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PLUS PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, UH, IN ESSEX COUNTY.SO THE, THE, THE, THE COMMITTEE, THE VERY SIMPLE, UH, CHARGE OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, WAS TO ESTABLISH, UM, A, A PLATFORM, UH, TO BOTH MONITOR, INVESTIGATE, AND RESEARCH, UH, THOSE ISSUES, CONCERNS IN AREAS THAT ARE DEDICATED, UH, TO ADDRESSING, UH, GUN VIOLENCE, UH, HERE, UH, IN ESSEX COUNTY.
UM, AS AN ELECTED LEADER, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE SAFE AND HEALTHY AND HAVE CLEAR ACCESS, UH, TO SUPPORT RESOURCES.
SO WE'RE PROUD OF THE STRIDES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, UH, AND ATTEMPTS THAT HAVE BEEN BEEN MADE TO REDUCE, UM, THIS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS OF GUN VIOLENCE THAT EXISTS, YOU KNOW, BOTH IN OUR NATION AND OUR STATE AND IN OUR COUNTY.
BUT WHAT'S AN ISSUE LIKE THIS? YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S FUNDAMENTAL THAT WE STAY VIGILANT AND CONTINUE TO EXAMINE NEW AND EXISTING MEASURES, UH, FOR CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT.
THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLDER
UM, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO HEAR BOTH FROM COUNTY LEADERS, RESEARCHERS, ADVOCATES, AND RESIDENTS ON THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND ACKNOWLEDGE A FIREARM IN OF FIREARM INJURIES IN ESSEX COUNTY.
SUCCESSFUL POLICIES AND ACTIONS TO REDUCE INJURIES AND AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH AT THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONER LEVEL.
IMPROVING THE WELLBEING OF OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS IS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE DECIDED TO SPEND YOUR EVENING WITH US TODAY.
SO, WITH THAT, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, AND YOU'LL HEAR FROM THEM INDIVIDUALLY, BUT I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT TONIGHT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, UH, FROM OUR ESSEX COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, OUR ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
UH, WE HAVE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW JERSEY GUN VIOLENCE AND RESEARCH CENTER WHO IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
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MOM'S DEMAND ACTION FROM OUR ESSEX CHAPTER THAT WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM, UH, TONIGHT, I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, THE HUB CENTER FOR ARTS AND TRAUMA, WHO IS IN THE, IS IN THE BUILDING.AND HERE WITH US TONIGHT WE HAVE, UH, THE LEADERSHIP, UH, UH, PROUD TO STAND WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF NJ 11 FOR CHANGE, WHO IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM SOMA ACTION WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UH, THE ESSEX COUNTY FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER, MENDING HEARTS TOGETHER FOR HEALING THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN ESSEX COUNTY SECTION.
AND HERE MY CRIES INCORPORATED.
UM, AND IF I, IF I MISSED ANYONE, PLEASE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, TO LET, TO LET LIONEL KNOW.
UM, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE RECOGNIZED AND YOUR ORGANIZATION IS RECOGNIZED FOR BEING WITH US TONIGHT.
BUT JUST THAT LIST ALONE SHOWS YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW CRITICAL THIS ISSUE IS, HOW IT, UM, REALLY TOUCHES, UM, EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY, UH, HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY AND THE DIVERSE COUNTY OF ESSEX.
THIS IS NOT AN URBAN OR SUBURBAN OR EXURB ISSUE.
THIS IS A, UM, COMMUNITY ISSUE, UH, THAT IS, UM, UNFORTUNATELY CONTINUES, UH, TO, TO PLAGUE US FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
I'VE BEEN, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY, UNFORTUNATELY, BEEN WORKING ON THESE ISSUES, UM, SINCE MY TIME IN THE LATE SENATOR BERG'S OFFICE, UM, IN THE LATE CONGRESSMAN BILL PA'S OFFICE.
UM, AND HAVE, UM, REALLY, UM, CONSIDERED MYSELF TO BE ABLE TO BE LUCKY ACTUALLY TO WORK, UH, FOR A VARIETY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO HAVE DE DEDICATED THEIR CAREER TO TRYING TO DO WHAT THEY CAN TO TRY TO, UM, TO TRY TO STOP, UM, TO STOP THIS CRISIS, UM, AND TO BRING COMMON SENSE GUN SAFETY TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I WANT TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TAKEN THE TIME OF HERE TO PRESENT.
WE'RE GONNA START, UM, UM, UH, FROM MY LEFT TO RIGHT, UH, WITH OUR FIRST PRESENTER TODAY, UM, WHO IS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW JERSEY GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH CENTER AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY.
AN ERNESTUS WHO IS HERE, UM, IS GOING TO MAKE, UM, THE PRESENTATION.
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE'LL GO TO MOM'S DEMAND ACTION, THE SHERIFF'S, UH, AND PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
UH, AND YOU GUYS CAN INTRODUCE YOURSELVES, UH, ONE AT A TIME AND WE WILL TAKE SOME QUESTIONS.
IF YOU COULD JUST MAKE SURE I PUT YOUR NAME ON THE RECORD.
YEAH, SO WE'LL DO THE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL DO ALL THE PRESENTATIONS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE, COMMISSIONERS FROM EACH OF THE PANELISTS WHO ARE HERE.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR PUBLIC COMMENT AND QUESTIONS FROM, UH, FROM THE BOARD.
SO, UH, DOCTOR, THE, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW JERSEY GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH CENTER AT THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT RUTGERS.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS TODAY.
I'M GONNA TRY TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND KEEP MYSELF TO 10 MINUTES, BUT I'M ALSO HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS BEYOND THAT.
UM, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, UH, AS A REALLY OF 30,000 FOOT OVERVIEW OF OUR CENTER AND WHAT WE DO, UH, WE ARE FUNDED LARGELY THE GVRC THROUGH STATE FUNDS AND A COMBINATION OF EXTERNAL GRANTS THAT WE, THE RESEARCHERS AT THE CENTER OBTAIN, UH, THROUGH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT ENTITIES.
UM, AND OUR CORE MISSION IS TO CONDUCT GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH IN ALL FORMS OF GUN VIOLENCE, TO FUND GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT SETS APART FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AS A REALLY KEY PART OF OUR MISSION.
AND OUR THIRD, AND I WOULD SAY EQUALLY IMPORTANT COMPONENT IS COMMUNICATING THE SCIENCE OF GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE TOUCHED BY IT.
SO WE'RE EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO USE DATA FOR REAL PURPOSES INSTEAD OF JUST PUTTING THINGS IN AN IVORY TOWER.
SO, I APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO BE HERE AND SPEAK WITH YOU GUYS TO SORT OF SERVE THAT CORE MISSION OF OUR CENTER.
UM, I MYSELF AM A CLINICAL, AM A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, AND AM A SUICIDE RESEARCHER BY TRAINING.
AND WHEN I WAS ASKED TO COME HERE, THE IDEA WAS TO FOCUS PARTICULARLY ON THAT TOPIC.
SO MY PRESENTATION IS REALLY CENTERED ON FIREARM SUICIDE PREVENTION.
I AM HAPPY TO TALK TO OTHER ASPECTS OF GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND Q AND A OR TO REFER FOLKS TO OTHER FOLKS IN OUR CENTER WHO ARE EXPERTS ON THINGS LIKE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AND OTHER FORMS OF GUN VIOLENCE.
SO I'M NOT HERE TO OVERLOOK OTHER FORMS OF GUN VIOLENCE, BUT REALLY TO SPEAK TO WHERE MY EXPERTISE IS MOST.
UM, SO I'M GONNA TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND JUST SORT OF SET THE STAGE FOR WHAT THIS IS AND WHY I'M FOCUSED ON IT.
BUT I WANT TO SPEND MOST OF MY TIME SPEAKING ABOUT POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS, POLICIES, PROGRAMS THAT COULD BE USEFUL TO ACTUALLY PREVENT THESE TRAGEDIES FROM HAPPENING HERE IN OTHER PLACES.
UM, SO THE REASON MY WHOLE CAREER IS FOCUSED ON FIREARM SUICIDE, THE REASON WHY I AM HERE SPEAKING ABOUT THIS TODAY IS IT'S A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM THAN PEOPLE REALIZE.
55% OF ALL SUICIDE DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES COME FROM SELF, SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUNDS.
AND AROUND 60% OF ALL THE GUN DEATHS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE SUICIDE DEATHS.
SO YOU SIMPLY CANNOT TALK ABOUT SUICIDE PREVENTION WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT ABOUT FIREARMS. AND YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE.
THAT'S NOT HOW THE CONVERSATION TYPICALLY GOES.
AND SO I'M OFTEN THE GUY IN THE ROOM POUNDING THE TABLE TO TRY AND REDIRECT US TO THIS, NOT
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BECAUSE OTHER FORMS OF GUN VIOLENCE ARE LESS IMPORTANT, BUT BECAUSE THIS ALSO ISN'T LESS IMPORTANT AND WE NEED TO GIVE IT THE ATTENTION THAT IT'S DUE, UM, FIREARM PART CAN BE OBVIOUSLY VERY POLARIZING.BUT MY CENTER, THE WAY I APPROACH MY WORK IS VERY APOLITICAL.
