Officials 'won't rest' until complex is safe Boro, owner agree on extra police patrols, more weekend security BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer "I believe it's normal teenage boy kind of stuff. They basically hang out there." - Kennedy O'Brien Mayor SAYREVILLE - Though one suspect has been charged in the June 28 murder at Winding Woods, at least one resident and several officials are saying the development is still not as safe as it should be. "We just want to make it a safer place for the people to live," council President Thomas Pollando said. "And we owe it to them. It should be just as safe in Winding Woods as any other place in Sayreville, and it's not, but we're going to make sure it is." Members of the council's public safety committee, Mayor Kennedy O'Brien and Police Chief Edward Szkodny have discussed the issues at recent meetings with Nathan Reich of Hillside Estates, the company that owns Winding Woods. "We're going to take this landlord to task," Pollando said. "We're going to stay on top of this." As a result of the meetings and other communications between Hillside and borough officials, Pollando said some of the problems at Winding Woods are being addressed. Hillside has agreed to hire additional security personnel for weekends, and the security officer employed there now has complied with the borough's request to put lettering on his truck that identifies him as security. To augment the enhanced security, Pollando said, members of the council have also asked for greater borough police presence in the development. "As much as manpower allows, we're going to do some extra patrolling in there," Szkodny said. He said he did not want to comment on whether there is a need for increased security in the development, as discussions with the property owner are ongoing at this point. O'Brien, who said the murder was an isolated incident, pointed out that borough police do not see Winding Woods as having a greater need for police presence than any other area in the town. "[Hillside has] a responsibility in running their business to provide a certain level of security to the residents that live there," O'Brien said. "The borough of Sayreville is not in the business of providing security for private enterprises, because it falls on the backs of the taxpayers." Reich said at the meeting that tenants at Winding Woods pay taxes for police protection, and should be offered the same level of security as other borough residents. O'Brien told the Suburban that the average tenant at Winding Woods pays about $1,200 per year in taxes, while most Sayreville homeowners pay between $5,000 and $9,000 per year. "Does that mean every person in Sayreville should have a cop parked in their driveway," O'Brien asked. Though he agreed with the recommendation to enhance security on weekend nights at the complex and suggested Hillside hire off-duty Sayreville officers to patrol there, O'Brien chalked up the issues at Winding Woods to boys being boys. "It's not so much security as it's a presence of authority," O'Brien said. "I believe it's normal teenage boy kind of stuff. They basically hang out there. On hot summer nights, they're not going to sit in the apartment. They're going to congregate outside." Jacqueline Butler, a resident who has been both vocal and active in her attempts to make Winding Woods a safe place to live, said O'Brien is only attempting to minimize the issues there. "The mayor is saying this is not out of hand, and it is out of hand," Butler said. "He's trying to make it seem smaller so it will make him look better. The mayor needs to come in here and live for a month, and he will see what's going on." Butler has brought her concerns to the mayor and council on several occasions, but special attention has been paid to the problems there since the fatal shooting last month. When Butler received no response after sending letters to O'Brien, she said she gave the letters to Pollando, who has been helpful. Police arrested Telik K. Pittman, 24, of East Brunswick, with the murder of 20-year-old Marquis Maing, of Old Bridge. According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, at least one other person was involved in the shooting, which left Maing's girlfriend, Tina Castaldo, 19, also of Old Bridge, with injuries from multiple gunshot wounds. "This is one of many issues for me," Pollando said. "A lot of the element that is coming in may not be from Sayreville." Wherever the root of the problem lies, Pollando said he will make sure it is addressed. He, along with councilmen Stanley Drwal and Daniel Buchanan, visited the complex to observe what they had heard about. Among their concerns, he said, were inadequate lighting and surveillance. "What concerned us were the people that would not even open their doors," Pollando said. "They spoke to us through a crack in the door. The children don't want to come out. They fear for their lives." Butler agreed, saying it is difficult to mobilize residents to speak out for the safety of the community when they are afraid of retribution if they do so. According to Butler, police sometimes reveal where they obtained information about crimes being committed, which further deters residents. Aside from residents' fears getting in the way