Public Safety and Our Communities

I would like to congratulate Council President Rashid Burney on a well-organized, well-run meeting dealing with the issue of public safety here in the City of Plainfield. The public comments and reaction to the meeting were such that every member of the City of Plainfield can be encouraged. There comments and reactions were solid pieces of evidence attesting to the fact that by working together as a community, we can get a lot accomplished!

I was invited by the Council President to participate in the meeting, and I was able to share with the community that as a part of Leadership in our State government, I am invited to participate in such events across the State. I was very happy and proud to attend such an organized, structured, and productive meeting of this nature in my own hometown. When members of the public asked what the City is and has done regarding public safety, I was glad to hear that facts recited to the public: the homicide rate is down, crime in general is down, and the Plainfield Police Department’s determination in taking the necessary steps to ensure public safety in the City and induce pride in our community.

I know the Mayor, Sharon Robinson-Briggs, the Business Administrator, Marc Dashield, Public Safety Director, Martin Hellwig, and the Plainfield Police Department have to be very proud today in what they have accomplished in the last three years in terms of efficiently restructuring the police department. Two members of the Union County Prosecutor’s Office not only praised our police division and its reorganization, but also attested to the fact that our police department can be a role model to surrounding towns.

Although we still have work to do in making our city a safer city, I feel that the mayor has set a foundation here in the City that we all can build on. I would recommend to everyone in the community to watch Channel 74 to see last night’s public safety meeting. In addition, I would recommend you stay tuned to Channel 74 so that you can see firsthand the direction the City is taking towards crime prevention, public safety and other issues.

Because this meeting was a City Council meeting, I decided to wait to share more information on some of the solutions to problems that were presented last night in an arena of my own. I will be hosting an informative forum on the issues of re-entry and gangs and their effects on our communities. The forum will be held on Tuesday March 10, from 6pm-8:30pm at the Rose of Sharon Church here in Plainfield, NJ. The meeting will be comprised of a panel of experienced experts from different levels of government and organizations to discuss solutions to crime prevention, containment, and even deterrence. I plan to deviate from the ‘business-as-usual’ type meetings where people come to voice problems and offer no solutions.

If you have any questions concerning the re-entry and gangs public meeting on March 10th 2009, or questions in general, please do not hesitate to call my District Office at (908) 561-5757.