"You Park Stupid"

Short on grammar, long on finger-pointing, a new Facebook page is shaming Jersey drivers for their questionable parking skills.

Complaints about parking in Collingswood typically center on its availability (or lack thereof), and not necessarily how well it's executed. But creep over the line, park in a handicap spot, or swing your tail end too far into traffic, and a new Facebook page, "You Park Stupid," might just call you out on that decision. The page was started by Somerville, NJ resident John Flores, who was getting ticked off when he kept seeing the same bad parking job while visiting his father at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. "Some days they were parked OK, but most days they were parked awfully," Flores said. "I shared photos on my personal wall and got a lot of friends talking about it. That's when the lightbulb went off and the small group …

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Click It or Ticket: Traffic Stops Coming through June 2

Be prepared to face the music if anyone in your car doesn't buckle up. Several towns have extra money for seat belt checkpoints from May 21 through June 2.

Bellmawr, Berlin, Gloucester City, Haddon Heights, Merchantville, Pennsauken, Pine Hill, and Winslow. Those are the Camden County towns in which local law enforcement has been awarded additional funds for policing seatbelt safety through motor vehicle stops. (The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety, or NJDHTS, also provides a complete list of participating municipalities.) According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 22,000 motorists and their passengers were killed in car accidents in 2010. More than half were not wearing seat belts. Memorial Day weekend is one of the most heavily traveled weekends of the year, and motorists need to be careful, said Division of Highway Traffic Safety …

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Mystery Still Surrounds Friday's SWAT Activity in Collingswood

The Camden County Prosecutor's Office refuses to release any information, saying an investigation is ongoing.

There are no answers yet about Friday's police tactical operations in the vicinity of the Heights of Collingswood. Collingswood police confirmed that multiple arrests were made during the incident, but referred all other questions to the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, which refused to provide any information when contacted by Collingswood Patch on Tuesday. Jason Laughlin, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, said no details would be forthcoming because an investigation is "ongoing." Under New Jersey's Open Public Records Act, law-enforcement agencies are required to provide basic information within 24 hours of an arrest being made.  Images of the incident captured by Patch readers depict a white, unmarked van and several police …

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Drivers Everywhere But on the Road

One winds up on the train tracks, another on a front lawn.

Each week, Patch takes a peek at some of the more surprising, shocking, stunning and occasionally silly police-related incidents reported throughout New Jersey for "OMGs from NJ PDs." On the Wrong Track: Contrary to popular belief, there is no "wrong side of the tracks." Well, not unless you count the top side. A driver who made a wrong turn wound up on the train tracks paralleling Route 17, leading authorities to shut down New Jersey Transit traffic on the line, according to Hasbrouck Heights Police. It took police about an hour to remove the vehicle from the tracks. We're not sure how long it took onlookers to remove their palms from their faces. Not Quite a Smoking Gun, But Close: You think smoking's bad for you? It's even worse if you'…

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Haddon Twp. Church, Property Vandalized with Racial Slurs

Vandals spray-painted racial slurs on a church, cars and homes in a historically black neighborhood in Haddon Township. A resident calls the attacks "nerve-racking."

Police Confirm Activity in Area of Heights of Collingswood

The investigation is still ongoing, but everyone involved has been collared, officers report.

At approximately 3:45 p.m. today, Collingswood Patch received a tip of police activity in the vicinity of Eldridge Avenue, near the Heights of Collingswood apartment complex. An officer at the Collingswood Police Department confirmed that police action was taken in that area at that time, but would not comment on its nature. According to the officer, the department arrested every suspect they had sought in connection with the sting, but details were not immediately available about the nature of the sting because the investigation remains open. Anyone with any information about the incident is invited to contact Collingswood Patch until such time as additional details can be confirmed.

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Horse at McDonald's, Bad Guy in the Sky

Also, someone made off with a whole lot of cooking oil. Slick.

Each week, Patch takes a peek at some of the more surprising, shocking, stunning and occasionally silly police-related incidents reported throughout New Jersey for "OMGs from NJ PDs." Big Wheels Keep on Turning: A runaway van veered into oncoming traffic on the White Horse Pike, crashed against a guard rail and nearly struck a small gathering of people at the edge of Newton Lake in Camden County (our title for this section would have worked better if it was a river onto which the van was almost rollin'). Amazingly, no one was hurt, but police say an intoxicated driver may have been asleep at the wheel. At Least it Wasn't a Cow: Scotch Plains Police say a horse escaped from Watchung Stables, and after a brief chase, was cornered by cars on …

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Police Blotter: More Possession Than the Exorcist

In recent weeks, Collingswood police have encountered a number of residents and visitors who were allegedly holding.

All information presented in these reports was gathered from the Collingswood Police Department. An arrest is not a conviction. Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute On April 12, officers on patrol at the Heights of Collingswood detected a strong smell of burnt marijuana from a 2005 Dodge Magnum station wagon. They approached the vehicle and asked the occupants, Ronnie Hand, 35, and James Laboo, 36, both of Woodlynne, to exit the vehicle. During a pat-down, officers discovered a large Ziploc bag containing what they believed to be marijuana. A search of the car revealed a large amount of cash and five glass jars, each containing what they believed to be marijuana. Hand was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous …

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Stuart Chaifetz: "I Can Offer My Son Justice"

The father of 10-year-old Akian Chaifetz, an autistic boy from Cherry Hill, will hold a press conference tomorrow to discuss what has become a national and legal matter.

The following statement was issued by Stuart Chaifetz to Collingswood Patch today. We are reprinting it here without alteration. As always, stay with Collingswood Patch here as well as on Facebook and Twitter for the latest. New here? Sign up for our email newsletter and breaking news alerts. A little over one week ago, I posted a video on YouTube which was, at its core, a public statement of my love for my son.  Little did I realize, or could ever dream, that people from around the world would hear my son’s story and open their hearts to him. I am truly overwhelmed and grateful beyond measure.  When I produced that video all I had hoped for was an apology from the classroom staff, something I could offer my child on the day he was ready …

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