Newark – The Newark Police Department (NPD) has stepped up enforcement of trespassing in the area of the New Street Cemetery, 12 New Street, and the CSX railroad tracks after it was discovered that subjects were regularly using the cemetery and the railroad tracks as a shortcut to get from East Cleveland Avenue to New Street and back, according to Newark Police Spokesman Fred Nelson
Nelson said officers discovered that subjects had repeatedly damaged a wall separating the cemetery from the railroad tracks and trash was being deposited on grave sites at the cemetery. NPD is particularly concerned with the danger posed to pedestrians who are crossing the railroad tracks at un-signalized/non-sanctioned crossings.
Between Thursday, 8/24/2017 and Sunday, 8/27/2017, NPD made 32 trespassing and 8 underage alcohol consumption arrests using a combination of vehicle/foot/bicycle patrol and surveillance cameras to locate offenders at this location, according to Nelson.
NPD plans on continuing to aggressively enforce trespassing, disorderly conduct, and alcohol violations in the area of the cemetery and the CSX railroad tracks. According to Deputy Chief Kevin Feeney, “The railroad tracks pose a significant danger to those crossing at this location and pedestrians are reminded to only use sanctioned crossings for their own safety.”