Lower Township Police Release Summer Activity Report

ERMA- Lower Township Police Chief, Edward Donohue, reports that the Lower Township Police
Department responded to and/or investigated 14,245 calls for service, during the seasonal
summer period from May through September.
Officers investigated 206 Domestic Violence complaints, 45 of which involved assaults while
handling criminal complaints which included the following offenses:
Robberies – 3
Aggravated Assaults – 13
Simple Assaults – 15
Burglaries – 66
Thefts – 159
Stolen Motor Vehicles – 5
Aggravated Sexual Assaults – 3
Other Sexual Offenses – 14
Arsons – 2
Assault on Police Officers – 5
Lower Township Officers responded to and investigated 258 Motor Vehicle Accidents on
Lower Township roadways, while conducting a total of 2,565 Motor Vehicle Stops which
resulted in 866 Traffic Summonses being issued, along with 222 Traffic Warnings issued.
Officers also issued eight Local Ordinance complaints along with 35 warnings for Local
Ordinance violations.
Total arrest made during this period include 216 adult arrests with 42 juveniles arrested. In
addition, Lower Township Police Officers arrested a total of 40 drivers for Operating a Motor
Vehicle While Intoxicated, over the course of the summer season.
Officers assisted the Lower Township Rescue Squad with over 700 Emergency Medical Calls
and responded to 227 Fire Alarm call outs with the township’s three fire departments.
Patrol officers responded to 300 commercial and residential alarms, 381 Disorderly Conduct
complaints, 185 Criminal Mischief complaints and along with Animal Control Officers, 260
Animal complaints.
Officers responded to 119, 9-1-1 Hang Up Calls that had to be investigated, while taking
curfew enforcement action 27 times. Officers responded to 66 Trespassing complaints and
took enforcement action on Liquor Law Violations 38 times.
Officers responded to 440 calls of suspicious persons or vehicles, arrested 88 people on
active warrants and 8 subjects for Weapons Offenses along with 10 subjects for Resisting
Arrest violations.
Officers responded to 10 Attempted Suicide calls while conducting a total of 11 Sudden Death
investigations, one of which was ruled a suicide by self inflicted gun shot wound, two
were ruled drug overdoses and the remaining eight were ruled non-suspicious in nature.
The Detective and Patrol Divisions conducted numerous drug/narcotic investigations which
resulted in the arrest of 30 subjects for Possession of Narcotics.
Officers completed 571 Investigation Reports and conducted 3,798 Residential Property
Checks throughout Lower Township during the reporting period.
The following is some of the more serious incidents handled by the Lower Township
Police Department over the summer season.
May 26 – Strong Armed Robbery with theft of cash investigation at the Pantry One
Store in the Erma section of Lower Township.
May 28 – Drug Investigation, 30 year old male suspect arrested with over 40 bags of
Heroin.
May 31 – 19 year old male charged with the Criminal Sexual Contact of a
handicapped woman in the North Cape May section of Lower Township.
June 21 – Investigation Involving Man Slashed with Box cutter, victim required
multiple stitches and treatment at the emergency room.
June 24 – Car Stop leads to Seizure of Multiple Bags of Marijuana, 45 year old
male arrested for possession of same.
June 26 – Five year old struck by Golf Cart at local campground, airlifted to
Cooper Hospital in Camden.
July 1 – Sex Crimes Investigation, police announce the arrest of a 36 year old male
on two counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The
arrest was the result of a cooperative investigation by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s
Office Special Investigations Unit and the Lower Township Police Department.
July 5 – Narcotics Investigation, 16 year old male juvenile arrested for possession of
over 150 bags of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute.
July 11 – Water Rescue, Police, Fire and Rescue personnel assisted with a water
rescue at the Wuerker’s Farm gravel pits, when a 16 year old sustained a neck injury while
swimming. The boy’s companions were credited with saving his life with performing rescue
breathing/CPR on him prior to first responders arrival.
July 17 – Arrest in Car Burglaries, multiple vehicles were entered and various items
were taken. A 19 year old male and a 17 year old juvenile were arrested for the car
burglaries. Property was recovered and returned to victims.
July 26 – Officer Involved Shooting, Police Officers responding to a Domestic
Violence call at approximately 1:30 a.m., were met by an enraged man wielding a large 4X4
post. A Police officer fired one round from his service weapon when man attempted to
strike his girlfriend with the post. The incident did not result in any injuries and the suspect
was charged with three counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
August 12- Motor Vehicle Stop leads to Seizure of Pills, driver was arrested for
same.
August 18 – Home Invasion Investigation in the Villas Section, three males,
one armed with a large knife, forced their way into a residence and demanded money.
August 21– Motor Vehicle Stop, 37 year old male arrested for Driving While
Intoxicated and possessing 35 bags of Heroin.
August 28 – Domestic Call, 19 year old male charged with Violation of a
Restraining Order, Assault and Robbery.
September 4 – Drug Investigation, Seizure of 35 Bags of Heroin and arrest of 25
year old male for possession of same.
September 9 – Aggravated Assault, Man Arrested in Stabbing Incident, also
charged with Obstruction of Justice and Resisting Arrest.
September 11- Drug Investigation, large seizure of over 100 Bags of Heroin, arrest
of 70 year old suspect for possession of same.
September 12 – Two Car Head On Motor Vehicle Accident with one fatality.
In addition, two members of the same local family were seriously injured. The driver of the
vehicle which caused the accident was charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Reckless
Driving, Failure to Maintain a Lane and Death By Auto.