Three Hoboken councilmembers call out Bhalla administration, urge immediate action on park safety

They heard enough words Monday night. Now they want action.
Dissatisfied with the responses from Mayor Ravi Bhalla and public safety officials at a meeting to discuss ways to make city parks safer, a group of city council members are urging the city to take swift and decisive action.
Even stopgap measures will help residents feel safer, say councilmembers Tiffanie Fisher, Paul Presinzano and Ruben Ramos, who issues a joint press release Wednesday.
“This is a tipping point … This is a crisis of safety and confidence,” Fisher said.
The meeting stemmed from a brutal daytime attack at Church Square Park Oct. 31 in front of children ― an incident that left two people hospitalized and sparked outrage over what many residents see as a rise in quality-of-life crimes ― and the lasting fear that comes along with them.
“This is 34 days after the event happened and (the people at the meeting) expected a crisis-type response and they didn’t get one,” Fisher said.
The councilmembers, seen as critics of the Bhalla administration, offered a four-point plan that starts with immediate safety measures at Church Square Park.
The plan includes heavier police presence at all city parks and public spaces and more coordination with other law enforcement agencies that operate in the city such as Port Authority police and New Jersey Transit police.
Despite repeated calls for action from the community and city council efforts to address safety and quality-of-life concerns, Church Square Park remains a hotspot, with no viable plan from City Hall, the group said.
“The turnout at City Hall Monday night made one thing clear: Our community is fed up with the lack of action by the Bhalla administration on safety,” Presinzano said. “Church Square Park used to be one of our busiest, family-friendly spaces, but it’s become a place people avoid. After the recent brutal attack on a resident, it’s clear: Enough is enough. This needs to change now.”
More police foot patrols, more lighting and the installation of temporary security cameras are among the solutions that can be implemented immediately at Church Square Park, the three say.
That’s the basic blueprint for public areas across the city, they say. It’s something they wanted to hear Monday, but did not.
“Leadership means acting when the community needs you most, not shying away from tough problems,” Ramos said. “We’ve been raising this issue for over a year, yet here we are, still without a long-term solution. The frustration in our community is palpable, and it’s time for real action, not more empty promises.”
Police Chief Steven Aguiar said they would be increasing lighting and city officials say they hope to have new cameras at Church Square Park by year end, and that the city is always actively trying to fill its police ranks.
In a long note to residents Monday morning, prior to the meeting, Bhalla pointed out “We need to do better,” but he also noted steps the city has taken, such as increasing police presence and hiring social workers to engage with the homeless and connect them with services.
The homeless population is growing, many say, and the gazebo at Church Square Park has become a popular place during daytime hours.
Making residents feel safe in the parks and on the streets should be the city’s top priority, Fisher, Presinzano and Ramos say.
“Our community deserves immediate steps to make families and residents feel safe in Church Square Park again and a real plan to address the rising safety concerns in all of our public spaces,” Fisher said.
Presinzano said “It’s going to get fixed. But it should not be that we need a tragedy to happen and then we react.”