The Voorhees Police Department is proud to announce the implementation of body worn cameras for its Officers. The decision to research body worn cameras initiated back in April 2014, when Chief Bordi envisioned his Officers wearing body worn cameras. Voorhees Police has selected and deployed the Digital Ally FirstVu HD body worn cameras for its Officers. Specifically, we would like to thank the Voorhees Township Committee for all their support and funding for this project.
The Voorhees Police Department prides itself on our transparency to the public. We believe that the use of these cameras will significantly benefit both the community and our officers. Officers will be able to document their point of view more accurately by reviewing the incidents for details rather than relying solely on memory recall. In addition, this added benefit will certainly enhance Officers preparation for court cases.
Body Worn Cameras are certainly a powerful tool that can assist police and at the same time give the community a better understanding of what happened during an encounter. However, we know that no technology is a perfect answer to all situations, therefore cameras should not be considered the only source of detail recollection. Body-worn cameras do have limitations that need to be understood and considered when evaluating the recordings, however we believe the community and the officers who work to improve the quality of life here will benefit from their use. It’s a win-win for all involved.
For added Officer accountability, supervisors also will be able to review the videos captured by the body cameras to assess how officers interact with citizens and, if necessary, tailor their training programs to improve how those officers work in the field.
For more information about this topic, please contact Captain Carmen Del Palazzo.
Law enforcement officers from the Voorhees Police Department will be cracking down on drunk drivers as part of the 2015 Labor Day Statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. Beginning August 21 and running through September 7, local and state law enforcement officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.
“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is a national campaign designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs. Launched across the U.S. in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during the busy summer travel season, including the Labor Day holiday period.
“More than 10,000 people are killed in the United States each year in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, and these crashes cost our society nearly $50 billion annually,” said Gary Poedubicky, Acting Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety. “There is a zero tolerance message for this campaign. If drivers are caught operating their vehicle while impaired they will be arrested.”
In 2013 alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 27 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities. As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over 2015 crackdown offer the following advice:
Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo and Voorhees Police Chief Louis Bordi reported a township man and two women have been arrested in connection with a human trafficking case.
Michael D. Watts, 43, of the 1000 block of Oaklyn Court in Voorhees, is accused of luring a 20-year-old Texas woman to New Jersey under the false promise of a modeling job and then forcing her to dance at a Philadelphia strip club for several days without allowing her to leave.
Watts was arrested on Friday in Camden and charged with first-degree human trafficking and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact. He was remanded tothe Camden County Jail with bail set at $500,000.
“Human trafficking knows no boundaries and is not just an urban problem, as many people believe,” Chief Bordi said. “Identifying and caring for victims continues to be a high priority for law enforcement and we must look beyond the arrest of suspects as the sole remedy in combating human trafficking. I am encouraged that the victim has been reunited with her family through available social services.”
During the course of the investigation, the victim told detectives Watts provided her with airfare to Philadelphia, picked her up from the airport on Monday, July 13th and took her to his apartment. He allegedly then told the victim that she belonged to him now, threatened that there would be consequences if she tried to leave and took away her cell phone and money.
Watts, known to the victim by the aliases “Chris” and “Daddy,” later allegedly took the victim to Club Cove on the 3100 block of Richmond Avenue in Philadelphia and introduced her to two co-defendants, Staysha L. Hackmann, 25, and Michelle Rolon, 21, both of Voorhees.
Watts allegedly told the victim she had to earn money by dancing. When the victim refused, Hackmann and Rolon allegedly stripped her down and forced her to dance in a partially nude state.
Afterward, Watts allegedly took the victim to a Voorhees hotel, told her she was being watched and indicated there would be consequences if she tried to leave. The victim was forced to dance at the club again on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The victim was taken to stay with Hackmann and Rolon at an apartment on the 1100 block of Bibbs Road in Voorhees between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The victim managed to flee the apartment on Thursday. Hackmann and Rolon allegedly chased the victim in a car and on foot. The victim ran into a bank and asked the employees to call the police.
Hackmann and Rolon were arrested on Thursday and charged with third-degree criminal restraint. Both were remanded to the Camden County Jail with bail set at $25,000 each.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to call Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Michelle Chambers at (856) 580-6070 or Voorhees Police Detective James Buinicky at
(856) 882-1111.
Tips may also be emailed to ccpotips@ccprosecutor.org.
All persons charged with criminal offenses are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
The Voorhees Police Department was dispatched to the 200 block of Echelon Road for an incident involving a suspicious male that occurred earlier in the evening at 10:00pm. The female complainant reported while walking in the area of her residence, she observed a male who was no more than 15 feet away, sitting on the hood of a black sports utility vehicle masturbating. After receiving a detailed description of themale, patrol units located the male at his residence where he was subsequently arrested after admitting to the lewd conduct.
Arrest: Ryan K. Smith, 19 Y/O, 1000 block of Corbridge Court, Voorhees, NJ 08043
For more information about this topic, please contact Captain Carmen Del Palazzo.
As a result of last night’s storm, there has been a mandatory recall of all available Emergency Services Personnel from the Voorhees Police Department, the Voorhees Fire Department and the Department of Public Works. This means every officer, firefighter, EMT and public works employee have been working up to 16 hour shifts to meet the needs of Voorhees Residents. These agencies have been working around the clock to respond to calls for service from our residents and to assist with the emergency traffic conditions. Our Emergency Operations Center has been activated by Voorhees Township Emergency Management since last night and is continuing to operate until total power is restored. As always, Voorhees Township and its residents are the top priority of your elected officials and public servants.
PSEG and Atlantic City Electric are currently on location in Voorhees attempting to restore the power. We are aware that the power, cell phone, and internet outage can be frustrating and even scary, but please be patient and put your faith in us. Electric, Internet and Cell Phone Providers are well aware of the outages and are in constant contact with updates. Calls from multiple residents may only bog down the lines of communication. At this time, they can give us no estimated time of power restoration.
Reported power outages in the following areas:
The traffic lights that have been affected are as follows:
Road Closures:
If possible, please avoid the roadways that have been impacted. If you encounter a traffic intersection with a power outage that has not yet been reported, please treat the intersection as a four way stop.
Just as during the storm last night, we will continue to keep you updated on our social media platforms. If you have any non-emergency updates or information, please feel free to email us at media@vtpd.com.
As always, we appreciate your help and keep an eye out for any neighbors in need.