WE ARE NOT HERE TO BE FOR OR AGAINST GUNS.
WE'RE HERE TO BE AGAINST FOLKS DYING BY SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUNDS.
AND THE FIREARM PART MATTERS, THE METHOD MATTERS.
SO FIREARMS RESULT IN DEATH WHEN THEY'RE USED IN A SUICIDE ATTEMPT.
IF YOU TAKE ALL THE OTHER SUICIDE ATTEMPTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND COMBINE THEM, LESS THAN 5% OF THOSE ATTEMPTS RESULT IN DEATH.
SO IF SOMEONE USES A FIREARM, THEY DIE.
WHAT'S EVEN MORE TRAGIC ABOUT THAT IS 70% OF THE FOLKS WHO SURVIVE A SUICIDE ATTEMPT, THEY NEVER ATTEMPT AGAIN, THAT TELLS YOU, TELLS YOU THAT SECOND CHANCES MATTER.
BUT GUESS WHO DOESN'T GET A SECOND CHANCE? FOLKS WHO USE A FIREARM, THEY DON'T GET TO BE A PART OF THAT SORT OF RESTORATIVE JOURNEY AFTERWARDS.
SO IT MATTERS THAT WE TALK ABOUT THE FIREARM, NOT BECAUSE FIREARM SUICIDES ARE MORE TRAGIC THAN OTHER SUICIDE DEATHS, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE HAPPENING FAR MORE OFTEN.
SO YOU HAVE AROUND 26,000, UH, FOLKS IN THE US WHO DIED BY FIREARM SUICIDE LAST YEAR ALONE, THAT MAKES THAT AS TOP 15 CAUSE OF DEATH.
THAT'S A HUGE SCOPE OF A PROBLEM, AND IT REQUIRES MORE ATTENTION THAN WE GIVE IT.
THE ISSUE IS THE ATTENTION WE GIVE IT IS OFTEN MISDIRECTED.
SO YOU SEE MY SECOND POINT ON THESE HANDOUTS, AND I APOLOGIZE TO GIVE EVERYBODY HOMEWORK, BUT I FELT LIKE IT WAS GOOD TO HAVE A SHEET.
UM, THIS ISN'T A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
SO CERTAINLY FOLKS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES DIE BY SUICIDE.
BUT MOST FOLKS WHO DIE BY SUICIDE DON'T HAVE A DIAGNOSED MENTAL ILLNESS.
DOESN'T MEAN THEY DIDN'T HAVE ONE, BUT THEY CERTAINLY WEREN'T DIAGNOSED.
AND THAT'S PARTICULARLY TRUE FOR FOLKS WHO DIED BY SUICIDE USING A FIREARM.
AND WHAT'S MORE THAN THAT IS IF YOU DIE BY SUICIDE USING A FIREARM, YOU'RE LESS LIKELY THAN ANYONE ELSE WHO DIED BY SUICIDE TO HAVE BEEN IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE AT THE TIME OF YOUR DEATH OR ANY OTHER TIME IN YOUR LIFE.
SO THE FOLKS WHO MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF SUICIDE DEATHS IN OUR COUNTRY AREN'T ENGAGING WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM.
SO IF WE PUT ALL OF OUR SOLUTIONS IN THE MENTAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, THEY AREN'T GETTING THEM.
THEY'RE OVER HERE, AND THE SOLUTIONS ARE OVER HERE.
SO MUCH OF WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WITH YOU TODAY IS ABOUT MAKING SURE WE'RE DIRECTING OUR SOLUTIONS WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE, WHERE THEY ACTUALLY NEED IT.
THE RISK ITSELF IS IN THE HOME.
WHEN THERE'S A FIREARM IN THE HOME, IT RAISES A RISK FOR DEATH BY SUICIDE, THREE TO FIVE TIMES FOR EVERYBODY IN THAT HOME, NOT JUST THE PERSON WHO CONSIDERS, CONSIDERS THEMSELVES THE FIREARM OWNER.
AND THAT RISK GOES UP FURTHER IF THE FIREARM IS STORED UNSECURED.
SO WE OFTEN ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY FIREARMS STORED, BOTH LOADED AND UNLOCKED, THAT'S PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS.
THE QUICKER YOU CAN GET TO ONE IN A MOMENT OF CRISIS, THE GREATER THE ODDS ARE THAT YOU'RE GONNA DIE BY SUICIDE.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN OUR EFFORTS TO REDUCE THIS ISN'T ABOUT BANNING FIREARMS. IT'S ABOUT PROMOTING SECURE FIREARM STORAGE.
AND THE OTHER REASON WE DO THAT IS ON AVERAGE, WHEN SOMEONE DIES BY SUICIDE USING A FIREARM, THEY USE A FIREARM THEY'VE OWNED FOR 10 YEARS AND MORE.
SO IF ALL OF OUR SOLUTIONS ARE ABOUT PREVENTING SOMEBODY FROM BUYING ONE IN THEIR WORST MOMENT, GUESS WHAT? MOST OF THE FIREARMS WE'RE GONNA USE IN A SUICIDE DEATH IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, THEY'RE ALREADY IN A HOME.
SO THE SOLUTIONS HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FIREARMS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE HOME, BUT WHAT HOMES ARE THERE? WE DON'T KNOW.
THERE'S MORE FIREARMS THAN THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE FIREARMS ARE.
SO YOU NEED A SOLUTION THAT CAN REACH SOMEBODY WHO'S AT RISK, BUT WE DON'T KNOW.
THEY'RE AT RISK WHO HAS A FIREARM, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THEY HAVE A FIREARM AND WE HAVE TO REACH THEM DESPITE A LOT OF SKEPTICISM ABOUT FOLKS LIKE MYSELF ARE SELLING.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MESSAGING AND HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE PROPER MESSAGING TO GET PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT THIS DIFFERENTLY.
SO LET'S SORT OF SWITCH GEARS AND TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS MEANT TO BE A POLICY AND PRACTICE ORIENTED EVENT.
TALK ABOUT WHAT CAN WE DO, NOT JUST WHAT IS THE PROBLEM.
SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS THAT I TEND TO THINK ABOUT THIS.
MY TEAM TENDS TO THINK ABOUT THIS THAT I THINK ARE ACTIONABLE.
UM, TWO OF THEM ARE ABOUT PROMOTING SECURE FIREARM STORAGE IN THE HOME.
SO ALL THESE SOLUTIONS ARE ABOUT FOLKS ALREADY HAVE A FIREARM, I'M ASSUMING IT'S ALREADY THERE.
WHAT CAN I DO TO LOWER THE ODDS THAT YOU OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE IS GONNA DIE FROM A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND USING THAT FIREARM? SO TWO OF THESE SOLUTIONS ARE ABOUT PROMOTING SECURE STORAGE IN THE HOME.
AND ONE OF THEM IS ABOUT CREATING AN INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE FOLKS CAN LEGALLY AND TEMPORARILY STORE OUTSIDE THE HOME DURING TIMES OF CRISIS, THE SAME WAY YOU LET SOMEBODY HOLD YOUR KEYS IF YOU'VE HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK, AND THEN YOU GO GET YOUR KEYS BACK WHEN YOU'RE AT YOUR SORT OF REGULAR STATE OF MIND.
SO THE FIRST SOLUTION AS A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, THIS IS WHERE I GO TO FIRST, IS ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION.
THERE'S AN INTERVENTION CALLED LETHAL MEANS COUNSELING.
AND THERE'S A PARTICULAR FORM WITH THAT CALLED PROJECT SAFEGUARD THAT MY TEAM CREATED.
WE'VE DONE RANDOMIZED TRIALS FOR, WE ACTUALLY NOW HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE NATIONAL GUARD TO ROLL THIS OUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE NATIONAL GUARD, ACROSS THE WHOLE UNITED STATES.
AND I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME MONEY FROM DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES IN NEW JERSEY TO TRAIN BARTENDERS, OR SORRY, NOT BARTENDERS, BARBERS, AND FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE STATE AND HOW TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
LEAD MEANS COUNTING AT ITS CORE IS VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
IT'S A, A CULTURALLY USING CULTURAL HUMILITY, HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE ABOUT WAYS THEY MIGHT THINK ABOUT STORING THEIR FIRE MORE SECURELY, AT LEAST UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, HOW THEY MIGHT CHANGE THAT, WHAT WORKS WITHIN THEIR VALUE SYSTEM, WITH THEIR, WITHIN THEIR HOME ENVIRONMENT, TO TAKE SOME TANGIBLE STEPS FORWARD FROM WHAT WE FOUND THAT OUR INTERVENTION WORKED EXTREMELY WELL.
AND IT WASN'T TESTED IN EASY POPULATION.
