Deputy Police Chief Scott Macfie estimates the Town of Kearny has spent close to $1 million on CCTV cameras that are strategically placed throughout the town. And while it may seem like a hefty investment on the surface, he says residents should be fully aware the cameras are paying massive dividends.
Such was the case from this week’s robbery at Schuyler Bank, on Davis Avenue, where town cameras — and one operated by the county — allowed the Kearny Police Department to positively identify the suspect, Harun Arslan, a 38-year-old Kearny man who was arrested earlier today in connection with the robbery.
Here’s how it all went down on April 14, according to Macfie.
After the robbery took place, detectives were able to secure CCTV footage from town cameras that revealed Arslan’s face after he took a mask he was wearing off. That camera footage also allowed police to track him walking to Dukes Street — and eventually entering West Hudson Park.
At the park, a county-operated camera caught Arslan reportedly entering a vehicle, where license plate readers were able to identify an address. While the car wasn’t registered to him, it turns out it was registered to someone who he lived with.
Armed with this information, Kearny detectives set up surveillance outside the address of the vehicle registration on Kearny Avenue and ultimately identified Arslan entering the home. Later, he was seen exiting the home, and ultimately heading to the Paterson and Woodland Park area.
Police couldn’t arrest him at the time he left the house because they didn’t yet have an arrest warrant.
But, after police got those warrants for arrest and search, members of the Hudson County SWAT team were sent to the Kearny and Woodland Park locations where police believed Arslan would be. And earlier this afternoon, he was apprehended in Woodland Park, at a relative’s place, without incident.
Arslan was charged with robbery and was to be remanded to the Hudson County Jail, South Kearny, without bail, pending a first court appearance. Other charges may be pending.
Proceeds from the robbery — about $4,400 in cash — were not recovered.
But it doesn’t end here.
Macfie says this isn’t Arslan’s first go-round at a bank robbery. Some time ago, he was arrested and convicted of robbing a bank in Lyndhurst. And it was tips from the Lyndhurst Police Department and the FBI that helped the Kearny PD identify him, along with the CCTV video.
“We really want to thank the FBI and the Lyndhurst, Clifton, Garfield, Woodland Park police departments, the the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Regional SWAT team for their assistance,” Macfie said. “When the SWAT team is involved, things always go smoothly. They’re extremely professional and great at what they do.”
Among the members of the team is Kearny Police Sgt. Michael Gonzalez, who is the team’s deputy commander.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.