Press Release

JEFFREY CHRISTOPHER NAMED NEW CHIEF OF POLICE IN AVALON

Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi conducted swearing in ceremonies for various members of the Avalon Police Department during the Borough Council meeting of January 24th, 2018. Jeff Christopher was named the new Chief of the Avalon Police Department, and John Roscoe was named the Department’s new Captain. Christopher replaces William McCormick, who concludes a 31 year career with the Avalon Police Department.

“This is a very proud day for the Avalon Police Department and the entire Borough”, said Mayor Pagliughi. “It’s a time to celebrate the achievements of the Department and our extremely talented individuals who work hard every day to make Avalon a safe and enjoyable community. And, we also welcome two new officers to the ranks of what I consider to be among the best police departments in the entire state of New Jersey”.

Avalon Police will be holding a Cops N Coffee meet and greet on Saturday November 25, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Avalon Coffee Shop located at 29th and Dune Drive.

The Townsends Inlet Bridge between Avalon and Sea Isle City will be closed from 10:00pm Friday, November 10th to 5:00am Saturday, November 11th to install the concrete construction barrier curb and temporary traffic signal system for the first phase of work under the Bridge Railing Replacement project. When traffic is permitted on the bridge at 5am on Saturday, the southbound lane will be closed to traffic and alternating traffic will be maintained in the northbound lane by a temporary traffic signal system. No tolls will be collected when the bridge is reduced to one lane of traffic.

The project involves the removal of the existing deteriorated steel bridge railing and the installation of a new standard steel 4-bar railing system on 25 of 27 spans of the bridge. The railing in two spans were replaced under a previous construction contract. To install the new rail system, a portion of the existing concrete deck in the area of each rail post is removed and new reinforcement steel and concrete is placed. This is the same railing system that was installed on the Corsons Inlet Bridge in 2012.

The project is divided into four phases. The first two phases are on the Sea Isle City half of the bridge with the first phase of work occurring in the southbound lane from the north abutment located in Sea Isle City to the tollbooth. The second phase would be a repeat of the first phase except the work will be in the northbound lane. The third and fourth phases involve the Avalon half of the bridge and the work is from the movable span to the south abutment. The movable span, which is required to open upon demand from a marine vessel, is not impacted by the construction of this project.

Variable message signs advising motorists of the bridge work have already been put into place and will remain in place for the duration of the project.
The work area is separated from the travel lane by a concrete construction barrier. Unfortunately due to the narrow width of the existing bridge, the one lane of traffic being maintained on the bridge will only be 10 feet in width, thus there is no room for error. The one lane operation for traffic is expected run until June 2018. Motorists are requested to drive with care when passing through the construction zone.

This work is part of the County’s $2,678,715 construction contract awarded by the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders to Thomas Marine Construction, Inc., South Dennis, NJ on September 12, 2017. The construction operations are being overseen by Remington & Vernick Engineers, Haddonfield, NJ.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Cape May County Public Works Department at (609) 465-1035.

The Avalon Volunteer Fire Department unanimously voted to posthumously name John Ferguson IV the Assistant Chief of the Department.  The vote to name Ferguson the Assistant Chief was unanimous and was cast the evening before services were to be held for Ferguson on Tuesday, October 24th at Avalon Community Hall in the Borough for which he volunteered.

“The members of the Avalon Volunteer Fire Department wanted to recognize John for his outstanding achievements his spirit of volunteerism that will endure in the Department for generations to come”, said Avalon Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ed Dean.  “Assistant Chief Ferguson had an exemplary career with the Department and our expression of support for this prestigious nomination is a tribute to not only John, but to his loving family who also selflessly gave of their time to enhance the public safety efforts provided to the Borough and its property owners”.

Assistant Chief Ferguson answered his final call on Tuesday, October 17th, surrounded by family and friends.  He was honored with the 2016 Avalon Volunteer Fire Department’s “Firefighter of the Year” award.   John also was involved with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and was active in the First United Methodist Church of Avalon.  Assistant Chief Ferguson is survived by his wife Carol and four children.

Services were held for Assistant Chief Ferguson in Avalon on Tuesday, October 24th which included a final tour of Avalon courtesy of a fire department truck.

