Trenton,
N.J. -- Governor Jon S. Corzine, Attorney
General Zulima V. Farber, and New Jersey
State Police Superintendent Joseph (Rick)
Fuentes will launch the expansion of Operation
CeaseFire, a comprehensive and strategic
crime fighting initiative which joins law
enforcement, prosecution and community outreach
together to effectively combat gangs in
the areas most affected by their criminal
activities.
The Governor and top-ranking state law enforcement
officials will meet Wednesday, August 2,
at an all-day summit in Hamilton with police
chiefs, county prosecutors, mayors and grassroots
community leaders from the 13 towns across
the state who will participate in the expanded
CeaseFire program.
Governor Corzine will give the summit’s
keynote address. There will also be presentations
by Attorney General Farber, State Police
Superintendent Fuentes, Criminal Justice
Division Director Greg Paw, State Police
Capt. Christopher Andreychak, and Dr. George
L. Kelling, faculty-chair of the Police
Institute at Rutgers University in Newark.
The Police Institute is the lead organization
in building police - community partnerships
in the participating cities.
“The
goal of Operation CeaseFire is to use intelligence-driven
policing to focus upon the most dangerous
and serious offenders in the most dangerous
areas of our state,’’ said Attorney
General Farber. “We will build our
intelligence databases on gang activity,
and handle investigations of all gun shootings
aggressively and comprehensively –
as if they were homicides.’’
“Operation CeaseFire is a continuum
of our focused and committed efforts to
stem the tide of gun violence in our communities
and eradicate street gangs from the landscape
of New Jersey,” said Colonel Fuentes.
“The recent dismantling of the 9 Trey
set of the Bloods street gang during Operation
Nine Connect illustrates the effectiveness
of law enforcement partnerships, intelligence-driven
policing, and the sharing of our various
resources. Operation CeaseFire represents
the definitive collaboration between law
enforcement and the community.”
Operation
CeaseFire has been in operation in a two-square
mile area on the Newark/Irvington border
since May 2005. The strategy, which combines
intensive law enforcement intelligence operations
to target the most violent offenders, has
resulted in a 30 percent reduction in shootings
in the area. The success of the program
led Governor Corzine to include a $750,000
appropriation in the new fiscal year 2007
budget to expand the program.
The
expanded CeaseFire program will involve
the cooperative efforts of three types of
teams: law enforcement teams involving State
Police, Division of Criminal Justice investigators,
local police and sheriff’s officers;
prosecution teams involving Division of
Criminal Justice prosecutors and county
prosecutors; and community teams including
representatives of government, social service,
faith-based and community organizations.
“By
investigating shootings with all of the
forensic technology at our disposal, we
will identify and prosecute violent offenders,”
said Division of Criminal Justice Director
Paw.
The
full program, involving trained community
outreach workers, will be rolled out over
the next year in Camden, Jersey City, Trenton,
Paterson, Atlantic City, Elizabeth, Lakewood,
Asbury Park, New Brunswick Vineland and
Millville. But State Police detectives have
already been assigned to each of these cities
to help local police departments investigate
shootings and input significant forensic
and weapons information into statewide databases.
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES:
Who:
Governor Jon S. Corzine, Attorney
General Zulima V. Farber, State Police Superintendent
Joseph (Rick) Fuentes
What:
Operation CeaseFire statewide summit
When:
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Attorney General to speak at 10 a.m., followed
by panel presentation on critical components
of CeaseFire Program;
Governor Corzine’s keynote address
scheduled for 11 a.m. Press availability
will immediately follow the Governor’s
remarks.
News media may attend morning program, 9:30
a.m. through Governor’s keynote address.
Where:
New Jersey Forensic Science Technology Center
Horizon Business Park
1200 Negron Drive (off Route 130)
Hamilton Township, Mercer County
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