The Wilde Memorial Park basketball court in Glen Rock, the site of a shooting on May 21, reopened last week as the town considers all future options for the site.
The borough has set up a special task force to observe and detail how much the court gets used. Once the task force finishes gathering the data, "we will have the necessary information to make the best decision moving forward,” the borough said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
“An increased police presence has been activated and an officer has been assigned to be present for all Glen Rock Little League games throughout the summer,” said Glen Rock Mayor Kristine Morieko. During the shooting, a Little League game was being played at the park.
The Glen Rock Police Department rescheduled two special police officers who helped with traffic during the school year to patrol the park. The basketball court is also being monitored around the clock by cameras.
“We’re taking a look at all aspects of the park — usage, security recommendations, maintenance, and working with a risk mitigation specialist from the Bergen County Prosecutors Office to make across-the-board recommendations for safety features for the park,” said Glen Rock Police Chief Dean Ackermann.
Previously:Basketball court that was site of Glen Rock shooting remains closed, frustrating kids
Seeking feedback on use of the basketball court
On June 13th, officials posted a survey on the borough's Facebook page seeking feedback from residents “in an effort to expedite action related to use of the basketball court.” Information requested included how often residents used the basketball court, how many people the residents usually play with, thoughts about certain restrictions, and more.
“I completely understand the safety risk that Memorial poses but it provides a great opportunity to share the love of basketball not only with your friends but the rest of the youth basketball community in Glen Rock, and I am happy it is back open again,” said resident Kenneth Vergel De Dios, who hopes with the increased security that kids can continue playing at the court.
“I hope the town sees how important the court is to many members of Glen Rock and keeps it open for good,” said resident Nolan Rooney, who uses the court at least three times a week.
The mayor and council are considering capacity limits, signage regarding laws, additional or improved lighting, reservation systems to use the court, additional exit gates, increased cameras, assigned hours of operation, and more.
Police responded to the shooting at the park at about 7:34 p.m. May 21, according to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. The victim, a 23-year-old male from Paterson, sustained a single gunshot wound and was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital and released.
The shooting occurred during a basketball tournament that Glen Rock officials did not know about prior to the incident. The basketball court was later temporarily closed.
A Bergen County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson said the shooting incident is still under investigation and provided no additional information.
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