Here in the Township
In today’s Princeton Packet, a letter from Officer Gering, president of the PBA Local 130, regarding a study the Townhip spent $100,000 for, and which will reduce the police force by 14%, plus an additional reduction of two 9-1-1 opearators (emphasis mine):

Mr. Buracker’s report recommends that the Princeton Township Police Department, currently comprised of 35 sworn officers, be reduced to 30 and that two 9-1-1 operator positions be eliminated. If these recommendations are followed, it would bring the Township Police Department back to staffing levels that they had in the 1980’s. It is also imperative that the tax payers of the Township of Princeton are aware that reductions in sworn personnel, whether through retirements or layoffs, will likely not reduce the current tax rate.

A reduction to 1980 levels is an awful idea, not only because of the obvious increase in population, but also because issues like this: Violence beyond state lines: Seven with gang ties charged in deadly drive-by in Bristol

Seven, some high-ranking, members or associates of the Trenton Bloods gang were arrested in connection with the drive-by shooting of an innocent bystander two months ago, authorities said yesterday

Last Summer there was an investigation of gang activity in the High School.

Additionally, I have been told by a reliable person that the local police are currently investigating whether a man arrested in the Township a few weeks ago is the second-in-command of the infamous Mara Salvatrucha gang (I have posted on the MS-13). As you can see from the last link, the FBI arrested 10 NJ residents earlier this year on a crackdown on the MS-13.

The reason the Township has remained a low-crime area is because the Police Department is properly staffed.

Is this the time to be decimating the Princeton Township Police Department?

Absolutely not.