Ask Your Freeholders: Newton Lake Park

Got a problem and need an answer from Camden County government? We’ve got your solution. 

Ask Your Freeholder is a weekly feature from Haddonfield Patch in which you get to ask questions and get them answered here every week by the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Camden County—the county's highest body of elected officials.

Just send your questions to bill.duhart@patch.com or ask it in our comment box below the story and we’ll take the first three every week and get one of the seven freeholders to personally answer your question for this column.

Here's this week's question,

From a Haddon Township Resident: While I appreciate the county's recent maintenance efforts to clear plant overgrowth at Newton Lake Park, what are the county's plans for security and patrols at parks? Teenagers regularly gather at Newton Lake Park in Haddon Township for underage drinking, and they vandalize the lake. They remove wooden fence stakes and throw them into the lake like javelins, which isn't just unsightly, but a pollutant as well. Fence stakes are vandalized almost as fast as they're replaced. These incidents happen year-round, but more frequently in the summer. Why aren't there more patrols at Newton Lake Park to address this ongoing problem?

Answer from Freeholder Jeff Nash, liaison to the Camden County Parks Department: Below is the response from Acting Chief Robert Colangelo from the Camden County Park Police:

First of all, thanks for your appreciation of our ongoing maintenance program to clear plant overgrowth in the park. I also understand residents’ concerns and we know, from our own patrols by the Camden County Park Police, that the acts of vandalism concerning the fence stakes are an ongoing problem.

Historically, Newton Lake Park has long been a place for juveniles to go on weekend nights during the school year and any night of the week during the summer months. This is the case in many of the municipal parks throughout the county, not just the county park system. At Newton Lake Park in particular, the juveniles have the cover of a large wooded area across the lake from Lakeshore Drive where they often gather to drink, even though most of them are underage.

As can be expected, with alcohol consumption does come some level of vandalism and littering. The Park Police respond when called and maintain regular patrols of Newton Lake Park and all parks within the county park system. Recently, Acting Parks Police Chief Robert Colangelo and several other county officials had the opportunity to visit and walk around Newton Lake Park, where they observed a very clean park with limited signs of vandalism. On the other hand, the fence post issue is absolutely correct. The County Parks Department replaces approximately 50 pieces of split rail fence posts during the summer months.

In recent days, Chief Colangelo has directed patrols to Newton Lake Park and a bike patrol has been going through the park. The directed patrol model works best when citizen complaints are received. Additionally, after midnight the County Park System is patrolled by the police departments in each of the respective municipalities.

The best way for a police response to an incident within the county park system is to call 911, be specific that the incident is in a county park, and identify the town where the park is located.

For a non-emergency, residents can also get police response by calling 856-428-9335. Should there be any additional questions or concerns, Chief Colangelo can be contacted at 856-783-4808, extension 5301.