Assembly bill would make sex with animals a crime

A bill that criminalizes bestiality passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee yesterday by a 6-0 bipartisan vote.

Illustration by Megan Archer

 Use, or cause or procure the use of, an animal or creature in any kind of sexual manner or initiate any kind of sexual contact with the animal or creature, including, but not limited to, sodomizing the animal or creature.  As used in this paragraph, “sexual contact” means any contact between a person and an animal by penetration of the penis or a foreign object into the vagina or anus, contact between the mouth and genitalia, or by contact between the genitalia of one and the genitalia or anus of the other.  This term does not include any medical procedure performed by a licensed veterinarian practicing veterinary medicine or an accepted animal husbandry practice.

Penalties for those convicted include fines up to $15,000 and imprisonment for as long as five years. Additionally, the bill directs the courts to impose Community Service for up to 30 day at a Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or a municipality”s animal control program.  Is that a good idea?

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5 former NJ inmates charged with stealing $100K in unemployment benefits while in jail

5 former NJ inmates charged with stealing $100K in unemployment benefits while in jail (via NJ.com)

Five former state inmates have been charged with stealing approximately $100,000 in unemployment insurance benefits while they were in county jails and ineligible to receive them, the state Attorney General’s office said today. The inmates, along…

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FAIR HAVEN: SHOTS FIRED, TWO ARRESTED

FAIR HAVEN: SHOTS FIRED, TWO ARRESTED (via redbankgreen)

Two Rumson men were arrested Saturday following a predawn report of shots fired, police said. Matthew Robertson, 21, and Michael Robertson, 22, were stopped by police as they attempted to flee after shots were reported in the area of Tyson Drive and…

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Crime in Asbury Park, Part 2 ENFORCEMENT

By JOE WOERNER

Enhanced enforcement is the best first step to addressing our crime issue in Asbury Park. With over 80 police officers in a City that is a little larger than one square mile, we should be better able to police our streets.

What has worked in other communities would also make me feel safer in my neighborhood; a clear strategy to deal with gang violence, police walking/biking the beat more often, and stricter code enforcement. As this is essentially police work, the Asbury Police Department must lead this effort. The development of a comprehensive plan should also involve the City Council, community activists, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office, the State Police, and it must be made public.

As gang members commit our most violent crimes, a specific gang intervention component is key. This strategy must focus on putting the hardcore gang leaders in jail and lower level members into intervention programs outside of Asbury Park. A few model programs suggested by community members that have found success in other urban areas include the Highpoint Interventionstrategy, Counterinsurgency Cops that employ a block-by-block approach, Cities United, and Violence Interrupters.

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Fifth person shot in Neptune in 5 days

Fifth person shot in Neptune in 5 days (via NJ.com)

NEPTUNE – One person was shot on Milton Avenue late Thursday in the third night of gunfire in the township in less than a week, authorities said. The male victim suffered non-life threatening injuries, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman…

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Crime in Asbury Park, Part One: Understanding the Problems of Our Youth

By Joe Woerner

Consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in New Jersey, the crime on our streets has been more than ever on the minds of residents. In an effort to continue the discussion already underway in our community I will be sharing a few ideas that have helped me better grasp the issue as well as suggesting some possible actions. In a series of three letters I will address the fundamental underpinnings of crime, enforcement, and how to better support our community members.

Aristotle said, “Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime.” To understand our crime issue, we must first understand the devastating role poverty plays in our community. The socio-economic and emotional impacts of poverty directly correlate with insufficient family and community support. This absence of adequate support limits options and makes it near impossible for our young people to succeed.

The Center for Disease Control publishes risk and protective factors for youth violence. The risk factors, such as low parental income and diminished economic opportunity, read like a laundry list of Asbury Park’s problems. Poverty not only increases the risk factors but also decreases protective ones. Our youth live in broken homes, substandard housing, and without basic services like simple healthcare. As a result many turn to gangs for protection, financial opportunity, and a sense of belonging. This American Life did a two-part special on Harper High School (part I & part II) in Chicago that illustrates the lack of options for poor minority youth in urban areas like Asbury Park. For too many, gang involvement and violence are a given, not a choice.

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Man caught with loaded handgun after chase in Asbury Park, police say

Man caught with loaded handgun after chase in Asbury Park, police say (via NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK – A Long Branch man was charged with possession of a weapon after he led police on a foot chase and tried to get rid of a handgun, authorities said. At around 3 p.m. on Saturday, the city’s Street Crimes Unit was on a proactive patrol…

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Baby girl, 2 adults shot in Asbury Park, police say

Baby girl, 2 adults shot in Asbury Park, police say (via NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK – Authorities are investigating a shooting that injured three people, including a baby girl, in the city on Monday evening. Shortly after 7:20 p.m. Monday, authorities responded to reports of multiple gunshots on the 700 Block of Comstock…

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Man robbed, shot in Asbury Park

Man robbed, shot in Asbury Park (via NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK – A 29-year-old city man was shot during the course of a robbery on Sunday night, police said. At approximately 10:15 p.m. on Sunday, two men with handguns approached a man, who was not identified, on the 1500 block of Bond Street at around…

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Report: N.J. school bus driver assists with arrest of child’s accused stalker

Report: N.J. school bus driver assists with arrest of child’s accused stalker (via NJ.com)

ENGLISHTOWN – An 18-year-old Manalapan resident was reportedly charged with stalking and harassing a young girl while she was on her way home from her school bus stop. On April 1, a scared and upset 13-year-old girl called 9-1-1 to report that a man…

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