The Trenton Times published the following article on September 4, 2013. To read the full article, click here.
Trenton Mayor Tony Mack says police task forces, new cameras will address crime
By Jenna Pizzi/The Times of Trenton
on September 04, 2013 at 2:22 PM, updated September 04, 2013 at 5:05 PMTRENTON – Amid a crime wave that has resulted in record number of homicides and 160 shooting victims this year, Mayor Tony Mack today called for a specialized task force that will target high-crime areas, though police officials said such task forces are already active in the city.
He also revised downward the cost of his request for state funding to hire 75 additional police officers.
The police task force in the targeted areas, funded by a combination of grant money and police overtime funds, will help the department keep a closer eye on spots known for violence and illegal activity, Mack said.
“These are areas that we know are filled with gang activity,” he said.
At the press conference Police Director Ralph Rivera Jr. and other police officials said many of the measures Mack called for are already in place.
A “Summer Initiative” that has been running since June in high-crime areas netted more the 200 arrests by this week, a task force of detectives and patrol officers routinely address violent crime issues citywide, and suppression cars manned by patrol officers respond to neighborhoods that have seen upswings in crime, they said.
“I am committed to addressing the violence,” Rivera said. “However, I am working with limited resources.”