Common Sense For New Hampshire

Submitted by DOUG SWEENY

The July 25 Coast Star provided a timely snapshot of Belmar via the police blotter, a fact-based perspective on Belmar’s chronic challenge. During two weeks in June, Belmar charged almost three dozen people with crimes. An analysis follows:

Of 34 people arrested, 28 or 82-percent were in their 20s; 74-percent of the arrests occurred on weekends; only 5 of the people arrested were from Belmar. 85-percent were so-called “tourists” from Staten Island, Belleville, Woodside, Hoboken, and elsewhere … “Snooki wannabes.” Of course, they’re not here “touring”; they’re partying and violating the laws.

Going deeper, 47-percent of the arrests occurred at 18th and Ocean or a block either side, [you guessed it, D’Jais Bar!] and none arrested were from Belmar. And the crimes on 18th and Ocean weren’t just noise violations, but aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon, assault by auto, and several DWIs, according to the police blotter. All but six arrests were South of 10th Avenue and of the six in the north, most were on Main Street, not in the quiet residential blocks.

What can we conclude?

For one, despite previous attempts to control D’Jais and its unruly patrons, it remains ground zero or the magnet for mayhem, as Belmar’s previous mayor aptly termed it. One easy solution: this multimillion dollar cash cow should pay 47-percent of Belmar’s public safety budget of $3.01 million [what their patrons cost us] as an incentive to target and control better customers. And they should find some way to reimburse the residential neighbors who are deprived of their “right of quiet enjoyment of their property,” a cornerstone of N.J. law.

And two, it’s no wonder property values are depressed in the South end with many oceanfront lots and new homes unsold. This area accounts for over 80-percent of Belmar’s crime. It should receive a proportionate amount of police coverage, especially on weekends, and the focus of council members, many who reside in the quiet North end.

DOUG SWEENY
Ocean Avenue, Belmar