Hoboken City Council members Paul Presinzano, Tiffanie Fisher, and Ruben Ramos are demanding action in light of the city’s “Church Square Park crisis.”
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“The turnout at City Hall Monday night made one thing clear: our community is fed up with the lack of action by the Bhalla administration on safety,” Presinzano, the 1st Ward representative, said in a statement.
“Church Square Park used to be one of our busiest, family-friendly spaces, but it’s become a place people avoid. After the recent brutal attack on a resident, it’s clear: enough is enough. This needs to change now.”
The trio of local legislators argue that Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s administration has “been woefully insufficient and failed to deliver the leadership that Hoboken residents deserve.”
Their remarks came after a public safety meeting at City Hall Monday evening, where residents expressed concerns about homelessness, policing, and overall a lack of a plan to remedy these situations, as HCV first reported.
The meeting was spurned following a violent incident at Church Square Park in broad daylight on Halloween.
“Leadership means acting when the community needs you most, not shying away from tough problems,” began Ramos, who represents the 4th Ward.
“We’ve been raising this issue for over a year, yet here we are, still without a long-term solution. The frustration in our community is palpable, and it’s time for real action, not more empty promises.”
The three council members also highlighted the efforts of their former colleague Council President Jen Giattino, who, before her recent passing, worked with neighbors to explore creating a neighborhood watch program for the area around Church Square Park.
They said this is an initiative they are committed to continuing, along with improved coordination between law enforcement officials and better communication with the public to hold officials accountable, were among the key demands residents voiced at the meeting.
“Our community deserves immediate steps to make families and residents feel safe in Church Square Park again and a real plan to address the rising safety concerns in all of our public spaces,” noted Fisher.
“Mayor Bhalla has to prioritize public safety and quality of life, rather than letting his politics block real improvements. Stalling City Council initiatives, like our e-bike safety program, only undermines solutions that could directly benefit Hoboken residents.”
Specifically, they are calling for better community policing and foot patrols at Church Square Park (along with more foot patrols in general), installing permanent cameras at all high-traffic public spaces, collaborating with other local law enforcement agencies, as 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo suggested at the meeting, and addressing misinformation head on as it occurs.
“This issue is about more than just one park. It’s about leadership, accountability, and the safety of our residents,” Fisher, Presinzano, and Ramos exclaimed in a joint statement.
“Church Square Park is a symbol of broader mismanagement. The time for excuses is over. Mayor Bhalla must step up or step aside.”
Public safety spokeswoman Marci Rubin referred to the Nixle alert sent prior to the meeting, noting that Bhalla touched on many of the topics the council members did.
“As residents may know, we have taken a number of steps to address various quality of life issues, including hiring 23 more police officers over the past year, hiring two full-time social workers, and partnering with several local organizations who provide services to disadvantaged members of our community, he wrote.
“However, the Church Square Park incident is a reminder that we need to do better to ensure our public gathering places are safe for all.”
STEP ASIDE
Things will not significantly change until Team Bhalla is out office, and the fact that there were so many young parents speaking out at Mondays meeting gives us hope. Ravi has lost the Hudco Machine for taking on Menendez Jr. He is alienating the public service sector, who will likely align w Russo, and the Old Reformers never trusted him to begin with. Emily gave him some juice with the emerging public school crowd , but if parents aren’t comfortable letting their kids walk to school, so much for curriculum changes. That room was pretty hostile to him – and justifiably so.