WHEN I RAN THIS RANDOMIZED TRIAL, IT WAS WITH THE, UH, FIRE CEREMONY MEMBERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI NATIONAL HEART WHERE I WAS WORKING FOR, UH, THE BETTER PART OF MY CAREER.
THIS IS NOT AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS PARTICULARLY OPEN TO TALKING ABOUT FIREARM STORAGE.
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IF IT CAN WORK THERE, IT CAN WORK JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE.AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO NOW GET THIS INTO THE HANDS OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS NEW JERSEY.
BUT I WILL SAY, AS MUCH AS I LOVE THIS INTERVENTION, IT'S ONE-ON-ONE.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY PEOPLE YOU CAN TRAIN.
THERE'S ONLY SO MANY INTERACTIONS THAT CAN HAPPEN.
YOU WANT TO BEND THINGS TO SCALE, YOU HAVE TO GO BROADER.
SO THE SECOND INTERVENTION I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGING.
THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH DRUNK DRIVING.
DON'T LET FRIENDS DRIVE DRUNK.
DRINKING AND DRIVING CAN KILL A FRIENDSHIP WHILE DRIVING IS DRUNK DRIVING.
IF YOU GO BACK 30 YEARS, WE WERE EXTRAORDINARILY PERMISSIVE SOCIETY AROUND DRUNK DRIVING BECAUSE IT WAS NORMATIVE.
AND IN FACT, YOU SAID, GIMME YOUR KEYS.
THEY'D BE MAD AT YOU AND THEIR FRIENDS WOULD SUPPORT THEM BEING MAD AT YOU BECAUSE THAT FELT VERY INVASIVE.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT HOW WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
BUT OVER TIME, WE MESSAGED QUITE OPENLY, BUT THOUGHT THROUGH, THROUGH GROUPS LIKE THE AD COUNCIL ABOUT HOW CAN WE MEET FOLKS WHERE THEIR AT AND NORMALIZE THE CONCEPT THAT THINGS SHOULD BE DIFFERENT.
SO WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT MESSAGING USING EFFECTIVE, TRUSTED MESSENGERS EMBEDDED WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THIS, TO GET PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT IT DIFFERENTLY.
AND WHAT MY TEAM HAS SHOWN AGAIN AND AGAIN, IS THERE ARE A FEW GROUPS THAT TEND TO GET TRUSTED, NOT BY EVERYBODY, BUT BY A LOT OF FIREARM OWNERS.
THEY INCLUDE LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY INCLUDE MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS, THEY INCLUDE VETERANS, FOLKS WHO TYPICALLY HAVE FIREARMS, HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH FIREARMS, AND ARE NOT TYPICALLY SEEN AS ANTI SECOND AMENDMENT.
NOT NECESSARILY PRO-SECOND AMENDMENT EITHER, BUT THAT'S NOT A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
IT'S A CONVERSATION ABOUT SAFETY WITH THIS PARTICULAR TOOL THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTISE ON.
SO THE SECOND THING TO THINK ABOUT IS HOW CAN WE MESSAGE? AND THE THIRD INTERVENTION, AND I'M AWARE THEM ARE JUST ABOUT OUT OF TIME, IS THE ONE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT LESS NORMATIVE, THAT PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT MUCH, BUT HOW TO STORE YOUR FIREARM OUTSIDE YOUR HOME.
SO YOU CAN SEE ONE OF THE QR CODES ON THIS IS FOR THE NEW JERSEY STATE FIREARM STORAGE MAP WE HAVE CREATED IN THIS STATE.
OTHER GROUPS HAVE MADE IN WHAT OTHER STATES? AND THEN A GROUP PROBABLY PROCURE SAYS PLEDGE HAS MADE A NATIONAL MAP OF FFLS.
SO FOLKS SOMETIMES INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, BUT TYPICALLY JUST, UH, RETAILERS WHO ARE, UH, LEGALLY ABLE TO TEMPORARILY STORE FIREARMS FOR FOLKS IN THEIR PREMISES.
IT'S A WAY FOR FOLKS TO LEGALLY, TEMPORARILY AND VOLUNTARILY GET A FIREARM OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME DURING TIMES OF CRISIS.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT BOTH RETAILERS AND CONSUMERS HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT DOING IT.
ON THE RETAILER SIDE, THE CONCERN IS WHAT IF I TAKE SOMEONE'S FIREARM, I GIVE IT BACK, AND THEN THEY DIE BY SUICIDE? AM I GONNA GET SUED AND LOSE MY BUSINESS? A NUMBER OF STATES, INCLUDING LOUISIANA, HAVE PASSED LEGISLATION TO REMOVE THAT LIABILITY.
AND I KNOW THERE'S LEGISLATION MOVING FORWARD IN NEW JERSEY ON THIS FRONT AS WELL.
I COULD NOT BACK THAT MORE STRONGLY THAN I DO.
UM, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T ASK FOLKS TO GO ON A LIMB AND THEN LOSE THEIR BUSINESS.
THAT'S A LOT TO ASK ON THE CONSUMER SIDE.
WITHIN NEW JERSEY, IF YOU TO ACTUALLY TRANSFER YOUR FIREARM, YOU NEED TO GET A BACKGROUND CHECK TO GET YOUR FIREARM BACK.
THAT IS A HUGE OBSTACLE FOR A LOT OF FIREARM MOTORS.
SO THAT HAS MADE PEOPLE HESITANT.
AND ALSO PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO TELL PEOPLE THEY'RE SUICIDAL.
SO HAVING TO GO INTO A GUN SHOP AND SAY, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME IS A LOT TO ASK.
AND SO THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THIS LEGISLATION AND THE THING THAT I WOULD PROMOTE IS TRYING TO ADAPT TO THE NEW A TF GUIDELINES THAT SAY IF A RETAILER INSTALLS LOCKERS ON THEIR PREMISES AND RENTS A LOCKER TO SOMEONE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT STORE A FIREARM IN THAT LOCKER, THAT'S NOT A TRANSFER OF A FIREARM.
THAT MEANS THE BUSINESS NO LONGER MAKES THE DECISION ABOUT WHEN TO GET IT BACK.
THAT MEANS THE RE THE CONSUMER NO LONGER GOES THROUGH A BACKGROUND CHECK TO GET IT BACK.
IT TELLS ANYBODY WHY THEY'RE DOING IT.
AND BY THE WAY, IN THOSE LOCKERS, I SURE COULD PASTE A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT VETERAN SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINES.
THEY CAN REACH WAYS TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO RESOURCES RIGHT THERE IN THE PRIVACY OF THAT DIFFICULT MOMENT WHEN THEY'RE MAKING A HEALTHY DECISION.
SO WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO SOLVE THIS POLICIES, PRACTICES, WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO THINK ABOUT ARE WHAT ARE THE, THE, UH, FINANCIAL LOVERS WE CAN PULL? WHAT ARE THE THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP FOLKS WHO ALREADY HAVE FIREARMS IN THE HOME WHO ARE PART OF THAT COMMUNITY TO THINK ABOUT THIS DIFFERENTLY AND JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO BE SAFER AND TO PUT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AND SPACE BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND THE MOST LETHAL METHOD FOR SUICIDE.
SO IN A DIFFICULT MOMENT, THEY DON'T MAKE A DECISION THEY CAN'T WALK BACK FROM.
UM, AND AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO CATE TO TALK ABOUT OTHER FORMS OF GUN VIOLENCE, BUT I APPRECIATE HAVING HAD THE FORM.
AND, UM, DO HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS, WHICH, WHICH WE'LL COME BACK TO.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND WE'LL, I THINK IF, UH, THAT MAKES SENSE.
COMMISSIONERS HEAR FROM EVERYBODY FIRST.
BUT, UM, I KNOW I I HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, NEXT UP, UM, WE'LL BE HEARING, UH, FROM REPRESENTATIVES FROM MOMS DEMAND ACTIONS.
SO COULD STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, YOUR ORGANIZATION, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
MY NAME IS PEG KO ON CO-LEAD OF THE ESSEX COUNTY CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA.
I'M HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE LORI LOMBARDI AND SEVERAL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, UM, I HAVE TO SAY DIRECTOR ENNIS.
THIS WAS HIS, HIS PRESENTATION WAS A PERFECT LEAD IN TO WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT 'CAUSE IT'S LIKE HAND IN HAND.
UM, MOMS WAS FOUNDED AFTER THE SANDY HOOK MASSACRE IN 2012 AND IS A NATIONWIDE GROUP OF OVER 11 MILLION VOLUNTEERS WORKING FOR COMMON SENSE GUN LEGISLATION TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES SAFE.
UM, WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR INVITING US TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
COMMISSIONER GILL, AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE HAD A MEETING, YOU ASKED US TO MEET WITH YOU TO TALK ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE THE COMMISSION COULD
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DO TO HELP EDUCATE ESSEX CITIZENS ABOUT STEPS THEY COULD TAKE TO KEEP THEIR FAMILIES SAFE.UM, TODAY WE THOUGHT WE'D START WITH THE TOPICS WE DISCUSSED, DISCUSSED BACK THEN TO SEE IF ANY CH UH, ACTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AND WHERE WE MIGHT GO FROM HERE.
