“Operation Dead End” Nets 28 In Asbury Park Gang-Affliliated Sweep, 3 Fugitives Still At Large

Asbury Park Police Officer Keith German is one of 31 charged in gang affiliated criminal organization

Acting Monmouth Prosecutor Gramiccioni announces Operation Dead End arrests in Asbury Park. Click photo for larger view.

Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni was joined by representatives of 26 Monmouth County and federal law enforcement agencies this afternoon when he announced charges levied against 31 people, including known members of the Bloods and Crips gangs as well as an Asbury Park Police Officer on charges including racketeering conspiracy, narcotics distribution, illegal possession of firearms, promoting organized street crime, armed robbery, shoplifting and endangering the welfare of of child.

Asbury Park Patrolman Keith German, a 16 year veteran of the department, was arrested and charged official misconduct and unauthorized access of a computer database for his alleged role in the criminal enterprise whereby he shared information with gang members in an effort to help them avoid arrest. Gramiccioni declined to share any evidence of German’s motives for participating in the criminal enterprise or to say if he would face additional charges.

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Asbury Park needs media attention, U.S. Attorney’s assistance

By Tommy DeSeno

What helps a city fight crime? Media attention. Crime fighters don’t wish to be seen losing in the media.

Asbury Park’s gun crimes and murders get less television attention than other cities because it’s small and far from New York and Philadelphia. News 12 has to cover the state. The responsibility for keeping attention on unsolved murders in Asbury Park falls then on the Asbury Park Press.

Regarding Asbury Park killings, we’ve seen the Monmouth County prosecutor blame the city police, the county prosecutor make no progress himself and everyone blame the City Council. It was announced last week that state troopers will patrol the city, but car patrols lend themselves mostly to traffic tickets.

Left out of the conversation thus far is a very important crime fighter — U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. He is a well-schooled, honorable lawyer who has spent his career fighting crime, including a concentration on illegal narcotics, the antecedent problem that leads to gangs and murder.

Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie built a legacy of putting corrupt politicians in jail. Former U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani prosecuted organized crime. Fishman can have a more honorable distinction than both of them — saving young lives and removing fear from a community.

Nationwide, the U.S. Attorney’s office has a nearly $2 billion budget, and New Jersey’s district is the fifth largest in America, with 145 lawyers and support staff. Fishman has resources. More importantly, he wields an effective crime-fighting law: The Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organizations statute (RICO).

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Shooting Epidemic In Asbury Park, Community Resignation Setting In

Monmouth County Needs Regional Law Enforcement

There were three shootings in Asbury Park this afternoon, according to a report at NJ.com.

The shooting happened around noon on Mattison Avenue, near Langford Street, Detective Lt. David DeSane said. As of around 2 p.m., DeSane said he did not know the extent of the injuries.

Two people in the area, who asked not to be identified, said they heard four or five shots, but did not know what happened.

AsburyParkSun photo

In the triCityNews last week, publisher Dan Jacobson said there have been four fatal shootings in the city, population 16,132, so far this year.

In their award winning series, Gripped by violence, published last October, four days before Superstorm Sandy, the Asbury Park Press said there had been an average of one shooting per week in Asbury Park through October 25, 2012 and that the city was second only to Camden in terms of violent crimes in New Jersey.  That’s right, Asbury Park is more dangerous than Newark, Trenton and Jersey City, where there were also three shootings today.

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