Basketball Court Updates (as of September 27th)

The Public Safety Committee (which includes the Glen Rock Police Department (GRPD) and the Office of Emergency Management) developed a set of recommendations which were conveyed to the Mayor and Council at the Work Session on September 25, 2024. After considering these recommendations as well as the comments provided to the Mayor and Council at the Community Forum and by email, the Borough Council voted at the September 25, 2024 Work Session to begin taking steps to reopen the basketball court at Wilde Memorial Park with significant safety precautions in place. It should be noted that the basketball court will NOT be reopened until the safety precautions are in place. The GRPD fully supports this plan, was instrumental in developing it, and firmly believes that it will support enhanced safety for all park patrons.

The safety precautions to be implemented include:

• Increased police patrols throughout Wilde Memorial Park with visible presence of uniformed police officers.
• Installation of permanent security cameras throughout the park with AI software and recorded feeds streaming to both the GRPD and Central Dispatch.
• Automatic locks will be installed that will close the court at 6:00 pm every day. This time correlates to the shift change at the GRPD and allows the greatest number of officers to be present.
• A police officer will make observations each day in person or by the camera system. When necessary an officer will notify any occupants that it is time to leave.
• Additional gates will be installed at the tennis/pickleball court and the basketball court.
• Fencing will be strategically installed in the area.
• Signage will be added or enhanced to provide information regarding court/park rules such as: no smoking, no firearms, no littering, no using the court for anything other than basketball, and the requirement to adhere with the Borough Code of Conduct.

It is worth repeating that until all these safety items are in place and operational, the basketball court will remain closed. Other safety or procedural measures pertaining to the courts may also be considered in the coming months. In the meantime, heightened public safety measures have already started and will continue.