After Police Layoffs, Newark Has Troubling Crime Spike

Due to a multimillion budget gap, Newark laid off 167 police officers (13% of its force) earlier this month. Since then, crime has increased there have been numerous carjackings—victims include a staffer in the NJ Attorney General's office and a Newark school principal—and shootings (since Thursday, four people have been shot dead and six have been wounded). Now, Newark Mayor Cory Booker says that police will be at "full force" this weekend, claiming "dozens" more cops will be patrolling.

While residents and activists say the decision to layoffs so many cops is why violence has roared back (back in April, Booker was touting how Newark had its first murder-free month since 1966), the Essex County prosecutor's office says it's unclear if the crime is related to the budget-tightening. Still, one resident of the South Ward, where many recent shootings have occurred, told the Star-Ledger, "This is happening every day. I have insomnia. How do people live like this?"

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By Jen Chung in News on December 25, 2010 12:51 PM

Comments [rss]

yyytttt

unfortunately, laying them off is not enough. they also have to be driven out of town for crime to go down.

PaulaNYC

Does anyone know of a majority Black city, with Black elected officals, anywhere in the country that is even marginally stable or safe?

Detroit? Bankrupt and crime-riddled.
Gary? Bankrupt and crime riddled.
Washington? Bankrupt and crime riddled.

Is anyone beginning to tak the hint that maybe, just maybe, "democracy" is a White European notion that people of some races and backgrounds are incapable of understanding or managing?

Black people are simply incapable of maintaining control when they attempt to govern themselves. If you have any doubts, take a look at the police reports the next time there's a convention of Black college fraternities. These are their LEADERS. Imagine what the "citizenry" is like!

openheads

"Is anyone beginning to tak the hint that maybe, just maybe, "democracy" is a White European notion that people of some races and backgrounds are incapable of understanding or managing?"

I'm sure that notion reinforces your justification of the white privilege system & allows you to ignore institutional racism. Thus allowing you to sleep better at night, but it's not true. The answer you falsely seek is socioeconomic.

ishtar_79

Correlation does not equal causation.

Guest

You're right, but you can apply that to just about anything in criminal justice. The fact is that the belief among experts that that police do not play a direct role in crime reduction is going the way of the dinosaur.

jimgerard

Ah Hoon say, "When police you no pay, the mice they will play."

Petey

Imagine that? Laying off 13% of the entire police force, and all are police officers. Those are the ones who patrol the streets, so the percentage impact is even greater. Most likely closer to 20%.