Many of you may have heard of, and some of you may even received a recent email making the rounds here in New Jersey. The email generally arrives as a forward and purports to contain privileged information regarding a new form of gang initiation which the email cites as coming from a family member in a local unnamed police department.
The email goes on to suggest that this new violent rite of passage targets women in various Bergen County municipalities. Who are stopped and asked for directions.
Put quite simply, this email is completely and utterly false.
The claims contained in this email have yet to be substantiated and the events they cite to support their claims have not occurred.
Remember, email is a fast and loose medium where things can be sent anonymously and people are rarely held accountable for their words.
It is completely understandable why an individual might fear for themselves, their wife or their daughter after receiving a communication, but we should all remember that for some out there, that is their only real goal. I would encourage everyone out there to be safe but smart as well. An overactive imagination can cause just as much harm as a violent temper.
On behalf of the men and women of the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, I want to take the opportunity to thank the dozens of residents who have forwarded me this email out of concern for their loved ones. You can rest assured knowing an email like this isn't worth the paper it's printed out on.