leaders as well as their superior officers.

Leaving the PLSCenter, I was inserted into the emergency vehicle which had been warmed up for this octogenarian, a courtesy well appreciated. Looking around the inside, I asked the 'boys' what was inside the enclosed closet. Tom and Brian informed me that this vehicle was set to assist as an emergency adjunct for fire as well as terrorists. Loaded with equipment, even a ladder, they had a computer on a sliding platform as well as radios, fully equipped and prepared to go!

Radios played an important part of this exercise because many of the active groups had not met each other nor had they been able to maintain general contact. Captain Jim Sheehan mentioned that everyone in the group, even though they had been previously working on different frequencies, would be able to communicate with each other. Ehrenburg stressed that this outing today would bring into contact many of the law enforcement groups that had never met nor worked with each other. This positive approach, even though there was no actual threat shows what planning our law enforcement people do to keep ahead of potential tragedies.

Riding with my two escorts presented an opportunity to gauge their driving ability and traffic maneuvering. PO Coppa drove and showed complete traffic awareness while pushing forward in heavy Friday Route 17 shopping traffic. At each venue, Coppa and McGovern manned an entry way and handed out pamphlets to alert the public as to their presence and intent.

While I was meandering both the Mall and the Plaza, I stopped to see my friends at Auntie Anne's Pretzels. At both places they offered me pretzels to help sustain the officers. When I offered to get one for Prosecutor John Molinelli, he quipped that not all law enforcement people eat doughnuts or fast food. One look at his girth gave the answer! Out of courtesy, I didn't follow him into The Coffee Beanery to verify that statement nor did I ask Deputy Chief Richard Cary for assistance either.

Let me say that it was a privilege to be able to take part in this anti-terror, anti emergency operation. The people who participated in this from the planning stages to the physical presence deserve credit. The public needs to know that there are resources at work to help keep them safe. Living in the shadow of the Westfield Garden State Plaza Shopping Center, I know that the residents of The Walter Behnke Senior Housing Complex can breathe a sigh of relief.

An interesting aside, in my haste to get over to the assemblage, I forgot to turn off my headlights. When I was dropped off to get my car, the battery was dead. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, I went into a nearby office to a friend and asked for a jump. This was regretfully denied because he couldn't use a Borough vehicle. Luckily PO Epps from Rochelle Park happened to come along and obliged with his personal vehicle. Another incident showing the caring of our 'boys in blue'.