Mike Davis

@byMikeDavis

Correction: A prior version of this story incorrectly stated that Jackson Police Chief Matthew Kunz endorsed the Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch group's practicies. He has not. His Facebook post reported on the group's lawful activities.

JACKSON - A Lakewood neighborhood watch group criticized for mimicking the look of police should continue operating beyond its borders if that's what its neighbors want, says the Jackson police chief — in direct opposition of the wishes of the Jackson mayor and council president.

In a Facebook post to the police department page, Chief Matthew Kunz issued a report about the Lakewood group's activities and requested that its members direct Jackson residents wishing to start a neighborhood watch to the Jackson Police Department police for guidance.

His welcoming view contradicted the position of Mayor Michael Reina and Council President Rob Nixon. Last week they asked Kunz to meet with members of the Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch group and discourage the volunteer patrol from operating outside Lakewood.

READ MORE: Jackson officials don't want Lakewood watch group in town

The group is registered as a nonprofit with the Internal Revenue Service as Lakewood Shomrim Inc. Shomrim is Hebrew for "watchers" or "guards" and is commonly used across the U.S. as a name for watch groups with Jewish volunteer members, according to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. The group’s leaders say they are not a religious organization and were organized to enhance public safety.

About half of Lakewood's residents are Jewish, drawn to the township by its world-renowned religious university and the community's Orthodox culture.

The two Jackson officials cited concerns over the watch group's vehicles and uniforms, which mimic those of law enforcement, and fears the "safety watch" might interrupt police operations in Jackson.

"I am extraordinarily frustrated with your public pronouncements that basically every activity of the LCSW in Jackson which was witnessed by the mayor, numerous residents and me personally never happened," Nixon said in an open letter to Kunz. "I had asked, on behalf of council, that you advise them that they are not needed in Jackson and we were not interested in any 'partnerships.'"

At its Tuesday night meeting, the Jackson council is scheduled to approve a resolution that spells out the governing body's position: "The Jackson Police Department shall not cooperate with or form any association with any neighborhood watch organized outside of Jackson Township."

In his own missive, the chief staked out different ground.

"According to the LCSW, they do not 'patrol' in Jackson Township, nor do they have plans to do so. The vehicles they utilize are marked to identify them as part of the LCSW," Kunz wrote. "Members of the LCSW are trained to make observations and report them to the police department, not to take law enforcement action."

Nixon wrote that he was "dumbfounded" by that response.

"You essentially repeated back to us their company line and you did not represent to them the township's position on this matter," Nixon said.

In an interview last week, Reina said he saw Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch vehicles equipped with red and blue lights. In his post, Kunz says that's not the case: The group only flashes amber lights and is permitted to use them.

MORE: Jackson grows up - Orthodox, senior communities on the rise

"No evidence of the alleged activities was discovered or corroborated in the course of investigating the matter. This is a civilian group, and they appear to be cognizant of their limitations," the chief said.

In its own social media posts, the group said it was the subject of "unsubstantiated, ignorant, untrue and misleading allegations."

"While the LCSW’s operations are, for the most part, limited to Lakewood, we have on occasion been asked to patrol in other cities and towns throughout New Jersey. However, we never enter municipalities without first coordinating with the local authorities," the group stated.

The spat over Lakewood Civilian Safety Watch began last month when Toms River and Jackson residents complained to elected officials about seeing marked vehicles in their neighborhoods. The concern comes at a time when many of those same neighborhoods are changing as Lakewood's skyrocketing population — expected to double to 230,000 by 2030 — moves into nearby towns.

Property sales near the Lakewood border have nearly tripled since 2014, including homes sold well above market value. Many of the sales have been Orthodox Jewish families drawn to the religious community in Lakewood — sparking public resentment by some longtime residents who complain of a changing culture in their communities.

CULTURE SHOCK: Surging home sales in Jackson, Toms River

Toms River Police Chief Mitchell Little said on April 28 he asked the group to stop all activities in the town. He said it complied.

MORE: Toms River asks LCSW to stop patrolling

In his message, Council President Nixon told the Jackson chief that "Your message that you 'invited' them to propose neighborhood watches to get involved in Jackson is essentially the opposite of the message that we asked you to deliver. Your Facebook post has done nothing but upset the public further by suggesting that LCSW is welcomed to get involved in town."

Mike Davis: 732-643-4223; mdavis@gannettnj.com