SO MOM'S DEMAND HAS A SECURE GUN STORAGE PROGRAM CALLED BE SMART.
LORRAINE IS THE LEADER OF THAT FOR US.
SO SHE'LL DISCUSS OUR FIRST TWO SUGGESTIONS.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
AND LIKE PEG SAID, WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY GOES HAND IN HAND WITH WHAT MR. ANESTA SAID.
IT'S A PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAM OF EVERY TOWN FOR GUN SAFETY.
UM, AND IT RAISES AWARENESS OF THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF SECURE GUN STORAGE.
UH, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT LAWS OR POLICIES.
OUR MAIN FOCUS IS JUST STORING, SECURING GUNS.
UM, AND THE WORD SMART, IT'S AN ACRONYM FOR OUR FIVE STEPS.
ALL GUNS MODEL RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR AROUND GUNS, BOTH ADULTS AND CHILDREN.
ASK ABOUT GUNS, UM, UNSECURED GUNS AND LOADED GUNS IN OTHER HOUSES WHERE YOUR FAMILY VISITS RECOGNIZE THE ROLE OF GUNS AND SUICIDE.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY, THE T STANDS TELL EVERYONE TO BE SMART.
SO WE HOPE THAT WHAT WE TALK ABOUT HERE, YOU CAN GO OFF AND TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT.
UM, THIS IS A PROGRAM FOR ADULTS TO SAVE CHILDREN'S LIVES.
GUNS ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHILDREN IN THE US EITHER BY HOMICIDE, SUICIDE, OR UNINTENTIONAL SHOOTING.
THERE WERE 2,500 GUN DEATHS IN 2022 IN THE UNITED STATES.
THAT'S ALMOST SEVEN CHILDREN WHO DIED EVERY DAY.
NOW, THE MAJORITY OF THESE STUDENTS, THEY, UH, THESE SHOOTINGS, THEY OCCUR IN THE HOME AND THEY OCCUR IN THE HOME BECAUSE AN ADULT HAS LEFT A LOADED UNSECURED GUN WHERE A CHILD CAN ACCESS THAT GUN AND THEY LEAVE THEM IN NIGHTSTANDS, IN BACKPACKS, OR JUST LYING AROUND.
NOW THERE'S SO MANY, UH, DATA POINTS THAT WE COULD TALK TO YOU ABOUT, BUT FOR NOW, I'M JUST GONNA COVER THESE COUPLE OF ONES.
ACCORDING TO THE US SECRET SERVICE, THREE QUARTERS OF SCHOOL SHOOTERS OBTAINED THEIR GUNS FROM THEIR HOME OR THE HOME OF A FRIEND OR RELATIVE.
AND RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SECURE STORAGE PRACTICES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN REDUCING THE RISK OF GUN VIOLENCE.
IT PROTECTS OUR CHILDREN, OUR COMMUNITIES, AND IT HELPS TO PREVENT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS.
EVERY TOWN RESEARCH WAS, WHICH IS A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION, UM, OF WHICH WE ARE PART.
THEY DID A, UM, A RESEARCH REPORT WITH THE A TF AND, UM, THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION.
AND THEIR FIRST RECOMMENDATION IN ORDER TO PREVENT SCHOOL VIOLENCE, SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW TO SECURE THEIR GUNS.
NOW WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE NEED YOUR HELP.
THE COMMISSIONER'S HELP AND WE NEED EVERYONE'S HELP TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITIES ABOUT SECURE STORAGE.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH THE COMMISSIONER'S STAFF TO IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS THAT WE DISCUSSED WITH COMMISSIONER GILL AT OUR VERY INITIAL MEETING.
WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO POST OUR BS SMART SECURE STORAGE INFORMATION ON ALL ESSEX COUNTY COMMISSION WEBSITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA, AND EMPHASIZE IT AT VULNERABLE TIMES FOR CHILD SHOOTINGS, WHICH USUALLY HAPPEN DURING VACATIONS DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS OR OVER THE HOLIDAYS.
WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO ASK SHERIFF JONES TO DO THE SAME THING AND ASK HIM TO URGE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO DO SO.
WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO SEND A LETTER TO ALL OF THE 21 ESSEX COUNTY MAYORS EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF SECURE STORAGE AND ASKING FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE MAYORS IN ESSEX COUNTY FOR BE SMART AND EXPLORE FUNDING AND PRODUCING A BS SMART PSA.
AND WE HAD SPOKEN ABOUT THIS AND CAMDEN COUNTY DID ONE AND WE'D BE RE WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO WORK ON THAT WITH YOU.
UM, AND WOULD ALSO, UM, LIKE TO SCHEDULE, WE HAVE A 20 MINUTE BS SMART PRESENTATION THAT GOES THROUGH OUR FIVE STEPS.
WE WOULD LOVE TO SCHEDULE A PRESENTATION FOR ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT.
AND TO ALSO SCHEDULE A PRESENTATION,
[00:30:01]
UM, AND WORK WITH, UM, THE SUPERINTENDENT, SUPERINTENDENT ZARO TO SCHEDULE A B SMART PRESENTATION AT A MONTHLY SUPERINTENDENT'S MEETING.WE'VE GOTTA GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO PARENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SECURE STORAGE AT HOME AND WHO BETTER TO DO THAT THAN OUR EDUCATORS.
SO WE REALLY WOULD LIKE HELP WITH THAT.
UM, NOW WE HAVE RESOURCES, UM, FOR ALL OF THESE ACTIONS THAT WE'VE SPOKEN ABOUT, UM, THAT WE CAN GET TO YOU AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH YOU TO HELP SAVE CHILDREN'S LIVES.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER ISSUES WE'D LIKE TO ADDRESS ALSO, VERY BRIEFLY, PLEASE, UM, THAT WE HAD SPOKEN WITH YOU BEFORE ABOUT.
UM, WE HAD FOUND THAT, UM, MANY PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW AN EXTREME RISK ORDER, A PROTECTIVE ORDER IS OR EVEN KNOW HOW TO OBTAIN ONE.
AND JUST TO RECAP, THE EXTREME RISK PROTECTIVE ORDER, OR AN URPO, UH, IS A CIVIL ORDER THAT TEMPORARILY PROHIBITS INDIVIDUALS FROM PURCHASING AND PRO POSSESSING FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION IF THE INDIVIDUAL POSSESSES A SIGNIFICANT DANGER OF BODILY INJURY TO THEMSELVES OR TO OTHERS.
SO WE HAVE A PROGRAM IN MOMS, UM, ON, ON THIS TOPIC.
AND WE HAD DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, AND AGAIN, THE SHERIFF, UM, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS POSTING THAT EXTRE RISK PROTECTION ORDER INFORMATION, UM, PROMINENTLY ON THE WEBSITE SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ORDER, UM, AND HOW TO OBTAIN ONE.
WE ALSO HAD DISCUSSED THIS IS, THIS WAS TIMELY ACTUALLY BEFORE IT'S TIME, TWO YEARS AGO.
THIS IS DURING THE PANDEMIC COMMISSIONER, YOU HAD SUGGESTED MAYBE THERE'D BE A WAY OF DECLARING GUN-FREE ZONES OR PUTTING PSAS IN PARK TO KEEP US SAFE.
WELL, SINCE THE BRUIN DECISION, THIS HAS BECOME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO WITH THE, THE NUMBER OF CARRY PERMIT REQUESTS SKYROCKETING FROM 1500 PRE BRUIN TO AN AMAZING 50,000 POST BRUIN.
SO, AND I THINK THERE'S, PEOPLE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING.
AND THE OTHER PART OF THAT, THAT EDUCATION IS NEEDED IS THAT I'M, I'M SORRY, COULD YOU JUST, UM, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING, UM, AT HOME AND FOR, UM, THOSE WHO ARE HERE, THE, THE DECISION, THE BRUIN, COULD YOU JUST GIVE THE CONTEXT OF THAT? THE, THE BRUIN DECISION? THE BRUIN DECISION? YES.
SO THE BRUIN DECISION, UH, NEW YORK STATE HAD A HUNDRED YEAR OLD LAW THAT I'M NOT GONNA, I'M, THIS IS GONNA BE VERY BRIEF.
UM, YOU HAD TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD REASON TO GET A CARRY PERMIT, BASICALLY.
AND IT WAS CONTESTED BY THE GUN LOBBY THAT THAT WAS AN INFRINGEMENT OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
AND THE SUPREME COURT SIDED WITH THE GUN LOBBY.
SO IT OPENED THE DOORS FOR ALMOST ANYBODY GETTING A CARRY PERMIT.
UM, NEW YORK STATE SAW THEIR NUMBERS GO UP EXPONENTIALLY AND NEW JERSEY DID TOO.
