Passenger Trains > NJ Transit looking at excessive force complaints

NJ.com reports on several recent incidents where violent encounters between police officers and unruly station occupants took place.  In various cases, people threatened "to shoot" others, or brandished knives.  NJ Transit usually closes some stations during the overnight, it seems these confrontations in Trenton happened at the closing time.

New Jersey generally allows mentaly ill homeless people free run, and does not usually institutionalize them.  The officers are on administrative leave, per contract provisions.


https://www.nj.com/mercer/2019/04/nj-transit-agrees-theres-an-uptick-of-confrontations-involving-cops-at-city-train-station-2-have-been-caught-on-camera.html

Surprised this does not happen more often at Newark Penn, which has many homeless. The men's room is smelly, dirty, and disgusting, becoming moreso when they reserved a seating area in the main waiting room for ticketed passengers. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Surprised this does not happen more often at
> Newark Penn, which has many homeless. The men's
> room is smelly, dirty, and disgusting, becoming
> moreso when they reserved a seating area in the
> main waiting room for ticketed passengers. 

Newark Penn (still?) has a problem with jurisdiction.  PATH police patrol the PATH platforms only, while NJ Transit police patrol the interior of the station, and the bus lanes. Newark city police patrol the sidewalks, manage the taxi and livery mess, etc The Hilton has its own security responsble for the bridgewalk. I don't think Amtrak police maintains a regular presence anymore. NJ.com had an article on the coordination problems a few years ago. After that homeless guy won a bazillion dollars from NJ Transit when they tossed him out of Secaucus, I doubt anybody wants to re-open that mess.

Trenton police have been under a lot of pressure lately in the shooting gallery, I'm sure they are just delighted to let NJT police handle their own property and the River Line station.
 

I came through Trenton not too long ago around 9pm and the station had a full compliment of " street people" in it. Was very glad I didn't need to use the rest room and couldn't get to my waiting ride fast enough. Darn shame but that's todays reality.

    Ross Rowland

Personally, I am glad the cops are "knocking heads."  Support them to knock more heads.  There is no place for crazy homeless people on the streets--they need to be in mental hospitals and jails.

Keep up the good work, NJT police.  When people threaten the police, they're asking for it.  The police have my 100% support here.

I was waiting for a Keystone Service at Newark Penn about a year ago on a Sunday night about 8pm.
I concluded NJT police just ceded the station to the homeless to avoid confrontations.
Not too bad during the day. After rush hour  at night a different story.

prrmpup Wrote:
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> I was waiting for a Keystone Service at Newark
> Penn about a year ago on a Sunday night about
> 8pm.
> I concluded NJT police just ceded the station to
> the homeless to avoid confrontations.
> Not too bad during the day. After rush hour  at
> night a different story.

It would be useful to hear what instructions NJ Transit officers have received for their interactions with homeless people, some of whom may be violent.  These guys may be in a situation where skilled counselors for mentally ill people should be making the contact.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> prrmpup Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I was waiting for a Keystone Service at Newark
> > Penn about a year ago on a Sunday night about
> > 8pm.
> > I concluded NJT police just ceded the station
> to
> > the homeless to avoid confrontations.
> > Not too bad during the day. After rush hour
>  at
> > night a different story.
>
> It would be useful to hear what instructions NJ
> Transit officers have received for their
> interactions with homeless people, some of whom
> may be violent.  These guys may be in a situation
> where skilled counselors for mentally ill people
> should be making the contact.



More kumbaya. Yeah that will work.

coach Wrote:
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> Personally, I am glad the cops are "knocking
> heads."  Support them to knock more heads.
>  There is no place for crazy homeless people on
> the streets--they need to be in mental hospitals
> and jails.
>
> Keep up the good work, NJT police.  When people
> threaten the police, they're asking for it.  The
> police have my 100% support here.

Until they chase you off the property while taking photographs.

On PATH's turf there and elsewhere, don't try taking pictures, unless you can hold your Smartphone in such a way to pretend to be texting and can focus to click the shutter.

Posted from Android

-------------------------------------------------------
> coach Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Personally, I am glad the cops are "knocking
> > heads."  Support them to knock more heads.
> >  There is no place for crazy homeless people
>
Knocking heads is fine till its ur head.  Like it could never happen.  

All the more reason for Amtrak to stop a few more trains at Princeton Jct so people could opt to avoid the Trenton facility for transfers, or to get to Princeton itself.