By John Kneib, Mayor of Pennsauken Township
It’s been a crazy summer. The shootings in Baton Rouge, Dallas, Orlando, and St. Paul have made us all take pause and wonder what is going on in our country. Unfortunately, violence is our community is nothing new; and you don’t have to travel far to find it. It’s not just on the evening news. It can be happening right down the street.
People are saying that “black lives matter” and “blue lives matter;” both are true. There is an urgent need to insure that we, as a community and as a nation, treat everyone with the dignity and respect that they deserve. We also have to realize that this respect doesn’t always happen.
Some members of our community feel that they are unjustly singled out because of where they come from, what part of town they live in, and what they look like. This perception should never become reality. More has to be done to correct this.
Our community has always gone above and beyond to support all of our first responders. We have a first-rate police department and our officers have a great relationship with our residents and business owners. In light of recent events, it’s been very heartening to see people drop off food and cards in appreciation for all of the hard work that they do. We hold our police, our fire department, and our emergency medical service to a higher standard. By putting on that uniform, they represent our town in a very real and concrete way. Each officer, each firefighter, each EMT will be held extremely accountable for their actions both on and off the clock. We will celebrate their accomplishments; we will also take them to task for their errors in judgment.
When it comes to taking on issues of violence in our communities, there are no easy answers, no quick fixes. There are only steps in the right direction. Pennsauken’s administration and the Township Committee will continue to work with our police to foster a strong bond with our residents and businesses. We will also continue to sit down with our neighbors and community leaders to see what we need to do to improve. Working together, we will do everything possible to have each and every life in Pennsauken matter, regardless of their color, creed, or orientation.
On behalf of myself and the entire Pennsauken Township Committee, I wish you and your loved ones an enjoyable and peaceful rest of summer
