MONTVALE—The Borough Council and mayor commended the police department for its successful efforts in enforcing DWI laws, catching shoplifters, and deterring criminal activity borough-wide at the Jan. 9 council meeting.
Mayor Michael Ghassali and all councilors praised the department after Police Chief Douglas McDowell presented a year-end update at the council’s first 2025 regular meeting.
Councilor Douglas Arendacs, a sergeant in the Rochelle Park Police Department, said the department continues to make “positive impacts” on the community and commended officers for their hard work.
Referring to the chief’s report, councilor Theresa Cudequest said, “The numbers cited by the chief just blow me away. Thank you for what you do for the community.”
Police commissioner Dieter Koelling thanked the department for “being proactive,” highlighting the value of automatic license plate reader cameras installed around town.
“The cameras are tremendous… that’s how we catch almost everyone,” McDowell said. “It’s hard to commit crime here and not get caught. [The cameras] keep them away.” Ghassali added, “The bad guys, we know who you are because we have cameras everywhere.”
McDowell noted that most hit-and-run accidents are solved due to strategically located license plate readers.
The chief provided the council with a final 2024 quarterly report (covering Sept. 1 to Dec. 31) and a few annual statistics:
- Shoplifting: 29 reported cases in the fourth quarter; 79 total cases in 2024 (excluding unreported or self-handled incidents).
- Crashes: 163 motor vehicle crashes in the fourth quarter; 493 total in 2024, compared to 420 in 2023.
- DWI Arrests: 23 arrests in the fourth quarter; 38 total in 2024, with 263 overall arrests for the year.
In October and November, the department conducted 18 DWI details, each lasting five hours. These resulted in 10 DWIs, five criminal arrests, and 86 motor vehicle summonses.
McDowell noted that special DWI enforcement efforts were funded by New Jersey drunk driving enforcement grants, with no cost to borough taxpayers.
From Dec. 11 to Dec. 31, the department ran the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, leading to three DWI arrests, 120 motor vehicle summonses, 129 warnings, and 251 vehicle stops. A $7,000 state grant funded the initiative, part of $14,000 in total DWI enforcement grants received in 2024.
In total, the department issued 1,869 summonses in the fourth quarter and 5,196 summonses (with 565 warnings) in 2024, compared to 4,169 summonses in 2023.
McDowell said the department followed up on traffic complaints, including those posted on social media, with enforcement efforts on Spring Valley Road, Magnolia Avenue, Eagle Ridge Road, Lark Lane, and North Road. Summonses and warnings were issued where violations were found. Residents can report speeding to traffic@montvaleboro.org.
The fourth quarter saw 107 arrests, including cases of shoplifting, drugs, fraud, theft, simple assault, and DWIs. Police logged 82 criminal complaints in the quarter and 231 in 2024.
McDowell said a marked police car stationed near the Ulta Beauty store in November successfully deterred criminal activity. Police also used unmarked cars to monitor the area, leading to arrests, including a case where two individuals shoplifted more than $5,000 worth of goods without the store’s immediate knowledge.
The chief said most criminal cases investigated in the fourth quarter were solved or had promising leads, adding, “Most of these people will be charged.”