For Immediate Release
CITY OF NEWARK RECEIVES MORE THAN $6 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT TO RE-HIRE 25 POLICE OFFICERS
Newark one of 12 New Jersey municipalities to receive share of Community Oriented Police Services Grant money;
Newark, NJ R11; September 28, 2011; Mayor Cory A. Booker, Police Director Samuel A. DeMaio, and Police Chief Sheilah A. Coley announced today that the City of Newark is receiving a $6.028 million federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant to re-hire 25 police officers.
The grant was obtained through the efforts of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg. Newark is one of 12 New Jersey municipalities to receive money through this overall $20.8 million grant. Camden will receive $3.7 million for 14 officers. Other municipalities receiving the grant money include Irvington, New Brunswick, Asbury Park, Buena Borough, Burlington, Little Egg Harbor, Long Branch, Millville, Vineland, and Westhampton.
R20;During these challenging economic times, we are excited to learn that Newark has been selected to receive the COPS grant. This federal grant will allow our Police Department to re-hire 25 police officers which will support our mission to create a safer city. We thank our federal advocates for their tireless work to secure these critically needed funds, said Mayor Booker.
This funding will help make sure we have police on the beat to keep Newark families safe from crime, said Senator Lautenberg, a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, which funds the COPS program. State and local budgets are stretched thin and this funding will help Newark put police officers back on the job. The COPS grant program is critical to ensuring that neighborhoods are secure and I will continue fighting to make sure it is funded in Washington.R21;
I’m very excited to re-hire 25 laid-off police officers, which will enhance our crime-reduction initiative,R21; said Director DeMaio. We will continue to find innovative ways to reduce crime in the City of Newark.
The City received its last COPS grant in 2003, a $2.7 million grant to enhance police and emergency response communications in the wake of 9/11.
Under the Booker Administration, the City of Newark has formed several new partnerships and launched numerous new initiatives and policing strategies. Since being created in 2006, the Newark Police Foundation has raised thousands of dollars in philanthropic donations to support the purchase and deployment of new crime-fighting technology, including the deployment of more than one hundred wireless video surveillance cameras, a sonic gunshot detection system, a new state-of-the-art emergency services vehicle, and the operation of the CityR17;s R20;Crime StopperR21; and R20;Gun StopperR21; anonymous tip lines.
More than 1,100 officers make up the Newark Police Department, making it the largest municipal department in the State of New Jersey. This fall, the Department is scheduled to open its new 5th Precinct in the South Ward, a state-of-the-art 75,000-square-foot facility that will include the CityR17;s Office of Emergency Management. The Department also received a $1 million grant earlier this year to provide for a specialized vehicle that can read license plates numbers.
For more information on any City of Newark program or policy, contact the Non-Emergency Call Center at (973) 733-4311.
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Contact: Newark Press Information Office R11; (973) 733-8004
Newark Police Department Public Information Office R11; (973) 733-6309
About the City of Newark, New Jersey
Newark, commonly referred to as Brick City, is the third oldest city in the United States and the largest in New Jersey, with a population of more than 280,000 people. Newark sits on one of the nationR17;s largest transportation super-structures including an international airport, major rail connections, major highway intersections and the busiest seaport on the east coast.
With a new Administration as of July 2006, Newark continues to see signs of a strong revival. In population, it is one of the fastest growing cities in the northeast. Its six major colleges and universities are further expanding their presence. The production of affordable housing has doubled and businesses are returning. There is still much work to be done but Newark is on its way to achieving its mission: to set a national standard for urban transformation.
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