Miscellaneous
February 27, 2018 Sunny with temperatures in the upper 50s. TENSIONS RUN HIGH IN NJ SCHOOLS SINCE FLORIDA SHOOTINGS Since the massacre at a school in Parkland, Florida, in which 17 people were killed, tensions have been running high in New Jersey schools, The Record reports. Dumont High School was placed on lockdown Monday after police became aware of a threat posted on social media. In Nutley, two juveniles were arrested over the weekend after a threat was reported to Abundant Life Academy. And in Mahwah, parents were notified that an elementary student, fearful of an earlier threat, had brought an airsoft gun to school. The Mahwah police chief says a surge in threats and false alarms is common after a school shooting. MURPHY TALKS GUNS AND GATEWAY AT WHITE HOUSE Gov. Phil Murphy joined other governors at a meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday where the discussion focused on gun safety, NJ.com writes. Trump used that forum to promote his plan to arm teachers in schools. In an earlier session with White House officials, Murphy and other governors focused on the administration’s infrastructure plans. Murphy said in a statement after the meeting, “Few issues are more critical to New Jersey's future than ensuring federal partnerships for our infrastructure needs, especially the Gateway project.” NJ HAS WIDE RANGE IN PROPERTY TAX INCREASES, DECREASES In 2017, New Jersey property taxes rose 1.64 percent on average, The Asbury Park Press reports. But while some municipalities saw high increases, other towns had significant decreases. Sea Bright had an increase of nearly 16 percent, while Walpack had a decrease of more than 30 percent. You can check where your local government fell in the full list posted online. NJ ATTORNEY GENERAL MOVES TO MAKE POLICE VIDEOS PUBLIC Police dashcam and body cam videos that document the use of deadly force should be released to the public once an initial investigation is completed, State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said Monday, according to the New Jersey Law Journal. He said he was issuing the directive to promote “transparency in police-community relations.” The new policy will take effect after an analysis for compliance with attorney ethics rules is complete. REPORT ON RED-LIGHT CAMERAS’ VALUE NEVER RELEASED A report from a state engineer that said reviving the state’s red-light camera system could prevent pedestrian fatalities and deadly right-angle crashes was never released by the state Department of Transportation, The Record says. The controversial cameras were scrapped three years ago. The report says: “Despite all its problems, the program had a positive impact on the public. If we had been able to make some modifications, it could have done much more.”