Even before this morning's homicide at an apartment at Jacoby Street and Boyden Avenue, residents of Jacoby Street had been concerned about safety in their neighborhood. Incidents such as a large fight after a house party in May and a wave of thefts from auto were cause for concern.

As a result, Mayor Vic DeLuca reached out with the following letter on August 20, 2010:

To the Resident of the Jacoby Street Neighborhood:

Over the past few months, the Township has received concerns from you and your neighbors about quality of life issues and the feeling that town government is not focusing enough attention to your area. We want you to know that the Township will partner with you to keep your neighborhood as a desirable place to live and raise a family.

During the next month, the Township plans to do the following:

1. Representatives from the Fire, Police, Health, Building and Public Works Departments will be coming through your neighborhood distributing information about Township services that are available to you. They will also discuss how to comply with local ordinances related to property maintenance, noise, animal waste removal and littering. They will leave contact information so you can call and ask questions if you are not home when they ring your bell. You can always go to the Township's website for further information or to directly report a concern or service request: www.twp.maplewood.nj.us
2. On Saturday, September 11 from 2:00pm until 4:00pm, the Township will sponsor an "information street fair" on Jacoby Street. We will close the street for this Public Awareness Event so that you can speak with Township representatives. Snacks and beverages will be available.
3. On Tuesday, September 14 at 7:30pm, the Township will hold a community meeting at the DeHart Community Center. We encourage you to attend. We want to hear your concerns and also your suggestions and ideas on improving the neighborhood. Please encourage your neighbors to come to the September 14 meeting.

By working together, we can solve the problems that face us today and make Maplewood an even better place to live.