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75 Martine Avenue, Fanwood, NJ 07023 - 908/322-7773 FAX - 908-322-2200 or 908-889-6359 Safety Wings | Tony Parenti , Editor MEETING NOTICES: Next Regular Business Meeting: The Next Regular Business Meeting is WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2006, 10:00 AM at the Somerville Elks Club, Route 28 (Union Avenue) Bridgewater, NJ. Board Of Directors: The next meeting is at the call of the President.  PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: As of week 23, 308 deaths were reported on NJ roadways compared to 260 during the same period in 2005 – an increase of 48 bodies. This is a staggering increase and something has to be done to stop this slaughter. I plan to consult with the powers in NJ to see if there is anything that can be done to slow this terrible trend. Maybe it’s time to forget the “gimmicks” in traffic safety and get back to basics – good traffic law enforcement and sound crash prevention procedures! In the meantime do your part by stepping up your traffic enforcement, particularly the 7 most dangerous violations, careless driving, DWI, speeding, stop sign, reckless driving, traffic signal, and turning movements. This is especially important now that schools are out and children will be preoccupied with having summer fun and may forget safety procedures. If you were not at the Atlantic City meeting you missed a good time. There were excellent prize giveaways, Boobala was his usual jovial self and we got to hear from Chief Sharon Harrington, Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission. We will have more to say on her speech at our next meeting. Remember we do not meet during the months of July and August. Stay safe -- Bill  DWI BLOOD EVIDENCE: An Appellate Division case (State v. Berezansky) was decided on June 7, 2006 and alters how DWI blood evidence prosecutions are handled. Consistent with existing case law the State maintained laboratory reports are normally admissible in a drunk driving case as either a public record or a business record. Based on that the state maintained it was not necessary to bring in the chemist to testify. The Appellate Division rejected this position and ruled that the admissibility of laboratory blood tests in a drunk driving case should generally conform to the same statutory procedures required for laboratory reports in drug cases under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-19. The Court reasoned the "certificate" at issue is not a record prepared or maintained in the ordinary course of government business. It is prepared specifically to prove an element of a crime and offered in lieu of producing the qualified individual who actually performed the test. Under this statute (N.J.S.A. 2C:35-19), a defendant is entitled to complete proof as to the reliability of the testing procedures used as part of discovery and maintains the right to confront the person who prepared the report in court simply by objecting to the report's admissibility prior to trial. Unless the New Jersey Supreme Court seeks to reverse this decision, we will have to comply. Also be prepared for another issue discussed in this case. In the Berezansky case, the defendant also maintained he was denied due process because the unused portion of the blood sample, though demanded, was not provided for independent testing. The Court opted not to decide the case on these grounds as they "expect" the issue to rise again on remand. It may very well become the next issue we have to deal with. Confer with your local Prosecutor to determine what procedures he/she would like put into effect to insure the new requirements referred to in this case are properly implemented. In light of this decision, your agency discovery procedures will also likely change. 
SCHOOL BUS CRASH INVESTIGATION ASSISTANCE: The Motor Vehicle Commission's School Bus Inspection Unit is available to offer assistance to local law enforcement in crash investigations involving school vehicles. If you wish to take advantage of this service, contact the School Bus Administrative Office at 609-633-9473 between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm. You may also contact our regional supervisors directly. For crashes in: Passaic, Bergen, Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, Morris, Essex or Hudson counties contact Supervisor Wilfred Grotz at (609) 203-9217. Somerset, Mercer, Monmouth, Union, Middlesex and Ocean counties contact Supervisor Leonard Preslopsky at (609) 462-3421. Camden, Gloucester, Burlington, Salem, Cumberland, Cape May and Atlantic counties contact Supervisor Brenda Risoldi at (609) 203-0257. After hours tape line: (609) 984-9362. As of Week 23 there were 308 fatalities recorded on NJ roads compared to 260 during the same period in 2005, AN INCREASE OF 48 BODIES.
There were 165 Driver deaths, 57 Passengers, 68 Pedestrians, 12 Motorcycle Drivers, 03 Motorcycle Passengers, and 03 Pedacyclists. There were 308 fatalities in 289 cashes. 
TOUGH CALL: A woman baby-sat her 8-year old grandson while his mother went to a party with her then-fiancé. The boy was asleep when they returned. The grandmother noticed the fiancé’s eyes were red, his breath reeked of alcohol, and had slurred speech. Concerned for the boy’s safety she followed them outside to the car. As they placed the boy in the backseat the fiancé got behind the wheel. She was so concerned she called the police reporting the car left her home with the driver having had too much to drink. Police stopped the vehicle and the driver failed a field sobriety test and refused to take a breath test. He was arrested and charged with DWI and failure to stay within marked lanes. Grandma didn't know of the arrest until two weeks later when she drove by the police station and her grandson told her about the fiancé spending the night there. A few weeks after the arrest her daughter married her fiancé. Upon returning from their honeymoon the daughter asked her mother if she would testify for her husband. She balked and said she didn't "feel comfortable" about it and admitted she called the police. The daughter stopped talking to her, put a restriction on their phone to stop her calls and did not allow her any contact with the grandson. The arresting officer said she performed a service by calling police and helped keep a drunken driver off the road. The grandmother said she doesn't regret calling the police, despite the consequences of having her son-in-law arrested and her grandson banned from her life, the child’s safety mattered most. EYE IN THE SKY: Look up in the sky, is it a bird, is it Superman -- no it’s a plane and it’s fighting crime! Yes, believe it. An unmanned drone, not much bigger than a model airplane, will soon join the helicopter fleet of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. Once deployed the drone will fly at about 250 feet and transmit real color images to a portable computer system below. Unlike the helicopter, the drone is practically noiseless and operates by remote control. The plane is much lighter and smaller than the military drones used in Iraq and costs about $20,000. On the other hand a helicopter is noisy, costs millions, and is expensive to operate. In the initial stages they plan to use drones to scan rooftops for break-ins and finding lost children and hikers. As they perfect operations they plan to use them for other crime fighting efforts and even traffic law enforcement. Naturally there are some who believe drones infringe on privacy rights and fear they will be used to spy on people but officials say drones will not render any more surveillance capability than helicopters. AND NOW FLAGERS:The NJ Department of Transportation was granted interim approval by the Federal Highway Administration to use Automated Flager Assistance Devices (AFDs). This remote controlled solar powered device will eliminate use of human flagers at construction or other roadway work sites. The operation is simple. A flag is attached to an extension arm mounted on a portable device similar to the variable message board currently in use for speed advisories. The flag is remotely operated, lowering it to stop traffic and raising it to allow movement. The manufacturer claims the device has been in use in Canada for 10 years and the USA for 5 years with no crashes reported in either country. Dunkin Donuts expressed serious concern over the Crime Fighting Drone, Photo Radar, Red Light Cameras, and Automatic Flagers -- this could be a major blow to their business because none of the foregoing drink coffee or eat donuts! 
ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SAFETY BELT AND BULLETPROOF VEST SUPPORT OUR TROOPS IN THE ARMED SERVICES NEXT MEETING SEPTEMBER 6, Somerville Elks Club, Route 28 (Union Avenue) Bridgewater |