Kenilworth police report: more than 1,300 calls, SWAT overtime noted; council urged caution on e-bikes

Councilman Ben Estrella delivered the Department of Public Safety report for September at the Kenilworth Borough Council meeting, saying the police department responded to 1,327 calls for service and received 186 hotspot alerts from stationary cameras across the borough.

Estrella reported 375 hours of overtime for the month, broken down by patrol, dispatch and other categories; he noted 166 hours of training, 282 traffic summonses and 14 arrests for the month. He also said there were no on-the-job injuries that month.

Council members questioned the high SWAT overtime numbers. A council member asked whether the borough recovers SWAT overtime costs from the county when officers participate in a county-contributed team. The council was told that officers from multiple municipalities contribute to the county SWAT program and that overtime levels have been elevated recently because of increased activity.

Estrella expressed condolences to the families of two children from Cranford who were killed in an e-bike incident, and urged caution for drivers and riders. “It’s just horrific,” he said.

The council heard that the county has taken steps on e-bike safety, including an executive order banning certain e-bikes in county parks, and that some municipalities are pursuing enforcement approaches. The police report closed with a reminder to residents to obey speed limits and parking rules.

No council action was taken on the public-safety report; it was presented for information and led to follow-up questions regarding interjurisdictional SWAT cost-sharing and e-bike safety.