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Newark and Camden do not deserve this. The union rejected five unpaid furlough days and thought they were calling Booker's bluff. Boy, did they lose that hand. It's time the lemmings realize the unions are not looking out for its members.
As far as Jersey City is concerned: Just 80 cops? I spend a lot of time in that city and can honestly say I've only witnessed a small minority of proactive policing. Jersey City could can 90% of its police force and crime probably wouldn't spike.
Booker just hired 35 and signed the new contract months back. now they have to lay them off and others? Sounds like incompetent government. The first one to go should be McCarthy. They threw him out of NYPD and Newark takes him. That city seems to set a trend in hiring losers from other departments.
But it's time to set aside personal dislikes and sit down. Nothing in lost by sitting down with the other side. A fact lost on Christie. Unfortunately the entire state seems to be dissolving into disarray.
You know, in 2009 Newark's forcible rape rate, robbery rate, assault rate, etc were all nearly cut in half from the decade before in 1999- All these "rates" are actually lower than what you'd find in Boston, LA All of FL's Major cities, ATL, Chicago, etc- You have to give the city some credit, no other city in the nation has made that much of an impact on lowering crime. The only thing that hasn't really improved is its murder rate, that goes up and down every year- and it's usually congested in one area (west/central wards). The city has some of the most murders per square mile than any other city in the nation- Which is horrendous. The revitalization focus has mainly been on the east and northern wards- While the whole western half deteriorates into itself and moves westward. (Irvington is the worst suburb in the nation)
I believe the crime has shot up this year. After not being mention at all in the top 25 most dangerous list in 09, it's now number 23 this year. Newark has the most police per square mile than any other city in the nation, but I really don't see the need in laying off THAT MANY cops- It's ruining the rebound, and it may fall flat on its face again. Booker "was" a great mayor. I think it's all getting to his head at this point with all the attention- he's even made 2 documentaries about the city of Newark progressing. He doesn't have the same motivation anymore, he should be creating more jobs- not laying off thousands of people and rapidly building affordable housing for the poor. He's not attracting a desirable crowd- Harrison/Bloomfield/Belleville are becoming much more desirable than they once were- Newark's East/North wards are doing much better, but not many people take the time to notice this... I'm moving out January- IT was ok while it lasted, but I'm seeing the city go backwards, I can do better.
Newark's drop in crime was not all that it was made out to be. Most of it was a numbers game. Newark police had a practice of charging violent criminals with more than one crime per incident. For example: if a person was assaulted during the course of a robbery, the perpetrator would be charged with robbery, assault, possesion of a weapon, eluding police, hindering prosecution, and whatever else the police could heap on. Many of these suspects were poor residents who could not afford a private attorney and usually took a plea deal. Where Newark differed from other cities who did the same thing, was that, in a majority of the cases, ALL of the charges stuck.
What director Gary McCarthy did under the acquiescence of Corey Booker was to create an illusion of a reduction in crime. They ditched the practice of slapping a suspect with multiple charges and went with the most serious charge. The result was a significant "drop" in crime. While the "actual" crime rate may have went down slightly in Newark, it was nothing like the statistics suggest.
We have so many problems here it is tough to blame one person. I know we need to spend less. That doesn't mean I'm happy my neighbor is losing her city job and probably her house. The mayor seems to have given up. The council says no to everything but has absolutely no alternatives. What we have to do is expect less and pay more, but that won't happen. We are listing our house and preparing to take a beating only because our son can't go to school here. I am searching these boards for ideas about where to move. We are leaning towards Maplewood because at least we will get something for the high taxes. We were looking at Brooklyn or Queens, but anywhere the schools are good the prices are outrageous.
Newark's drop in crime was not all that it was made out to be. Most of it was a numbers game. Newark police had a practice of charging violent criminals with more than one crime per incident. For example: if a person was assaulted during the course of a robbery, the perpetrator would be charged with robbery, assault, possesion of a weapon, eluding police, hindering prosecution, and whatever else the police could heap on. Many of these suspects were poor residents who could not afford a private attorney and usually took a plea deal. Where Newark differed from other cities who did the same thing, was that, in a majority of the cases, ALL of the charges stuck.
What director Gary McCarthy did under the acquiescence of Corey Booker was to create an illusion of a reduction in crime. They ditched the practice of slapping a suspect with multiple charges and went with the most serious charge. The result was a significant "drop" in crime. While the "actual" crime rate may have went down slightly in Newark, it was nothing like the statistics suggest.
This is the honest truth. I do stats for a large city and IT's ALL ABOUT FUDGING THE NUMBERS so the public thinks crime is dropping drastically.,
This is the honest truth. I do stats for a large city and IT's ALL ABOUT FUDGING THE NUMBERS so the public thinks crime is dropping drastically.,
Ironically, around here the police chief is shouting from the rooftops that crime is increasing in an effort to raise support to bulk up a shorthanded force. They did a referendum on the ballot to increase the dept. by 15 guys and it got turned down by a wide margin.