AND AGAIN, I'LL JUST REITERATE THOSE NUMBERS.
'CAUSE HONESTLY, EVERY TIME I HEAR THEM, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
PRE BRUIN, IN NEW JERSEY, THE WHOLE STATE, THERE WERE 1500 APPLICATIONS FOR CARRY PERMITS POST RUIN.
SO THAT'S THAT MANY MORE PEOPLE CARRYING GUNS AROUND.
THE OTHER DIFFICULT PART OF THIS IS THERE WAS A LIST OF SENSITIVE SPACES WHERE YOU WERE NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY A GUN.
GOVERNOR MURPHY WORKED REALLY HARD FOR THAT LIST TO BE QUITE EXTENSIVE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, PROBABLY THAT LIST GOT WHITTLED DOWN QUITE A BIT.
SO NOW WHAT I THINK WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW IS IF YOUR RESIDENCE OR BUSINESS IS NOT UNDER THAT SENSITIVE AREAS LIST, SOMEONE COULD LEGALLY CARRY A GUN ON YOUR PREMISES UNLESS YOU HAD PROACTIVELY MARKED IT AS A GUN FREE ZONE, WHICH THE AG HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
THERE'S DECALS THAT ARE, I'LL JUST KIND OF SHOW TO PEOPLE THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
THE AGS OFFICE HAD ASKED COME TO MOMS AND ASKED US TO WORK WITH THEM TO GET INFORMATION OUT AND DECALS OUT.
UM, AND SO I GUESS WE WOULD ASK THE COMMISSIONERS IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD DO TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT AID, THE SITUATION AND HOW PEOPLE COULD PROACTIVELY, UM, PROTECT THEIR PREMISES, THEIR HOME, THEIR BUSINESS, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE.
UM, ANOTHER, ANOTHER THING IS THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A SECURE GUT STORAGE BILL THAT WAS IT, A PART OF THAT PACKAGE OF BILLS GUN GUN VIOLENCE BILLS BACK LIKE TWO YEARS AGO OR SO MANY BILLS GOT PASSED, IT WAS GREAT, BUT THE SECURE STORAGE DID NOT GET PASSED.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A BILL IN THE ASSEMBLY AND IN THE SENATE KIND OF SITTING RIGHT NOW AND NOT MOVING.
SO I GUESS WE'RE ASKING IF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY SWAY IN EARNING THOSE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND FINALLY, YOU HAD SAID THAT YOU WERE GONNA CHECK THE BUDGET TO SEE IF THERE MIGHT BE ANY POSSIBLE FUNDS THAT COULD BE DIRECTED TO GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION GROUPS.
WELL, THAT'S TIMELY SINCE WE WERE JUST DOING OUR BUDGET.
WE JUST COMPLETED OUR BUDGET HEARING.
[00:35:01]
FOR THE REMINDER OF EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT IN THAT MEETING.I DO REMEMBER THAT MEETING SPECIFICALLY NOW.
UM, AND, AND APOLOGIES FOR WHAT WE HAVE NOT FOLLOWED UP ON YET, BUT WE WILL, WE WILL.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T, I THINK I COULD PROBABLY SPEAK, UM, FOR MY COLLEAGUES.
THERE'S PROBABLY NOT ONE THING ON THAT LIST THAT I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE, UM, SUPPORT FOR.
AND, UM, UH, THROUGH YOU, UM, UH, MADAM CLERK, WE'RE GONNA PROBABLY ALSO, UM, ITEMIZED THAT WHEN WE REVIEWED THE, UM, THE RECORD FROM TODAY AND, AND COME BACK TO THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTY THAT WOULD BE, UM, RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, THE FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU JUST WENT, WENT THROUGH.
UM, WHETHER IT BE ON THE COMMUNICATION SIDE, OUR VARIOUS COMMUNICATION CHANNELS, UH, WHAT THE SHERIFF'S, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHERIFF, UH, JONES AND HIS TEAM, WHICH I'M SURE YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT THEIR WILLINGNESS TO DO.
SO WE WILL ABSOLUTELY FOLLOW UP FOR SURE.
SO WE WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU IN ANY WAY WE CAN.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, ALRIGHT, NEXT UP IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE FROM, UH, SHERIFF AMIR JONES' OFFICE.
UM, ASHLEY COULD PROBABLY TALK TO WHAT WE JUST TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ON, UM, AS WELL HERE TODAY.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, UH, WITH, UH, WITH THE SHERIFF, UH, REGARDING, UM, YOU KNOW, POSTING AND, UM, UM, ADVOCATING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE JUST TOUCHED ON IN THE PRIOR TESTIMONY.
BUT PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND, AND, UM, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN US.
I'M CAPTAIN THOMAS JENKINS FROM THEUS COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE.
I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FROM FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AND HOW WE GET INVOLVED WITH GETTING FIREARMS OFF THE STREET IN ESSEX COUNTY.
EVERY DAY WE HAVE A TRICK LOCK PROGRAM WHERE WE WORK WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES TO GET CONVICTIONS FOR THOSE ARRESTED WITH HANDGUNS ON THE STREET.
WE FIGHT TO GET A BIGGER CONVICTION THROUGH FEDERAL COURT BECAUSE THE HANDGUNS, BECAUSE THE HANDGUN CONVICTIONS IN STATE COURT AREN'T AS STRONG.
WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN GUN BY PROGRAMS WITH FEDERAL, MUNICIPAL, AND OTHER COUNTY AGENCIES WHEN NECESSARY.
WE USUALLY PARTICIPATE IN THOSE EVERY EVERY FEW YEARS.
WE PARTICIPATE IN THOSE PROGRAMS TO GET GUNS OFF THE STREET.
THOSE PROGRAMS USUALLY GIVE CASH FOR GUNS WITHOUT ASKING ANY QUESTIONS.
FINALLY, WE HAVE A 24 HOUR COMMAND POST WHERE WE TAKE CRI TIP TIPS AND THE NUMBER IS ONE 800 CRIME STOPPERS.
WE TAKE TIPS AND YOU CAN CALL THAT NUMBER.
IT IS MANNED 24 HOURS AT THE ESSEX COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT.
MY NAME IS BEN DEL GRANDE, CAPTAIN WITH THE ESSEX COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UM, I JUST WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT THE, UH, PREVIOUS SPEAKER SAID IN REGARDS TO, UM, TURPA, WHICH IS THE, UH, NEW JERSEY EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDER THAT CAME OUT IN 2019.
UM, THAT GIVES THE ABILITY FOR HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS, UH, ANYONE ELSE LIVING IN THE HOUSE, YOU KNOW, INCLUDES, IT CAN BE A SISTER OR BROTHER, YOU KNOW, THAT, OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THAT CAN ACTUALLY GO TO THE, UM, POLICE DEPARTMENT AND PETITION THE COURT TO REMOVE THOSE WEAPONS FROM INDIVIDUALS TO SPECIFICALLY, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YOU'RE SAYING MOST SUICIDES OCCUR WITH WEAPONS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE HOUSE 10 YEARS OR LONGER.
SO THAT'S WHY THIS, THIS DIRECTOR WOULD ACTUALLY HELP OUT FOR THOSE THINGS.
SO IF SOMEONE OWNS A WEAPON FOR THAT LONG, THE PERSON KNOWS WHETHER OR NOT WHAT THEIR BASELINE IS AND THEY CAN GO TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER AND PETITION THE COURT TO HAVE THOSE WEAPONS REMOVED.
NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID, OBVIOUSLY IF THE WEAPON IS REMOVED, THEY, THEY HAVE THEIR, THEIR DAY IN COURT TO, TO, YOU KNOW, RETRIEVE THAT WEAPON BACK.
BUT IN THEIR INTERIM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND THAT GUN CAN BE REMOVED AS FAR AS THE S COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS CONCERNED, UM, OUR STATISTICS WHEN IT COMES TO GUN VIOLENCE IS REALLY, UM, IS REALLY, IT'S, IT'S REALLY SLIM TO NONE.
UM, WE BASICALLY ONLY HAD A HOMICIDE IN, IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THANK GOD FOR THAT IN OUR PARKS, UM, SYSTEM WHEN IT COMES TO ACTUALLY GUN SEIZURES, IT'S BEEN CONSISTENT.
UH, THE LAST TWO YEARS, TWO, THREE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN GETTING ABOUT CLOSE TO ABOUT 40 GUNS OFF THE STREET.