of police work, Butler said the department has not pursued apprehending the teens responsible for assaulting a man in late May. The man came out of his apartment to speak with the boys after his daughter was hit in the face with a basketball, then was attacked by several of the teens, Butler said. Though she said it is known who the assailants were, police have yet to act. While Butler regularly monitors the children at the complex throughout the day, and has organized sports activities for them, she said many of the other parents do not get involved in what their children are doing. "They're not involved enough," Butler said. "All they do is send their kids out and let them run around. They're not trying to help out, they're just adding to the problem." Butler said she has been confronted and threatened by other mothers in the development who disapprove of her efforts to keep area youths out of trouble. She noted her belief that it is only a handful of youths who are involved in illegal activities in the area. "I don't want to feel like I'm starting trouble," Butler said. "I'm trying to help." Aside from complaints about speeding and nonresidents abandoning cars on the property, Butler cited more urgent issues, such as underage drinking in public areas, and drug deals happening in plain sight. She said a drug bust took place over the past week there, and gunshots were heard recently by several residents. "There's a lot of shooting," Butler said. "Why do we have to hear shooting around here?" Police did not confirm Butler's claims. "I don't have any information about any gunshots," Szkodny said. "I could assure you that [any potential drug bust] was nothing major ... if, in fact, anything had occurred." O'Brien said drugs are a pervasive issue in general. "The drug problem is national, if not international," O'Brien said. "You'll find drug paraphernalia in any of the parks in Sayreville." Pollando said he feels that O'Brien is trying to ignore the problems at Winding Woods in hopes that they will go away. "The mayor needs to get his head out of the sand if he thinks it's a safe place to live," Pollando said. "It's not." Councilwoman Kathy Makowski planned to meet with Butler this week to review the tenants' lease agreements and address discrepancies in that area, Butler said. "We're letting our attorneys look at the lease," Pollando said, adding that a zoning officer will be sent to the property to check for violations on the part of the management. "I won't rest until it's taken care of," Pollando said. "This council won't rest until it's as safe as anywhere else in Sayreville." Aside from residents' fears getting in the way of police work, Butler said the department has not pursued apprehending the teens responsible for assaulting a man in late May. The man came out of his apartment to speak with the boys after his daughter was hit in the face with a basketball, then was attacked by several of the teens, Butler said. Though she said it is known who the assailants were, police have yet to act. While Butler regularly monitors the children at the complex throughout the day, and has organized sports activities for them, she said many of the other parents do not get involved in what their children are doing. "They're not involved enough," Butler said. "All they do is send their kids out and let them run around. They're not trying to help out, they're just adding to the problem." Butler said she has been confronted and threatened by other mothers in the development who disapprove of her efforts to keep area youths out of trouble. She noted her belief that it is only a handful of youths who are involved in illegal activities in the area. "I don't want to feel like I'm starting trouble," Butler said. "I'm trying to help." Aside from complaints about speeding and nonresidents abandoning cars on the property, Butler cited more urgent issues, such as underage drinking in public areas, and drug deals happening in plain sight. She said a drug bust took place over the past week there, and gunshots were heard recently by several residents. "There's a lot of shooting," Butler said. "Why do we have to hear shooting around here?" Police did not confirm Butler's claims. "I don't have any information about any gunshots," Szkodny said. "I could assure you that [any potential drug bust] was nothing major ... if, in fact, anything had occurred." O'Brien said drugs are a pervasive issue in general. "The drug problem is national, if not international," O'Brien said. "You'll find drug paraphernalia in any of the parks in Sayreville." Pollando said he feels that O'Brien is trying to ignore the problems at Winding Woods in hopes that they will go away. "The mayor needs to get his head out of the sand if he thinks it's a safe place to live," Pollando said. "It's not." Councilwoman Kathy Makowski planned to meet with Butler this week to review the tenants' lease agreements and address discrepancies in that area, Butler said. "We're letting our attorneys look at the lease," Pollando said, adding that a zoning officer will be sent to the property to check for violations on the part of the management. "I won't rest until it's taken care of," Pollando said. "This council won't rest until it's as safe as anywhere else in Sayreville."