Nestled in the center of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Raritan TWP is considered to be one of the richest counties in the country. This rural area has an annual household medium income of over $100,000 and is distinctly taxed. It’s no wonder why the following allegations from the community deserve the proper attention.

During the past year, a couple of unfortunate interactions between the Raritan TWP Police, local residents, and people passing through the area have occurred. Residents have decided to make their voice known, as these instances have been apparently unfair in many cases.

In the first event, a local resident paid a visit to the Raritan TWP Police Department to evaluate a claim regarding damage to her vehicle. The police officer in question is said to have carried on an argument with the woman in the parking lot. After the police officer raised his voice and menaced the woman, she became disappointed and ultimately decided to leave.

A second occasion involved a Raritan TWP student and his girlfriend. The student was pulled over by three police vehicles and was asked to step out of his car. This seems questionable and slightly overboard taking into consideration that two young high school students are the subject of this matter.

Another local resident filed a complaint with Internal Affairs that alleges Patrol Officer Mike Podlaski used his own opinion to manipulate a police report. The resident also challenged how a report by Officer Podlaski could have been generated when Adult Protective Services was informed on an anonymous tip of neglect of his elderly mother. This claim wound up being unsubstantiated, as the anonymous call was made by a family member to coerce the resident to halt spending an inheritance worth $150,000 on caring for their mother. The police report was filed, but when questioned, the local authorities state that they did not influence the report at all.

In a recently emerged voice recording, Susan Nekola, a supervisor for Adult Protective Services in Hunterdon County, has stated that her organization has never produced a police report. Nekola can be heard multiple times declining to forward the resident’s complaint of fraud via Adult Protective Services and says a police report does not exist. In addition, Nekola states a report was never given to the police by her organization. This incident has also been turned over to Internal Affairs.

In wake of all these accusations and complaints from residents, combined with the recent and devastating shooting that occurred in Parkland, Florida, this may be the most alarming episode. Lately, a report was provided to the Raritan TWP Police Department proclaiming guns were being brought to the Raritan TWP area in the past from Pennsylvania and were being sold not too far from local police headquarters. A police spokesman said there was nothing to investigate at that particular time. However, it’s obvious that the tip should have been taken more seriously and a statement should have been taken from the local TWP resident.

As citizens, we rely on our local authorities to “protect and serve”. Either protocol is not being properly followed, or there is a blatant lack of communication between the residents and local authorities of Raritan TWP. Nevertheless, improvements must be made to ensure the trust and safety of everyone in the local area.