Jersey City – Mayor Steven M. Fulop joins Public Safety officials announced today new policies in response to the international Covid-19 pandemic, including an increase to the police-community presence and emergency response.
The rebirth of the Telephone Reporting Unit, TRU, within the Jersey City Police Department designates a small group of officers who will handle non-violent and non-emergency calls over the telephone to generate police reports, thereby freeing up dozens of officers around the clock for street patrol and response to emergency calls, officials said.
“Our police officers, who have remained steadfast in their duties during this entire crisis, will now have their operations more streamlined to respond to emergencies while non-urgent calls are facilitated accordingly,” said Mayor Fulop.
“Like most cities, we’ve seen an influx of 911 calls as people understandably have a heightened sense of fear and uncertainty amid this pandemic. This police line will free up our officers for better emergency response and ultimately to enhance the safety of our community overall.”
According to officials, the flashback TRU was started in the mid-1990s before eventually being phased out.
However, the new version does have an added component where residents who insist upon having a police officer respond to their location in a non-emergency or a non-violent incident will be granted that request.
For all non-emergency and non-violent calls for police service, residents are urged to call (201) 547-5477, where an officer will generate an official report that will be made available to you within five days.
The JCPD’s Telephone Unit is one of many city initiatives to better help residents through this difficult time.
On the business front, where all restaurants and eateries have been mandated to only serve via delivery or takeout during the State of Emergency, the city has created a digital business registry on its official website, www.jerseycitynj.gov, listing name and contacts numbers/emails for those food-distributor registrants. The registration is free to the community.
“The reality is social distancing is saving lives, but it also has hurt the prospects of restaurants and food establishments. Our website has been the location where people can turn to get the latest information about the Coronavirus in our community. This food registry our latest effort to inform our residents while helping our small business owners,” Mayor Fulop concluded.