Haworth Police Department

ANNOUNCEMENT: Click here to read a letter from Haworth Police Department Chief Gracey regarding updated police procedures and protocols ***Members Needed for the Volunteer Haworth Police Auxiliary*** If you are looking to volunteer and give back to your community, the Haworth Police Auxiliary needs YOU! The Police Auxiliary work directly with the Police Department and offer support and enhanced security for town events, emergencies, and patrols. All required training is FREE. All required equipment and uniforms are issued. If interested, please call Lt. Saudino for further details(201)384-1900 between the hours of 7:00am - 3:00pm.(Application Required)

The Haworth Police Department provides the following advice to residents concerning the proper use of the 9-1-1 emergency system. 9-1-1 should only be used for true emergencies. Some examples of calls that meet the criteria for using 9-1-1 include the following: When a life is in danger. When you see a fire. When a crime is being committed. When Police, Fire or an Ambulance is needed IMMEDIATELY. When calling 9-1-1, please: Remain calm. Give location of the emergency. Explain the type of emergency. Stay on the line until the dispatcher tells you to hang up. Even when the dispatcher is asking for additional information, police are responding to your location. Hanging up will not expedite our response; it only gives us less information to work with.

NIXEL MESSAGE SYSTEM: Haworth residents can now receive important information directly from the Haworth Police Department via Nixel. Messages will be delivered by email, SMS/text message, and over the world wide web. Notifications may include information pertaining to emergency shelters or major road closures, as well as other relevant safety and community event information. Information can be received online and via e-mail. Residents receive messages by phone as part of their text-messaging plan (otherwise standard text message rates apply). The system is simple to use and provides an easy sign-up process. Once registered, residents may customize from what other area agencies they receive information. Register now and learn more at www.nixel.com.

OVERNIGHT PARKING: Just a reminder that Overnight Parking will be enforced beginning on November 15th and ending on April 15th. No vehicle will be allowed to park on any Haworth street from 3 A.M. to 6 A.M. unless authorized by the police department.

SENIORS: Do you live alone and do you know about Operation Reassurance? This program is part of the Haworth Police Department. When you sign up for this program, they will give you a number to call each morning before 10:00. If they do not hear from you, they will call you, and if they do not get an answer, they will come to your home to check on you. This is a wonderful program that can give you much security, or reassurance, that someone is looking after you. For more information, call the Police Department at (201) 384-1900.

SOCIAL HOSTING LIABILITY: Parents, Older Siblings Can Be Held Accountable for Underage Drinking As summer kicks into high gear, celebrations of all kinds abound, from graduation shindigs to family parties. And with these gatherings often comes the presence of alcohol. Be warned, however, that Social Host Liability Laws are being passed throughout the country. These laws hold parents - and, often, older siblings or other legal-aged adults - accountable for hosting underage drinking events. Safer to Drink at Home? Two-thirds of teens who drink get their alcohol from parents or other adults, according to the 2003 National Academy of Sciences Report. "Some parents believe that it's safer for their teens to drink at home than to drink anywhere else," according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Yet the responsibility can rest squarely on parents' shoulders should something go wrong, as it too often does. For instance, a Pennsylvania parent was sentenced to a 1 - to 4 ½-year prison term for involuntary manslaughter after allowing underage students to drink at a party the parent hosted. Three students died in a drunk-driving accident after the party. Social host liability laws hold adults who serve or provide alcohol to underage people criminally liable if that minor is killed or injured - or if that minor kills or injures someone else. The laws can also extend to parents who do not take sufficient measures to prevent underage drinking in their homes, even if they are not home when the drinking occurs. Parents can be charged for medical bills and property damage or sued for emotional pain and suffering, depending on how the specific laws are interpreted in your state. Connecticut just passed a bill that allows misdemeanor charges to be filed against adults who knowingly allow anyone under 21 to possess alcohol on their property. Check out the nuances of your state laws, too, to see how social host liability is interpreted. Teen Party Ordinances And keep in mind that many communities also have teen party ordinances that make it illegal to host a party where underage students are drinking. Parents, older siblings, and friends can be arrested if they allow underage drinking to occur with their knowledge, even if they did not necessarily provide the alcohol. No one has to get hurt for these laws to kick in -- all it takes is alcohol being present at the party. Be careful - and informed-before making choices about alcohol and underage students this summer. Providing alcohol, hosting underage drinking events and more can get parents and older siblings in some legal hot water. Yet the human toll, from injury to death, is the most sobering possibility of all. Sources: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Family Guide at family.samhsa.gov/set/prosecuting.aspx; PRNewswire, "60 Minutes" Focuses on Parents Hosting Alcohol Parties for Minors, August 19, 2005; On Board Online, Vol. 7 No. 4, February 27, 2006 from the New York State Association of School Attorneys;