I don't agree with Nex on much, but the idea that gang and drug activity is limited to Newark and the like is ridiculous. These supposedly "expensive" suburban police departments do a good job keeping a lid on the powder keg and preventing the gang activity from moving in (or, at least being active to the point where it visibly spreads to the community). I'm sympathetic to the beleaguered taxpayer that some police collective bargaining agreements are insane, but overall the municipal portion of one's tax bill is pretty small. Having more than enough police officers OTJ is worth it.
Ironically, around here the police chief is shouting from the rooftops that crime is increasing in an effort to raise support to bulk up a shorthanded force. They did a referendum on the ballot to increase the dept. by 15 guys and it got turned down by a wide margin.
I don't agree with Nex on much, but the idea that gang and drug activity is limited to Newark and the like is ridiculous. These supposedly "expensive" suburban police departments do a good job keeping a lid on the powder keg and preventing the gang activity from moving in (or, at least being active to the point where it visibly spreads to the community). I'm sympathetic to the beleaguered taxpayer that some police collective bargaining agreements are insane, but overall the municipal portion of one's tax bill is pretty small. Having more than enough police officers OTJ is worth it.
So you agree with me eh , there are gangs in everytown but i would say there pretty underground. There not that violent like there inner city cousins , but they do deal drugs , steal cars , and do home invasions. People often blame this on the inner city gangs , but those gangs rarely leave the city. I don't mean to sound racist or anything but the gangs up here are mainly white , so i think thats why they get away with it. Like a few months ago when a dealer was caught ppl didn't want to beleave it. There is a small gang that now hangs out around the train station in my town in the warmer months harrasing ppl. I carry my tripod and thats all i need if i get attacked or something.
So you agree with me eh , there are gangs in everytown but i would say there pretty underground. There not that violent like there inner city cousins , but they do deal drugs , steal cars , and do home invasions. People often blame this on the inner city gangs , but those gangs rarely leave the city. I don't mean to sound racist or anything but the gangs up here are mainly white , so i think thats why they get away with it. Like a few months ago when a dealer was caught ppl didn't want to beleave it. There is a small gang that now hangs out around the train station in my town in the warmer months harrasing ppl. I carry my tripod and thats all i need if i get attacked or something.
Eh, the biggest gangs in Ocean County are MS-13 and the LKs, according to some LE "sources" with whom I am well acquainted. The bases and organization are mainly in the more "urban" strongholds of Lakewood and South TR, but they also congregate at a number of low-income condo complexes that are the bane of Brick and Toms River's existence (what politician allowed those places to be built, I don't know, but I hope the kickback was pretty good!).
A good deal of the final-level distribution is the individual white dealers. They have some decent busts go down every once in a while. Stafford seems to have their share, for some reason. You're right in saying that street-level violence is somewhat rare, however the presence of gangs (and, thus, the drug trade) brings in all kinds of shady characters looking to buy - and robbing, burglarizing, home-invading to get money to buy.
Eh, the biggest gangs in Ocean County are MS-13 and the LKs, according to some LE "sources" with whom I am well acquainted. The bases and organization are mainly in the more "urban" strongholds of Lakewood and South TR, but they also congregate at a number of low-income condo complexes that are the bane of Brick and Toms River's existence (what politician allowed those places to be built, I don't know, but I hope the kickback was pretty good!).
A good deal of the final-level distribution is the individual white dealers. They have some decent busts go down every once in a while. Stafford seems to have their share, for some reason. You're right in saying that street-level violence is somewhat rare, however the presence of gangs (and, thus, the drug trade) brings in all kinds of shady characters looking to buy - and robbing, burglarizing, home-invading to get money to buy.
Aren't these low income condos at one time the garden apts in these towns where young middle income couples used to rent while saving up the house down payment>>
I'm thinking of the apts on Walnut St in Toms River and a few over in Brick the one complex I can't remember the name by St Dominic's church??
These are now low income gang infested????
Lakewood years ago had a beautiful new complex and the rent wasn't cheap...Woodlake, is that now a cess pool as well???
Aren't these low income condos at one time the garden apts in these towns where young middle income couples used to rent while saving up the house down payment>>
I'm thinking of the apts on Walnut St in Toms River and a few over in Brick the one complex I can't remember the name by St Dominic's church??
These are now low income gang infested????
Lakewood years ago had a beautiful new complex and the rent wasn't cheap...Woodlake, is that now a cess pool as well???
Primarily the gangs are in Maple Leaf Park (formerly known as Sylvan Glade) in Brick and Hope's Crossing in Toms River. The complex by St. Dominic's has a similar issue to a much smaller extent, though there is another complex over by Cedar Bridge Ave. in Brick that is getting bad. That complex off Rt. 166 in TR also has its issues.
What ended up happening was that members of a certain "community" from Lakewood ended up buying units in these complexes en masse and renting them out through the state which placed large numbers of Section 8 people in there. The complexes are now a mix of undesirables from various races and creeds, some that sell drugs, other that buy drugs. The bulk of the crime in either town is largely limited to the borders of these particular condos. The issue is that it's bringing in riff-raff from all over the places - after all, the residents have like minded "friends" and it's become a hangout.
I agree that it's a shame that these very nice apartment complexes are now occupied by such scum. Unfortunately there isn't much that can be done about it. The owners do what they want, and the particular owners (I won't elaborate, but read between the lines) have no interest in the well-being of the community since they live outside the town.
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