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Baraka Says Newark Crime Down in 2016

Ang Santos
/
WBGO

Newark’s overall crime rate has decreased over the last year.

Crime statistics from the Newark PD Comstat Unit show drops in almost every category.

“We have 1,300 less victims this year.  We have 400 less violent crime victims.  It’s good, but it’s still high.  But we can say that Newark is a safer city from 2015 to 2016,” said Anthony Ambrose, Director, Newark Department of Public Safety.

Mayor Ras Baraka says too many senseless acts of violence took place in homes.  The stats report a twenty-five percent increase in domestic violence assaults.  The numbers have his attention.

“At least ten or more killings were domestic violence, which means we have to strategize about how we deal with domestic violence in the city,” Baraka said.  “We would have been almost twenty-percent down if we didn’t have the domestic violence killings in the city.”

Director Ambrose says residents can expect an even greater increase in police presence by Spring of next year.

“We have 85 people that will be graduating from now till March that will be coming out onto the street.  We still have the New Jersey State Police and our partners.  I see us going in a further positive direction for 2017.”