After clash between teens and police, Paulsboro wants to be 'proactive, not reactive'

Paulsboro Mayor Gary C. Stevenson said he wants to gather residents, business leaders, and church officials to discuss how best to address crime and other issues in the Gloucester County borough after police said a large group of teenagers surrounded and assaulted officers Saturday.

"We want to be proactive," Stevenson said Monday. "Not reactive."

Stevenson said an officer was trying to arrest a teenage girl involved in a fight to which police had responded when another girl hit the officer Saturday sometime during the day. A crowd formed, and police from neighboring towns responded to try to disperse the teenagers.

Several people were arrested, and police are reviewing body camera footage to look for others who were involved. Stevenson said no one was seriously injured.

He said the teenagers may also have been fighting before the high school's Friday night prom, though he said he was unsure what caused the arguments. 

The police department did not return calls Monday.

The department posted about the fight on its Facebook page, but later turned off comments. Stevenson said some people made racist comments and jumped to conclusions about the police and the teenagers.

"These idiots on Facebook who keep just putting bad stuff about the police department, bad stuff about people in town, they're just fueling the fire with things they don't even know about," he said.

Police have stepped up patrols. 

Stevenson said he hopes to hold a forum with the community before the end of May. No date has been set.