Tony Mack for Mayor
Press Conference
Campaign Headquarters
302 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08618
February 16, 2010, 12:15pm
Crime & Community Platform
“One of my goals is to have residents: learn, live, work, and play, all within Trenton. We
must view all crime as a threat to our quality of life.”
Here is my Safe City Model:
1. I will request the NJ State Police be brought in to assist with crime reduction. My
administration will explore grant opportunities to help fund this request.
2. I will sit down with the leadership of our Police Department, including its unions to discuss
implementing a comprehensive ‘Community Policing Program’. This City needs to go back
to the days of Beat Cops! If successful, this program should:
a. Break down communication barriers between police and community members.
b. Reduce the fear of crime.
c. Improve race relations.
d. Revitalize the local economy and neighborhoods.
3. Crime & Community
a. Police Cadet Academy at Trenton Central High School
i. Combination of academic courses and an internship with Police Department
for those interested in joining law enforcement.
b. Park & Walk
i. Officers who aren’t responding to calls could park their cars on a street and
walk both sides.
c. Cops on Bikes
i. Encourage Police Department to put officers on bikes and target City’s
alleyways and areas where traditional police cruisers can’t access.
ii. Building healthy relationships among youth by having a summer bicycle
marathon where police ride with youth through the City.
d. Neighborhood Security Patrols
i. A partnership among neighborhood churches, businesses, and civic
associations would allow for neighbors to institute a crime watch program,
where neighbors walk in pairs, from 7pm to 3am in their neighborhoods.
e. Safe Zone
i. We need to ensure that our streets are safe for our children. Therefore, I want
to institute a program that creates a partnership between residents and law
enforcement. Interested residents would be screened by police and issued a
decal to place in their windows, when they are home. These decals would alert
children under duress that that particular home is safe zone and they can seek
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Tony Mack for Mayor
Press Conference
Campaign Headquarters
302 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08618
February 16, 2010, 12:15pm
support there. Residents would be instructed to notify police should an incident
require such.
f. Rhymes Against Crime
i. In effort to build a stronger relationship among police and youth we would
implement a program that would encourage youth to write music or rhymes
against crime and violence. A panel of judges of police and youth would
choose five winners and they would win a prize.
g. Operation Identification
i. This program would encourage a stronger relationship among our senior
citizens, police, and civic associations. A group of concerned residents would
be visiting those seniors who may be sick and shut-in, and ensure their well-
being and that there are no opportunities for crime within their homes. This
could also include checks for fire safety.
4. After School Programs
a. Make full use of our Police Athletic League programs to include boxing, baseball,
basketball, football and passive recreation activities.
b. We need to make sure they are well funded and that our children, teenagers, and
young adults have very little idle time. Every single grant, private or public must be
explored. These programs don’t have to be a direct service provided by the
government either. Third parties who are qualified are just as good.
5. Anti-Bullying
a. Beginning in 3rd grade we will have our Police Officers come to our schools, at a time
that is appropriate with the Superintendent and Principals, to discuss bullying and the
impact that has on children and equally important what it can lead to. We will target
bullying violators and report them to their parents and monitor infractions. We will
take the necessary steps to remove the situation. Police protections will include:
i. Extensive Patrols, Gun buy-back programs, greater surveillance using
technology, and most importantly is outreach.
6. Re-Entry Priorities
a. We can not talk about reducing crime in Trenton without talking about the politics of
re-entry.” We will work tirelessly to reduce recidivism by providing job training, job
retention, and job opportunities. While this may not be a service that the City
provides, I will work to bring the players to the table to ensure that we have the right
resources for this population.
7. Crime & Business
a. We will implement a policy that entails our foot patrol units communicate on a daily
basis with businesses throughout the City to ensure that opportunities for crimes don’t
exist and recommend:
i. Police should be meeting with business leaders in entertainment and business
districts regularly.
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Tony Mack for Mayor
Press Conference
Campaign Headquarters
302 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08618
February 16, 2010, 12:15pm
ii. Reinforcing doors and windows.
iii. Strengthen window and door locks.
iv. Improve lighting in front and rear of business and all access ways.
v. Upgrade security systems.
8. Enforcing Local Ordinances
a. Crackdown on loitering.
b. Increased mobile police force in key areas.
9. Underage Drinking
a. We must do all we can to prevent underage drinking. I will recommend to all ABC
establishments that they acquire ‘Age Verification System’ Technology that will
allow them to scan all identification presented as opposed to using the naked eye.
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