Murphy says no national guard deployment for lakewood

Murphy Says No National Guard Deployment for Lakewood

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1 min read
April 17, 2020

TRENTON, NJ – Less than 24 hours after Shore News Network broke the news out of Jackson Township where one councilman suggested deploying the New Jersey Army National Guard to Lakewood Township, where residents are concerned about violations of Murphy’s Law, the stay-at-home order and mandated social distancing, Governor Murphy said the National Guard won’t be coming any time soon.

“Unfortunately, not everyone is following the law of the land, unfortunately, there are groups of people who hide behind cultures and religious beliefs who put themselves, our first responders and quite honestly all of Jackson and all of the bordering towns [of Lakewood] are at risk.  For their selfishness, irresponsibility, and inability to follow the law put in place by President Trump and Governor Murphy,” Jackson Councilman Barry Calogero said. “How in God’s name can civilized people disrespect their neighbors the President and the Governor’s orders.  It is with a sad heart I implore governor murphy to set aside politics and use your power and authority to call out the national guard to enforce the law and protect Ocean County from those who cannot seem to follow our laws.”

In the past 24 hours, Calogero’s political stock has skyrocketed as he now stands as the only elected official, possibly in the entire state of New Jersey to officially call attention to the soaring infection rate and Murphy’s Law violations in Lakewood, which borders his town of Jackson.  At Tuesday night’s town council meeting, Calogero had support from his fellow council members regarding the importance of social distancing, but he stood alone when it came time to call the National Guard into Lakewood.  Even Mayor Michael Reina who has had a rocky relationship with the growing Orthodox Jewish community in his town didn’t reference Calogero’s request, his presence dwarfed after the commanding speech by Calogero.

Murphy said he has not heard from Jackson Township on the matter, but said a request might have gone through his subordinates.    Murphy said for now, he’s going to rely on local, county and state police to enforce the laws in communities that are violating social distancing.

“We’re not seeing the large gatherings,” said Pat Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “We would not need the National Guard to perform that role.”

 

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

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