YOU KNOW, REALLY WHAT THE ISSUE IS, WE'RE SEEN A LOT OF INCREASE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UH, SPECIFICALLY ME, WHICH I'M IN CHARGE OF OUR FUGITIVE SQUAD IN ADDITION TO, UM, BEING ASSIGNED TO THE CHIEF'S OFFICE, WHICH I, UM, I DO POLICY AND PROCEDURE, BUT WE HAVE TO, I USUALLY FOCUS MORE ON THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF THE, UM, GUN ISSUES SPECIFICALLY, UM, WHERE THERE ARE SEIZURES INVOLVED WITH TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDERS.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE CONCENTRATE OUR RESOURCES AND THAT WE HAVE SEEN AN, UH, UPTICK IN THAT WHEN IT COMES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
COME BACK ON AGAIN, AGAIN, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, NEXT UP WE ALSO, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE OUR ESUS COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE DOWN LITTLE TED STEVENS, OUR ES COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS GWENDOLYN WILLIAMS. I'M AN EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR WITH THE ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
I WANNA THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR THE INVITATION TO MY OFFICE.
[00:40:01]
AND OUR CHIEF HAD OTHER OBLIGATIONS, WHICH DID NOT ALLOW THEM TO BE WITH US THIS EVENING, BUT THEY DID ASK ME TO COME IN THEIR PLACE AND TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING AT THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.UM, FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE MANDATED BY LAW TO REACT TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH GUN UM, VIOLENCE.
UM, WE ARE THE LARGEST AND THE BUSIEST PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IN THE STATE.
BUT HOWEVER, WHEN WE DO THAT, WE ALSO NOTICE THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS, AS IT WAS EARLIER SAID, ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AS WELL AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AS A COUPLE OF THE TOPICS THAT WERE BRIEFLY DISCUSSED.
SO I CAN TALK TO YOU IN PARTICULAR ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE.
WITH REGARD TO MENTAL HEALTH, UM, OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN ON THE FOR RUN OF, UM, THE STATE IN TERMS OF HELPING PEOPLE WHO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES SINCE 2011.
WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, IT'S THE SES COUNTY, A PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION PROGRAM.
AND I, ALONG WITH OUR PROSECUTOR, STEVENS IN 2023, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO DOWN TO TRENTON AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF, UH, MENTAL HEALTH LAW THAT HAS SINCE BEEN INSTITUTED THROUGHOUT THE STATE, UM, BASED UPON THE ESSEX COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION.
AS PART OF THAT PROGRAM, WE DO LOOK AT INSTANCES WHERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH A POSSESSION OF A GUN, NOT THE DISCHARGE, BUT THE POSSESSION OF THE GUN.
AND WE HAVE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS ALLOWED PERSONS, ESPECIALLY OUR VETERANS WHO ARE USUALLY CHARGED WITH A POSSESSION OF A GUN AND A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UM, SITUATION TO BECOME A PART OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM.
THAT PROGRAM RUNS AS SHORT AS ONE YEAR UP TO TWO YEARS.
AND WHAT I'M PROUD TO SAY, IT'S BASED ON A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE MODEL IN WHICH WE TAKE ACCOUNT THE VICTIMS, UM, WITH REGARD TO THAT.
'CAUSE WE FIND THAT MOST OF OUR VICTIMS WHEN IT COMES TO GUNS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THEY'RE LIVING WITH THE SUSPECT, IE THE DEFENDANT.
AND THEY WANT THAT PERSON NOT TO GO TO JAIL AND BE INCARCERATED, BUT TO GET THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED SO THEY CAN COME BACK AND BE A PRODUCTIVE PART OF THE FAMILY.
SO, UM, AND I HAVE THOSE VICTIMS COME IN AND MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THE COURT.
UM, IF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, IT IS NOT JUST THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE THAT SITS ON THIS COMMITTEE, IT IS ALSO THE JUDICIARY AS WELL AS OUR MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL, UM, FROM ESS COUNTY, HAS REPRESENTATION THERE, AS WELL AS, UM, PROBATION AND OUR DIFFERENT MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WE TRY TO DO A RESTORATIVE JUSTICE APPROACH TO GIVE HELP TO THE PERSON WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH A GUN CHARGE.
AND OF COURSE, WE CONFISCATE THE GUNS, UM, SO THEY DON'T GET THE GUNS BACK.
UM, ALSO WE ARE INVOLVED WITH THE IPO IN THAT ONE OF OUR ASSISTANT PROSECUTORS IN THE OFFICE, UM, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GOING THROUGH THOSE APPLICATIONS ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN MADE AND PRESENTING THOSE TO THE COURT AS WELL.
UM, ALSO WE HAVE LEARNED THROUGH THE YEARS THAT WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR APPROACH IN TERMS OF HOW WE HANDLE AND PROSECUTE CASES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR POPULATION THAT HAS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
SO WE, UM, HAVE BEEN ON THE FOREFRONT THROUGH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROGRAM THAT IS KNOWN AS ARRIVED TOGETHER TO NOW THAT WHEN THERE ARE CALLS THAT COME TO THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT, OUR OFFICE HAS HAD TRAINING, WHICH WE CALL CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING, OR ALSO KNOWN AS CIT, IN WHICH LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN TRAINED, ALONG WITH, UM, ALONG WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, THAT WHEN WE RECEIVE, THEY RECEIVE A CALL THE MUNICIPALITY, THAT THERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS DECOMPENSATING OR, OR MAY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM, THAT INSTEAD OF THEM BEING ARRESTED AND GOING TO THE COUNTY JAIL, THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED GO DEESCALATE THE SITUATION AS WELL AS MAKE SURE THEY GET HELP.
CRISIS INTERVENERS COME ALONG AS WELL.
AND THEY POSSIBLY WILL GO TO ONE OF OUR LOCAL HOSPITALS WHERE THEY ARE HOSPITALIZED TO GET THE TREATMENT THAT THEY ARE IN, IN NEED OF.
I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN DOING CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING TO THE LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT SINCE FEBRUARY OF 19, UH, FEBRUARY 6TH, 2023.
[00:45:01]
CURRENTLY HAVE THE CITIES OF NEWARK, EAST, ORANGE, ORANGE, AND IRVINGTON JUST JOINED US ON JANUARY THE 24 20 FIRST, AS PART OF OUR ARRIVE TOGETHER TEAM.THERE IS ALSO AN ARRIVE TOGETHER TEAM AT NEW JERSEY TRANSIT, PENN STATION BECAUSE OF INSTANCES, INSTANCES THAT OCCURRED THERE.
AND WE ARE CURRENTLY, UM, IN THE PROCESS OF ADDING FOUR ADDITIONAL TOWNS, UM, IN ESSEX COUNTY.
THEY INCLUDE MONTCLAIR, GLEN RIDGE, VERONA, AND, UM, CEDAR GROVE.
UH, AND AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM, UM, IT IS OUR INTENT THAT BY 2026 WE WILL BE COUNTYWIDE.
AND I MUST ALSO GIVE DEFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT THE CITIES OF WEST ORANGE AND BLOOMFIELD PREDATE HAVING, UM, OFFICERS TRAINED FOR MENTAL HEALTH, UM, CRISES IN THEIR MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THEY HAVE, UM, POLICE OFFICERS GO WITH MENTAL HEALTH SCREENERS FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF ESSEX COUNTY SO THAT WE CAN DIFFUSE SITUATIONS WHEN THERE IS A PERSON WHO HAS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
SO WE SEE A LARGE DECREASE IN VIOLENCE AND SOMEONE USING A GUN IN THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I TAKE PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT FOR THE LAST 20 ODD YEARS, WE ARE PREVENTIVE.
I, WE ARE PREVENTIVE IN THE SENSE THAT WE GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WE TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN SCHOOLS, WE GO TO CHURCHES IF WE ARE INVITED TO COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AND WE TALK ABOUT BEING PREVENTIVE.
AND WE HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WHERE WE TAKE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE RISING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS.
UM, THEY ARE JUNIORS IN THE, AT THE END OF THE SUMMER AND THEY SPEND APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO SIX WEEKS WITH OUR PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE.
AND THEY'RE LEARNING ABOUT CAREERS, THEY'RE LEARNING ABOUT, UM, DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT MANY OF THEM DID NOT EVEN KNOW EXISTED.
AND THEY'RE LEARNING AT ABOUT HOW TO GET JOBS TILL WE, SO WE CAN OCCUPY THEM SO THAT THESE CHILDREN ARE NOT HAVING NOTHING TO DO SO THEY CAN GET IN TROUBLE ON THE STREETS.
THAT THEY'RE LEARNING THAT THERE IS A CAREER OUT THERE FOR THEM, THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CAREER, HAVE A LIFE, AND THEY COME BACK.
WE HAVE HIRED SOME OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE.
UH, SOME OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE ALSO GONE ON TO BE, UM, FIRE FIREMEN, POLICE OFFICERS, AS WELL AS ATTORNEYS.
NOW WE TELL THE YOUNG PEOPLE, OUR PROGRAM IS NOT BASED ON GRADES.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE SMARTEST PERSON TO BE A MEMBER OF OUR PROGRAM.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE IS A DESIRE TO LEARN AND A DESIRE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO INTRODUCE YOU TO CAREERS IN GOVERNMENT THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THEM.
