BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

RED BANK - Borough police have stepped up patrols in response to residents' concerns about loiterers outside a Leighton Avenue liquor store.

Police Chief Mark Fitzgerald said last week that he met with the residents who attended a recent meeting of the Borough Council to voice their concerns about public drinking, drug dealing and littering outside Best Liquors located at the corner of Leighton Avenue and Catherine Street.

"They expressed some legitimate concerns," he said, "about quality-of-life issues, underage drinking and narcotics."

Fitzgerald said that he is prepared to intervene and that he is considering options like the "Cops in Shops" program. That program, according to Fitzgerald, places police officers inside a store where problems are occurring as a way of deterring people who may cause problems for the neighborhood.

John Ross, a resident of Leighton Avenue who lives near Best Liquors, said that since he spoke with Fitzgerald, he has spent his first quiet night in his home since he moved there two years ago.

"I was able to sit on my front porch and enjoy it for the first time," he said. "I've seen that before though."

Ross said that about six weeks ago, he met with detectives from the Red Bank Police Department about the problems he said are caused by the presence of a liquor store in a residential neighborhood, and that there was increased police presence for a few days after that meeting.

"It was like that for a few days," he said, "then the cops went away and the people came back."

After that incident, said Ross, he felt he was forced to take his problems up with the Borough Council, and he attended the June 26 meeting to voice his concerns.

Fitzgerald said last week that before Ross and his neighbor, John Tyler, spoke at the council meeting, he had not been aware of the serious problems in that neighborhood.

"I called the police department at least eight to 10 times before [meeting with detectives]," said Ross. "How many complaints have to be lodged against one place before the chief finds out."

Fitzgerald said that 14 arrests have been made at that location, including some for narcotics violations, DWIs, underage drinking, as well as serving outstanding warrants.

"We are out there," he said, "but obviously we have to step up our initiatives."

Fitzgerald said he hopes to see

results right away from the increased police presence.

Ross said he would like to see the liquor store get shut down, because it doesn't belong in a residential neighborhood.

"We don't have to live like this," he said. "This is not a prison sentence. This is a neighborhood."

The problems that Ross said he and his neighbors have witnessed in the neighborhood include having up to 40 people loiter outside the liquor store, drug dealing, drug use, public drinking, littering and public urination.

"I've had people urinating on my front yard," he said, "and every morning I have to pick up beer bottles from my front yard."

Ross said that he would like to see the increased police presence remain in the neighborhood, so that he can feel safe raising a family there.