WOODBURY — The Gloucester County Prosecutor has directed police chiefs in the county to adopt a standardized practice to be used any time a police vehicle responds to a call, so as to “ensure the safety of all citizens, residents and police officers.”

Under the policy, once a patrol vehicle has been dispatched, the driver would be required to use emergency warning devices, namely sirens and flashing lights, if it exceeds the posted speed limit by 20 mph or more.

LOGAN TWP.

— On March 20, a 53-foot box trailer was reported stolen from a business onHigh Hill Road during the previous week. The 2005 Hyundai trailer is valued at $21,000.

— On March 20, police investigated the theft of several gift cards from a residence in the Greenfields development.  An acquaintance of the homeowner was found to be responsible, and upon being interviewed, agreed to replace the items in lieu of charges.

I’m in the process of reading a book written by my old friend, Jim Phillips. It’s called “Camden, Four Decades on the Streets of America’s Toughest City.”

I’ll be writing more about the book later, but it’s one of those books you can’t put down. It’s not very flattering to the current police administration and there are rumors orders have come down threatening discipline for any Camden cop caught with a copy in his patrol car.

Jim wrote the book in vignettes, meaning it’s not a chronological narrative, not a story that’s starts there and ends here.

Jim’s book has inspired me to pick up work on my own book.

I started it back in 2013. I’d write  every afternoon during the week, Then life interrupted that and, in July of that year, with about 20,000 words of first draft writing done, I stopped.

I’ve been trying to start again for some time.

Many years ago, a woman friend declared that I had lived a sordid life. I embraced that notion wholeheartedly. The working title of my book is “My Sordid Life: The Unauthorized Autobiography.” Think about that.

PITMAN
— On 3/10/2015 at approximately 1443 hrs. – Officers responded to a residence on S. Woodbury Rd. for a suspicious incident which evolved into a burglary scene.  The resident discovered items moved around inside the residence and found broken door trim lying on the ground.  Ptl. Andrew Carson and Ptl. Marshall Pierson investigated the incident and located a male hiding inside the garage of the residence.  The male identified as Robert Bryant (44 yo) of Vineland was taken into custody and charged with burglary and trespassing.  He was released on his own recognizance with a pending court date.

— On 3/16/2015 at approximately 0838 hrs.  Ptl. Nick Barbetta conducted a pedestrian stop on Second Ave. which led to the arrest of Jonathan Gushue (34 yo) of Blackwood, NJ for active warrants and possession of a hypodermic needle.  Mr. Gushue was wanted out of Gloucester Twp. and Camden City totaling $2673.00.  He was turned over to the Camden City Metro PD for disposition on the warrants and has a pending court date in Mantua Twp. Joint Municipal Court.

WOODBURY — A 35-year-old Monroe Township man pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated sexual assault, acknowledging he had sexual relations with a child under 13 several times between 2002 and 2009.

As a result of the guilty plea, Senior Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Dianna Reed-Rolando will recommend that Raymond J. Watson be sentenced to 10 years in state prison, and have to serve 85 percent of the sentence before being eligible for parole.

WOODBURY — David R. Burroughs, 32, of Jersey City, is being held without bail following his arrest Wednesday after being a fugitive for eight years.

Burroughs, charged with aggravated assault, endangering an injured victim and kidnapping in West Deptford  on April 8, 2003, was taken into custody in Jersey City by officers of the New Jersey State Police Fugitive Unit and the U.S. Marshal’s Service Regional Fugitive Task Force in Newark.  Burroughs had been on the NJSP Top 12 most wanted fugitive list.

WOODBURY — During the week of March 23, a Gloucester County grand jury indicted the following people:

— Michael A. Hoechst, 29, of Clayton, for burglary and theft on Dec. 16 in Clayton.

— Matthew J. Pettit, 26, of Clayton, for theft and two counts of burglary on Dec. 16 in Clayton.

— Michael Rodriguez, 25, of Malaga, for aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child in Franklin Township on Nov. 5.