UM, AND I'VE HAD, I'M PROUD TO SAY IT, I'VE HAD A FEW KIDS TO TELL ME AFTER THEY FINISH THE PROGRAM, THEY DON'T WANNA BE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
AND THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE AT LEAST THEY'RE NOT WASTING 10, 15 YEARS OF THEIR LIVES IN A CAREER THEY KNOW THEY DON'T WANT TO BE IN.
BUT WE'RE ALSO PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE STATE POLICE AND OUR STUDENTS SPEND A WEEK IN SEA AT STATE TROOPER YOUTH WEEK, AND THEY LEARN WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS DO OTHER THAN IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
THEY LEARN ABOUT COMMUNITY POLICING, BUT THEY ALSO LEARN ABOUT WHAT THE JOB, THE STATE TROOPER DOES.
AND WE HAVE CLASSES LIKE, UM, ETIQUETTE CLASSES, WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE INTERVIEWED AT A, AT A DINNER OVER A MEAL, WHAT TYPE OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASK AT AN INTERVIEW.
SO I KNOW THIS IS ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE LIKE TO SAY AT THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IS PREVENTION HELPS LOWER GUN VIOLENCE IN ESS COUNTY.
AND I THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FOR YOUR TIME, GENTLEMEN AND GENTLE LADIES FOR YOUR TIME.
NOW GOING TO MOVE, UM, TO OUR, UM, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, SESSION.
UH, I KNOW WE HAVE, UM, THOSE OF US WHO ARE IN THE PUBLIC, UH, ON THE OTHER SIDE, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND, AND ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE NOW WOULD BE THE TIME.
WE HAVE THREE THAT, UH, THANK YOU HAVE SIGNED YOU, UM, START WITH THE, UM, THE HUB ARTS AND TRAUMA CENTER.
[00:50:07]
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON AND PEACE.NO, HE'S TOLD ME TO PAUSE, CALL A DIRECTION.
FIRST, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ESTEEMED COMMISSIONERS FOR HOLDING THIS IMPORTANT CONVENING AND ALLOWING PUBLIC TESTIMONY, YOUR ATTENTION AND HOPEFULLY OPEN MINDS AND OPEN HEARTS.
MY NAME IS MARIELLE HUFF NAGEL, AND I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT THE HUB ARTS AND TRAUMA CENTER RIGHT HERE IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.
UM, WHILE I DON'T LIVE IN ESSEX COUNTY, I'M A SERVANT TO THE NEWARK COMMUNITY COMMITTED TO VIOLENCE, INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION.
YOU'VE HEARD STATISTICS, SO I'M NOT GONNA BORE YOU.
I ALSO AM HAPPY TO SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY.
ACCORDING TO JOHN HOPKINS, BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC'S HEALTH CENTER FOR GUN VIOLENCE SOLUTIONS, THERE'S BEEN APPROXIMATELY 500 GUN VIOLENCE DEATHS IN NEW YORK ALONE, EXCUSE ME, IN NEW JERSEY ALONE.
UM, ALMOST 300 OF WHICH ARE HOMICIDES AND ESSEX AND CAM COUNTY COUNT CAMDEN COUNTY ARE UNFORTUNATELY THE LEADERS HERE AND NOT IN A POSITIVE WAY.
THIS DOESN'T EVEN ACCOUNT FOR NON-FATAL GUN VIOLENCE.
SO TO SAY THAT VIOLENCE AND PARTICULARLY GUN VIOLENCE IS AN EPIDEMIC THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE FACING, ESPECIALLY IMPACTING OUR MOST MARGINALIZED BLACK AND BROWN L-G-B-Q-I-A AND THOSE OF LOWER SOCIO, LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO NEWARK POLICE DEPARTMENT CRIME DATA, HERE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHERE OTHERS HAVE NOT.
IN 2022, THERE WERE 48 HOMICIDES, AND IN 2024, THERE WERE 37 HOMICIDES, WHICH MARK A 23% REDUCTION.
AND IN ALL TIME LOW, AS YOU MAY VERY WELL BE AWARE, THIS IS BECAUSE OF OUR MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP AROUND REALLY CREATING WHAT'S CALLED A PUBLIC SAFETY ECOSYSTEM, RELYING HEAVILY ON COMMUNITY-BASED PRACTITIONERS AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO DO VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND VIOLENCE INTERVENTION WORK.
AND WHAT THIS DOES IS IT DOESN'T JUST LOOK AT PREVENTING AND INTERVENING IN VIOLENCE.
IT LOOKS AT ADDRESSING THE ROOT CAUSES THAT ARE FUELING THE VIOLENCE IN A COLLABORATIVE WAY.
SO THE HUB ARTS AND TRAUMA CENTER, AND OBVIOUSLY I'M BIASED, BUT I THINK THE HUB ARTS AND TRAUMA CENTER IS, UM, AN EXAMPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY WORK.
UM, SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH IT, ICU COMMISSIONER, SHAKING YOUR HEAD.
UM, AND, UM, AND I JUST WANNA PAINT A PICTURE OF WHAT THE HUB DOES, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF COURSE WE WANT FUNDING AND WE WANT YOUR SUPPORT, BUT REALLY TO LOOK AT WHAT SUPPORTING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO DO THIS WORK, UM, HOW THAT CAN TRANSFORM WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND SO THE HUB ARTS AND TRAUMA CENTER HAS A UNIQUE APPROACH, UM, I ALWAYS CALL IT THE SECRET SAUCE, WHERE WE USE TRAUMA-INFORMED AND STRENGTH-BASED BEST PRACTICES TO PROVIDE THERAPEUTIC ARTS, CLINICAL SERVICES, LIFE SKILLS, LEADERSHIP AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, MENTORSHIP CASE MANAGEMENT, VICTIM ADVOCACY, AND HIGH RISK INTERVENTION VIA CREDIBLE MESSENGERS.
WHAT THIS INNOVATIVE AND SYNERGISTIC METHODOLOGY HOLISTICALLY ADDRESSES IS SYSTEMIC RACISM, GENERATIONAL POVERTY, AND ALL OF THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH.
AND THIS IS WHAT FUELS OUR VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC.
AND THIS ALLOWS FOLKS TO MOVE FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING.
AND WHEN YOU'RE THRIVING, YOU DON'T NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN GUN VIOLENCE.
SO I'M GONNA LET AL TARIK SPEAK ABOUT THE WORK.
AL TARIK, NO ONE CAN SPEAK MORE PASSIONATELY OR BETTER ABOUT IT THAN AL TARIK BECAUSE HE IS OUR CEO AND OUR VISIONARY LEADER.
AND THEN I'M GONNA COME BACK AND JUST BACK IT UP WITH SOME DATA AND GIVE YOU SOME OF MY SUGGESTIONS OF HOW THE COMMISSIONERS AND THIS AD HOC COMMITTEE CAN SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
I'M THE CEO AND FOUNDER OF THE HUB ARTS AND TRAUMA CENTER.
UM, MY, UH, ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES HAS CHANGED MY LIFE.
MY, MY SON PUT A CHARGE ON ME 18 YEARS AGO TO BE A CHANGE AGENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF A TRAUMATIC INCIDENT WITH GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR LIFE.
MY SON ASKED ME THE SIMPLE QUESTION, DAD, YOU ALWAYS TALK ABOUT BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT? AND ME NOT HAVING AN ANSWER FOR HIM AT THAT MOMENT CHANGED MY LIFE.
FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS, I'VE DEDICATED MY LIFE TO BEING A RESPONSE TO MY SON'S, UH, CHARGE ON ME BECAUSE I FELT LIKE MY SON HAD CALLED ME A HYPOCRITE.
[00:55:01]
SO WHAT I DID, I INVESTED ALMOST $200,000 INTO PRINCE STREET, A 9,000 SQUARE FOOT UNIT, WHICH NOW IS ABOUT 20,000 SQUARE FEET BECAUSE WE JUST ADDED SOME OTHER PARTS TO THE, TO THE CENTER.BUT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHY I DO THIS WORK BECAUSE MIR COME OVER HERE FOR A SECOND.
BECAUSE WE CREATED SO MANY THINGS THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE GET TO CHANGE THEIR MIND AND WAKE UP AND SAY THAT I CAN'T, INSTEAD OF, I CAN'T, INSTEAD OF BEING OUT THERE ON THE STREETS, I BROUGHT MIR WITH US.
HE WASN'T SIGNED UP TO COME, BUT I BROUGHT HIM WITH US BECAUSE HE'S ONE OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WAS OUT HERE DOING THE CRIME.
AND WE, WE, HE CHANGED HIS MIND BY BEING SUPPORTED AND NOT BEING JUDGED BY SOME OF THE MISTAKES THAT HE MADE.
HE'S NOW HIRED BY THE HUB WHO LEADS THE HIGH RISK YOUTH, HIGH RISK INTERVENTIONISTS.
SO WE, WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME STATISTICS THAT REALLY SHOW HOW WE HAVE DONE SO MUCH JUST IN 2024.
