Police Director Ernest Parrey, Jr. outlined the city's crime-fighting efforts during a media roundtable
TRENTON -- As temperatures rise, tempers flare. Every year, warm weather brings increased violence, and this year is no different.
The city has seen a spate of shootings in recent weeks, with the latest coming early Friday when five people were shot outside an apartment building.
"For the city to thrive, we have to be able to stem the violence occurring throughout," Police Director Ernest Parrey, Jr. said during a media roundtable Monday. "We've looked at things differently and we've gone back to the bag of tricks that we used back in the day and brought some things out that we thought worked and were effective at that point in time."
Some of the initiatives Parrey highlighted were:
- Shooting Response Team
The team, which was reactivated in the second half of 2014, brings together detectives from Trenton, Lawrence, the county sheriff's and prosecutor's offices and the State Police to largely investigate nonfatal shootings. Last year, the team investigated 103 cases involving 116 gunshot victims and cleared 42 percent of the cases with criminal charges. The prosecutor's office adds manpower and covers overtime costs, Parrey said.
- Violent Crimes Unit and Warrant Squad
- SWAT team
The team was reintroduced as part of the department's Street Crimes Unit. It has begun stepping up efforts to train city and school employees on how to handle active shooter situations.
- Body cameras
City Council last month approved a $234,786 contract to buy 150 body cameras and police expect to have them rolled out by late spring.
- Trenton Violence Reduction Strategy
Starting May 1, police will also have a beefed-up presence during the summer months as part of an effort to reduce violent crime.
"I think it's critical," Parrey said. "Summer is when we see the lion's share of issues. When things heat up, unfortunately temperaments seem to heat up a bit."
He said that everyone in the police department, from those in administrative positions to the detective bureau and communications, will pick up shifts patrolling the streets.
"This is supplemental patrol to what they are doing," Parrey said. "Plus, it gets the rust and dust off us. It gets us out there and back into the community where everybody needs to be."
Parrey also said that police can only do so much without the help and cooperation of the public.
"Community policing isn't about the police department bearing sole responsibility," he said. "The community needs to be involved with us. They have to push the envelope along with us. People can't shut in, close in."
Efforts are ongoing in the Latino communities, where Parrey said many immigrants are distrustful of police because they fear they will be turned over to immigration authorities.
"If you're a victim of a crime ... no one cares about your immigration status," Acting Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said. "No one cares about your immigration status. We see you as being a victim and ... we're just trying to let the community know that the police aren't ICE."
Parrey and Onofri pointed out a number of community initiatives that are helping to strengthen the relationship between police and residents, including the "Trunk or Treat," the police explorer's program for boys and girls ages 14 to 20 and a new partnership with the National Junior Tennis and Learning of Trenton, where officers coach and mentor schoolkids.
Following the success of "Trunk or Treat," which drew more than 3,000 people, the department will be holding a "Halfway to Halloween" street carnival at police headquarters in May.
"So many times, folks do only come down to Trenton police when there's a problem," Mayor Eric Jackson said. "We don't want that to be problem headquarters. ... It has to be a place where legislation of law takes place and where other good things can take place as well."
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.