Gang Numbers Are Misleading, Galloway Police Say

A New Jersey State Police report last week that stated Galloway Township is home to 22 gangs is misleading, Det. Mike Goldberg of the Galloway Police Department said Friday.

The report stated that Galloway is the home to the highest number of gangs in Atlantic County, and totals 56 gang members. Egg Harbor Township has more members at 68, but only 17 official gangs. Pleasantville is home to 55 members and 13 gangs.

“Any time we come in contact with a gang member, we put them in our system that way,” said Goldberg, who compiled the data about Galloway Township for the report. “They may not reside in Galloway, but anytime we stop someone and we come into contact with someone that’s a member of a gang, they go into our system that way.”

There are people who live within the township who are known gang members, but they will leave the township to participate in what would be classified as “gang activity.”

“We have a lot of gang members that reside here, but go to other jurisdictions,” Goldberg said. “The gangs aren’t local to Galloway Township, but their members are here and we have to document them as living here.”

Goldberg said he wasn’t sure the exact number when it relates to gang members or gang activity that actually falls within the borders of Galloway Township.

“Street selling, drug activity and criminal mischief are very low, or they do it in their house and we aren’t aware of it,” Goldberg said. “Most gang activity is done elsewhere.”

However, Galloway has seen an increase in assaults, drug activity and gun confiscation over the last five to seven years.

“It’s been on the increase, but we don’t have definite numbers,” Goldberg said.

Over that period of time, Galloway has seen an influx of new residents relocating from Atlantic City and Pleasantville. According to the latest Census data released Thursday night, Galloway Township has seen a population increase of 771 people in the last 10 years, from 36,578 to 37,349.

“We have to keep patrolling and keep on top of it,” Goldberg said. “We can’t keep people from relocating. They’re moving into Galloway and they’re bringing their lifestyle with them.”

The police department is concerned about the numbers growing even more, but budget constraints have restricted its ability to go into schools and educate students the same way it used to about gangs.

“We used to have more targeted foot patrols and we were able to send officers into schools,” Goldberg said. “With budget constraints, we’re back to doing regular patrols.”

The department still sends officers into the elementary schools as often as possible.

“We try to go on a monthly basis, but that doesn’t include the middle school and the high school,” Goldberg said. “ … We need to have a more proactive approach, but we don’t have the ability to do that.”