Dear Residents and Stakeholders:
Public safety is a quality-of-life issue which I have made one of my top priorities. With rising crime rates being one of the
toughest challenges facing urban communities today, it is my pleasure to report that the City of East Orange has experienced
the highest reduction in crime among cities of similar size in the last 10 years than any other city in the entire nation.
At a nearly 80% reduction is crime, and with more than 30% less crime per capita than neighboring municipalities, the
statistics are astronomical. Our crime rate has not been this low in almost 50 years. In the first half of 2014, there was a
5% reduction in all serious crime. In the past year, the City experienced a 25% reduction in shooting incidents, bringing
our total reduction in shooting incidents since 2003 to an astounding 88%. These ground-breaking achievements were
accomplished because we aligned resources with problems to ensure crime fighting strategies are specific enough to
have a significant effect on crime levels.
We’ve all heard the “word on the streets.” People who plan to commit crimes in East Orange are often warned by their
peers to do their dirt elsewhere or risk getting caught. That, my fellow residents, is a reputation of which we can all be
proud. Despite these massive decreases in crime, we are still affected by a public perception that East Orange is not safe.
I understand the negative impact that this has on our local economy, and I am working diligently to turn it around.
Now is the time to create a genuine sense of community — a place where you, your families, and everyone else who
wants to do business here, FEELS safe.
As your Mayor, I will continue to take a hard stance on crime and support our East Orange Police Department’s efforts to
restore an overall sense of safety and well-being in every corner of our City.