This is the first time in the Department’s 104 year history that a member has posthumously attained the rank of Assistant Chief.

Patrolman Mark Glassford, Council President John McCorristin, Mayor Martin Pagliughi, and Patrolman Matthew Ardelean

Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi and Council President John McCorristin presented proclamations to Avalon Police Department patrolmen Mark Glassford and Matthew Ardelean during the Wednesday, October 11th meeting of the Avalon Borough Council.  The proclamations were offered to the officers for their heroic efforts in saving a despondent man’s life in the ocean off Avalon’s 16th Street beach during the early morning hours of Sunday, September 24th.  Patrolman Glassford entered the ocean in chest deep water to have a conversation with the individual and convinced him to come ashore to safety.  Patrolman Ardelean ensured that both men were safe in the ocean during the conversation.

The individual was accompanied by Patrolman Glassford to a local hospital at the individual’s request.  The incident resulted in no injuries to the individual or to the officers.

Photo by Avalon Business Administrator/Public Information Officer Scott Wahl.

AVALON – A borough police officer waded chest-deep into the ocean Sunday to convince a man that his life was worth living, officials said.

Police received a call at about 2:30 a.m. Sept. 24 about a man who was threatening to harm himself, according to a borough press release.

Patrolmen Mark Glassford and Matthew Ardelean found the man on the 16th street beach, but as they approached, the man began to walk into the ocean and yelled at them to keep their distance.

After determining that the man was unarmed, Glassford walked into the waves to speak to the man, according to reports. Police said Glassford talked the man out of harming himself and helped him back to shore. The man insisted that he would not go to the hospital unless Glassford accompanied him, police said.

Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi commended the officers and said their efforts resulted in saving the man’s life. “I want to applaud patrolmen Mark Glassford and Matthew Ardelean for their proactive, compassionate approach towards helping this individual in need,” Pagliughi said.

In an effort to increase our ability to investigate criminal activity more efficiently and effectively, the Avalon Police Department is asking those businesses or residents with video surveillance cameras to voluntarily register them with the Police Department. This will enable the Police Department to respond quickly to the location of the cameras and work with the owner to possibly recover evidence of a crime or the identity of a possible suspect. This program is completely voluntary and the information will be utilized for Police purposes only.

On the registration form, you’ll be asked to provide contact information as well as basic information about the location and recording of your cameras. There are drop down boxes for some of the blocks where you have to click on the arrow to the right of the box. You may click on multiple boxes for the areas recorded, and you may provide any additional information in the box provided. There is no fee to register, and your information will be kept confidential. You can unsubscribe from the program at any time. We ask that if you have more than one location you would like to register please submit separate forms for each location. After completing the form it may be faxed to the department (609)-368-0114, personally delivered, or emailed to Ptlm Steven Bowers sbowers@avalonboro.org

VOLUNTARY SECURITY CAMERA REGISTRATION FORM

The Borough of Avalon will be hosting a National Night Out event on Tuesday, August 1^st from 6:00-8:00pm.  The event will be held in the parking lot adjacent to Avalon Community Hall at 30^th Street and the beach.  Many organizations from Avalon and Cape May County will be in attendance with fun and educational free activities for the entire family.

There will be many police, fire, lifeguard, public works, and public safety vehicles and equipment staged on the lot for children to explore and learn more about safety and security.  Free mechanical rides, games, and an inflatable obstacle course will be available for children to experience.  The Avalon Department of Recreation will supply free hot dogs, and free refreshing treats will be available from local merchant Sundae Best, a longtime supporter of National Night Out in Avalon.

Local band “Loud ‘N Klear” will provide the soundtrack for National Night Out playing various pop, rock, and party hits.  There will be other participating agencies including the Avalon Free Public Library, the Avalon History Center, and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, among others.  Information on safety programs and community events will be available during the event.

After National Night Out, guests are invited to the 30th Street beach (you’re gonna need a bigger boat) to see Avalon’s Big Beach Movie, “Jaws”, at dusk.

Photos from the Avalon Police Department Display at the 2017 National Night Out in Avalon NJ

The New Jersey State Attorney General has released two new programs to help fight corruption in New Jersey: