By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
MANALAPAN – Police are remaining vigilant in Manalapan’s commercial, recreation and transportation areas, and around schools, in the wake of bombings that occurred in Seaside Park, New York City and Elizabeth over the weekend of Sept. 17-18.
Ahmad Rahami, 28, of Elizabeth, has been charged in connection with the incidents. No one was injured in the explosions in Seaside Park and Elizabeth. Officials said 29 people were injured when a bomb exploded on 23rd Street in the Chelsea section of Manhattan on the evening of Sept. 17.
Rahami was arrested following a shootout with police in Linden that injured two police officers and the suspect on the morning of Sept. 19. The injured officers were released from the hospital within a day of their encounter with Rahami, who remains hospitalized with injuries he sustained in the shootout.
Speaking at the Sept. 21 meeting of the Township Committee, Committeeman Jordan Maskowitz, who is retired from the New Jersey State Police, said residents should report suspicious individuals with whom they may cross paths, and suspicious items they may observe.
“No call to police is unimportant,” Maskowitz said.
On Sept. 22, Manalapan Police Capt. Thomas Barstow said, “The comments made by Committeeman Maskowitz were a representation of the information we had previously put out on Twitter.”
In a Twitter message posted on Sept. 19, police wrote, “We ask that our residents contact the police department if they see any suspicious people or packages. Do not approach unattended suspicious bags.”
“Our agency has a strong presence in these (commercial, transportation and recreation) areas every day,” Barstow said. “We proactively patrol all of our commercial areas and diligently enforce our commuter parking lots, which is where the majority of the NJ Transit service areas are located within our community. We make sure our schools and public recreation areas have frequent interaction with our officers to reinforce our community’s confidence in their safety.”
And, in an action that was taken at a previous meeting, members of the governing body voted 5-0 to hire Alixandra Rasko-Martinis of Manalapan as a part-time government affairs assistant for the township.
According to a resolution passed by the committee, Rasko-Martinis has been an intern with Manalapan for more than three years. As the government affairs assistant, she will work in several offices at the direction of Township Administrator Tara Lovrich.
Rasko-Martinis will assist the municipal staff with social media and public relations efforts, website and calendar updates, coordination of Manalapan’s internship program and other research and work, according to the resolution.
Rasko-Martinis will be paid $10 per hour up to 14 hours per week.
