PETRONKO AND SCRUDATO CONFIRM THAT SAFETY IS ALWAYS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR SOUTH PLAINFIELD

Democratic Council members Ray Petronko and Joe Scrudato reiterated the Mayor and Council's commitment to keep South Plainfield a safe town in which to live, work and raise a family. Council President Petronko stated the Democrats position saying "Safety is a non partisan issue. Democrats and Republicans have always worked together to provide our police the support they need to do their job. The results speak for themselves. We continue to have one of the lowest crime rates in the state. However we can never be satisfied. We must remain vigilant and always be proactive when it comes to protecting our residents. The unprovoked attack at Spring Lake Park on Labor Day was frightening. Thank God the employee is ok. (I am not going to mention him by name because he does not want his name in the paper.) However we must be more than shocked. We must learn from these incidents. All indications are this was an isolated gang attack from a hoodlum from outside of South Plainfield. The gang mentality is irrational and perverted. We must be prepared to deal with it. We can't put our heads in the sand."

Joe Scrudato expanded upon Ray Petronko's observations: "As Chair of the Public Safety Committee I know that we have the finest police department in the state. These brave men and women put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. They started gathering evidence within seconds of the attack taking place and their investigation is continuing in coordination with the Middlesex and Union County Prosecutor's Offices. Chief Ferraro is already preparing an action plan to deal with the phenomena of gang violence. The Mayor and I have spoken with Assemblyman Diegnan who has offered to reach out to Attorney General Anne Milgram and utilize the assets of her office as needed. I know that the Republican members of the council are as engaged in this issue as we are and I have no doubt that the Republican council candidates have the same admiration for the efforts of our police as Mayor Butrico and the Democrats. South Plainfield is a safe, family oriented town. We will not take this issue lightly. Gangs are not welcome here. If they are dumb enough to think otherwise they will discover the opposite when they end up behind bars."