East Rutherford is a town of about 9,000 people. But on any given Sunday from September to Christmas, with the Giants or Jets in town, the population increases by a factor of 10. A Nets home game, a concert event or a big race at the Meadowlands track can lead to similar surges throughout the year.

The East Rutherford Police department—with a permanent staff of about 30, of which half are patrol officers—and the borough’s other emergency officials have gotten used to dealing with the spillover effects of so many adrenaline (and alcohol) fueled patrons at the state-owned Meadowlands. But their job will get even harder when the 2.3 million square foot consumer destination Xanadu opens later this year.

"We’re expecting a definite increase in caseload," said East Rutherford municipal Judge George Savino. "If it reaches a saturation point we’ll ask the town for more court dates. Not from day one though."

In addition to handling cases within the borough limits, East Rutherford’s municipal court also hears all criminal and motor-vehicle violations that originate at the Meadowlands Complex, which is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA).

Currently, the court is in session every Wednesday. Of towns in the South Bergenite area, only Rutherford and Lyndhurst convene their municipal courts weekly, and both have populations roughly three times the size of East Rutherford. Neighboring Carlstadt, which has a slightly smaller population than East Rutherford, convenes its court twice monthly.

Court Administrator Daryl Murray said that court traffic these days comes mainly from the borough.

"It’s not a majority from the complex," she said.

Savino added that the proportion of cases coming from the Meadowlands has decreased in recent years. That is being attributed to police diligence.

"The sports complex over the years has improved enforcement and prevention, and that has resulted in fewer tickets" being referred to East Rutherford courts, Savino said.

Indeed, according to documents obtained from the court, total charges filed fell by two percent from 2006 to 2007, with a 10 percent decrease in DWI and a 15 percent decrease in criminal charges. Numbers from the first four months of 2008 show that the downward trend is on pace to continue. But some are concerned that could change when the first phase of Xanadu opens on Black Friday in November.

According to Savino, Xanadu will put East Rutherford in a larger-scale version of situation faced by towns like Paramus and Wayne, which house major mall complexes and handle all cases that originate there.

State Police Presence

In an April press release, State Senator Paul Sarlo used a debate over a proposal to charge rural towns for State Police patrols as an opportunity to revisit the long-discussed possibility of a State Police barracks in southern Bergen County.

"With the expansion of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, the construction of Xanadu, and the possible redevelopment of EnCap, local officials in the towns I represent do not have adequate local police presence to continue to meet the increasing demand," the statement says.

"In southern Bergen County, we were promised a State Police barracks which would have supplemented the local law enforcement resources," it continues. "I believe this partnership is absolutely integral to the safety and security of the region."

State Police matters in Bergen County are currently handled by Troop B, which is headquartered in Totowa, Passaic County, and has smaller stations in Essex County and at the Meadowlands.

One state trooper, who spoke on condition of anonymity since his views do not reflect the official position of the State Police, said that he believed the rank-and-file troopers would not welcome the new barracks.

"My guess is they won’t like [the new barracks], because right now they get overtime for Giants Stadium detail," said the trooper.

Preparing for Emergencies

East Rutherford Police Department Deputy Chief Larry Minda said that while it is "not for [ERPD] to speak to" whether or not there should be a State Police barracks at the Meadowlands, he is confident the two departments will continue to work well together.

"We have a great relationship with the state police that are [currently detailed] at the Meadowlands. We have a real good working relationship with them," said Minda. "I'm sure that if there was a barracks located there it would only add to that relationship."

Mayor James Cassella agreed that the borough has worked well with State Police in the past, but said he is worried that the new presence would add to jurisdictional questions.

"If something happens, people need to know where to go [for help]," said Cassella. "There needs to be a procedure to follow, and people need to stay with that procedure."

Minda says the borough is prepared to handle all Xanadu-related calls.

"As of now, unless something changes...we're moving forward and preparing to be the police agency responsible [for the area]," said Minda.

Minda said that though the question of new police hires is still "being discussed and worked on", the department has taken other steps to prepare itself to police the area. Most notably, the department is switching over from a traditional dispatching system to a new, computer-assisted dispatch that will improve information flow and analysis, and will be linked to a GPS system.

The Deputy Chief added that borough emergency personnel and Xanadu officials are concerting their efforts.

"We're meeting with the entities out there--both ourselves and our fire officials--are meeting with them on the communications systems that are going to be established, and we're working with them hand-and-hand," he said.