Police substation at Menlo Park Mall reopens BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff Above: Edison Mayor Jun Choi (at podium) stands alongside local law enforcement officials and mall security officers at a press conference presenting the newly reopened Edison Police Department substation at the Menlo Park Mall in Edison on Nov. 19. The substation had its reopening just in time for the holiday shopping season, when mall crimes rise. Left: An officer performs his duties at the newly reopened substation. EDISON - Township and police officials announced the opening of the Edison Police Substation at the Menlo Park Mall on Nov. 19. The substation is a self-contained police headquarters where officers can quickly respond to incidents during the busier-than-usual holiday season. The facility technically opened on Nov. 15 and will continue to provide police support at the mall until Jan. 7. This will be the 14th year that the Edison Police Department has manned a substation at the mall to handle the increased incidents that come with the influx of holiday shoppers. Acting Chief Ronald Gerba said the substation, located on the second floor near Nordstrom's, allows police to handle duties around the area more efficiently. "The police substation greatly increases police presence and reduces police response times to incidents which occur at the mall during the busy holiday shopping season," said Gerba. "The sub-station itself is a self-contained police headquarters where officers provide a multitude of on-site functions to the public that would otherwise have to be handled by other on-duty officers." Edison Mayor Jun Choi, who was also on the scene during the facility's re-opening, said that its presence in what substation at Menlo he said was the township's largest retail center was a good idea in light of the township's community policing goals. "We encourage more community policing in all of our neighborhoods. This being our largest retail center, it makes sense to have an ongoing presence here with this police substation. We want people to feel safe and happy as they are shopping for all their holiday gifts," said Choi. Police Capt. John Dauber walks out of the substation. According to Sgt. Robert Dudash, public information officer with the Edison Police Department, the substation is staffed with three to four officers on any given day. Usually, one will be in the station itself while the others will be on patrol either in the mall or in the surrounding outdoor areas, such as the parking lot. Dudash said that last year alone, the substation attended to around 250 calls. "The officers handle everything from suspicious persons, disorderly conduct, shoplifting, theft, break-ins to motor vehicles, ambulance calls, 911 hang-up calls, and we do escorts for businesses in the mall, like to the bank, so we do a variety of services," said Dudash. He said that the police also communicate and cooperate with the private mall security as well. Dudash noted that as more people arrive at the mall for the holidays, there is an increased need for police presence for a variety of reasons. "We are here to meet the increased demands on the mall because, obviously, during the holidays you have much-increased patronage from the general public here, shoppers, [and] businesses put on extra staff, so the place is crowded, so we're here to meet those demands," said Dudash. He noted that, in general, one should always be aware of one's surroundings and that it is always safer to shop with other people rather than shop alone. He also noted that there are a variety of precautions one can take to avoid car break-ins. If one has a GPS or satellite radio, for example, one should remove it from the dashboard or windshield, ideally carrying it out of the car. He said, though, that even the suction cups affixing them should be taken off, since they are a telltale sign that valuables might be in the car. Also, Dudash warned that if shoppers make multiple trips in and out of the mall and leave packages in their car, they should make sure the packages are well hidden. Finally, he advised that shoppers should park in a well-lit area.