Newark Star Ledger: Booker unveils his tough-love plan for Newark. Booker rolls out a plan to prevent crime in the city, enroll the community to help, and asks for accountability. This is really encouraging for citizens who, for a long time, have felt captive in their own neighborhoods by violent crime.
Booker unveiled his new program at a news conference at West Side Park that included law enforcement officials, politicians and a display of expensive new police equipment.
He called the two prongs of his plan “discipline” and “love,” in which criminals will be punished and struggling people—drug ad dicts, jobless youth, poor families and ex-cons looking to turn around their lives—will get the help they need to stay out of trouble.
The program starts this weekend and will end Sept. 7, when the new school year begins. At that point, Booker said he will start another initiative aimed at school safety.
Crime fighting was Booker’s top issue as a mayoral candidate, and he has long promised to put more cops on the street.
5Reasons on Newark Speaks provides some incisive analysis of Booker’s plans.
I want you guys to really read through this article thoroughly, and as you read I want you to do two things. First, think of Booker’s plan compared to the dismal crime prevention “strategies” we had in the past. And two, I want you to consider the approach that this Booker administration is taking.
I really liked the fact that Booker is taking a PROACTIVE approach towards crime; that’s something that hasn’t happened in this city in a while. I also appreciate the fact that Booker is going to use this first summer as a benchmark. This means he’s committed to performance measurement. Finally, it looks like Booker is truly trying to deal with BOTH SIDES of the drug problem (dealers and users). It’s going to be interesting to see how this works out. I’m optimistic.
For more information about the Safe Summer initiative, check out the City of Newark website. Apparently, the initiative will also involve and coordinate the effort of dozens of organizations in the city.