BUT AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 18 YEARS AND IT JUST, WE, WE JUST REALLY GOT SOME FUNDING ABOUT FOUR, FOUR YEARS AGO, RIGHT? BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK, YOU KNOW, AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THESE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HERE THAT DO THIS WORK BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
I WANTED TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR, BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE AS WE'RE DOING IT WITHOUT HAVING THE RESOURCES AND THE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DO IT.
MARIELLE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME STATISTICS JUST LAST YEAR.
SO AGAIN, SO JUST STATISTICS HERE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE HUB HAD IS ABLE TO DO IN THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ONLY COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS CAN DO COMMUNITY BASED WORK, RIGHT? SO THERE WERE OVER 4,500 INCIDENT RESPONSES IN THE CITY OF NEWARK BY THE HUB WITH OVER 600 MEDIATIONS AND DEESCALATIONS.
SO THINK ABOUT THE UNQUANTIFIABLE AMOUNT OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION THAT OCCURRED IN THOSE INSTANCES.
THERE WAS 500 UNDUPLICATED YOUTH SERVED, THERE WAS OVER 300 LIFE SKILL LEADERSHIP OR WORKFORCE DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS HOSTED.
THERE WAS OVER 85 VICTIMS WHO WERE ADVOCATED FOR, THERE WAS OVER 3000 FOOD, CLOTHING AND OR HYGIENE PROJECT PRODUCTS, UM, UH, DISTRIBUTED.
THERE WAS OVER 400 CLINICAL SESSIONS, ONE-ON-ONE WITH YOUTH, WITH OVER A HUNDRED FAMILY CONTACTS.
THERE WAS OVER 300 RESTORATIVE JUSTICE CIRCLES HOSTED.
THERE WAS OVER 700 THERAPEUTIC ART SESSIONS FACILITATED AND OVER 120 COMMUNITY EVENTS ATTENDED.
SO, AND YOU KNOW, AL RICK STOLE MY STEAM WITH HAMID, BUT I WAS GONNA BE LIKE WAVE HAMID
IF YOU DON'T MIND, REALLY QUICK, JUST HAMID, JUST WHY, WHAT IS YOUR WHY NOW? OKAY.
COME TO THE MIC, MIC MIC WEEK.
HAMID, UM, HAMID EVANS, UM, YOUTH AND CHARLES HUB AUSTIN TRAUMA CENTER.
UM, MY WHY IS BECAUSE LIKE I HAD TO UNDERSTAND LIKE THE STRUCTURE OF LIFE, UNDERSTAND LIKE THE SOCIETY OF LIKE WHAT GOES ON IN MY COMMUNITY AND HOW LIKE I COULD MAKE IT A CHANGE INSTEAD OF BEING SOMEONE WHO DOES THE, LIKE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AS I SHOULD SAY, AS I USED TO.
SO LET ME JUST PAINT A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA BE EMBARRASSED, BUT, SO HAMID IS AN 18-YEAR-OLD NEWARK RESIDENT THAT HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOUR TIMES AND SPENT OVER SIX MONTHS INCARCERATED.
HAMID'S JOURNEY WITH THE HOBARTS AND TRAUMA CENTER BEGAN IN 2022, WHICH WAS A PIVOTAL MOMENT AND CATALYST IN HIS LIFE VIA A REFERRAL FROM THE JUDGE WHO HE WAS IN FRONT OF, RIGHT? SO HERE WE SEE HOW ALL OF THESE PIECES NEED AND CAN WORK TOGETHER, RIGHT? SO WHO BY CHANCE, RIGHT? AND THIS IS WHAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
IT WAS BY CHANCE THAT THIS JUDGE KNEW ABOUT US.
HE KNEW ABOUT US BECAUSE HE HAD SEEN OTHER OFFENDERS COME BEFORE HIM AND THE HUB MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THEIR LIFE.
HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE THERE WAS A FORMALIZED REFERRAL PROGRAM.
HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT BECAUSE THERE WAS A FEE FOR SERVICE CONTRACT ALLOWING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT YOUTH AS THEY COME THROUGH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
UM, HE JUST HAPPENED TO KNOW ABOUT IT, RIGHT? AND WHAT THAT DID IS IT CHANGED HAMID'S LIFE, WHICH ALSO CHANGES THE TRAJECTORY OF SAFETY IN NEWARK.
RIGHT? AND SO IN HAMID'S WORDS, WHICH HE JUST GAVE YOU, THE HUB, GAVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE HIS LIFE.
AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS IT LOOKS LIKE TAPPING INTO THE INNATE LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT NOT ONLY HAMID HAS, BUT EVERYBODY HAS.
AND SO OFTEN, ESPECIALLY IN NEWARK, THESE KIDS ARE DISCOUNTED BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN.
THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FAMILIES THAT THEY COME FROM, THEIR CRIMINAL RECORDS, MAYBE A LOWER LITERACY RATE, THEY'RE JUST DISCOUNTED.
AND THAT IS UNFAIR BECAUSE EVERY CHILD IS WORTH INVESTING IN.
AND SO TODAY HE'S A LEADER WITH HIS PEERS, WHICH AGAIN, BECOMES UNQUANTIFIABLE BECAUSE HOW MANY YOUTH HAS HAID INFLUENCED THIS WAY? THAT'S RIGHT.
INSTEAD OF THIS WAY, HOW MANY GUN
[01:00:01]
VIOLENCE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AVOIDED THAT WE AREN'T EVEN EVER GONNA BE ABLE TO TRACK BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE BY HAMID ONLY FACILITATED BECAUSE HE WAS HOLISTICALLY SUPPORTED TO DO SO.AND SO I KNOW THAT STORIES CHANGE MINDS.
AND I ALSO BELIEVE THAT ALL OF YOU WHO ARE ELECTED GOT INTO THIS WORK BECAUSE YOU WANNA MAKE ESSEX COUNTY BETTER.
I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME REALLY HARD FISCAL DECISIONS,
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, NEW JERSEY WILL SPEND OVER $600,000 TO INCARCERATE ONE YOUTH FOR ONE YEAR.
SO HAMID, $300,000 WAS SPENT TO INCARCERATE HIM FOR THE SIX MONTHS THAT HE WAS INCARCERATED IN.
AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALL OF THE OTHER EXPENSES, RIGHT? LEGAL FEES, PUBLIC DEFENDERS, UM, DAMAGES TO COMMUNITY LAW ENFORCEMENT, OVERTIME, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, RIGHT? SO IMAGINE IF WE FOUND A WAY TO INVEST ONE SIXTH OF THAT, ONE SIXTH OF THAT INTO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE DOING TRAUMA RECOVERY, COMMUNITY-BASED HOLISTIC WORK, WE WOULD HAVE HUNDREDS OF HAMID.
AND THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF THAT WOULD BE UNCALCULABLE, RIGHT? AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT WE'RE EVER GONNA SING KUMBAYA AND ELIMINATE OR ERADICATE VIOLENCE, BUT WE CAN DO IT.
AND SO THE HUB AND I, WE WOULD LOVE TO SERVE AS A RESOURCE TO YOU AS YOU FIGURE OUT YOUR BUDGET, AS YOU FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN DO STRATEGIC PROGRAMMING WITH DOJ, WITH JC JJC, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR DIRECT FUNDING, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT HOW DO WE REORGANIZE SOME OF THIS BECAUSE LAW ENFORCEMENT IS PART OF THE SOLUTION.
BUT LAW DEPARTMENT IS JUST THAT, IT'S PART OF THE SOLUTION, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT'S FUELING VIOLENCE, AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT TREATING THE ROOTS AND THE SOIL, AND THAT'S WHAT PROGRAMMING DOES, UM, THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
BEFORE, BEFORE WE LEAVE, I JUST WANT TO STATE THAT WE ALSO HAVE LIKE MEN'S MEETING WITH INSIDE CIRCLE AND ANNIE CASEY FOUNDATION ON EVERY TUESDAY.
SO WE FOCUS ON THE YOUTH, BUT WE ALSO WORK WITH THE PARENTS AND THE MEN THAT COME.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TEACH THEM IS THAT THE HEALING IS IN THE WOMB, RIGHT? TO GO WHERE IT HURTS AT.
AND WE CAN START THE HEALING PROCESS.
I KNOW YOU GUYS HEARD THAT SO MANY TIMES, BUT WE, WE DON'T STOP THERE.
HURT PEOPLE, HURT PEOPLE, BUT HEAL PEOPLE AND HEALING PEOPLE CAN HEAL PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE HUB IS ALL ABOUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, ARI AND, UM, YOUR WORK, UM, IS KNOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN MANY SPACES, BUT YOU KNOW, IN PARTICULAR, UH, FOR COMING HERE AND BEING HERE TODAY.
I MEAN WE, I, WE HAVE TWO OTHER SPEAKERS, BUT, UM, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
AND, AND IN FACT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THIS IS, THIS IS, AGAIN, A, A GOV, YOU KNOW, IS, AND A, A LOT OF THE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE MADE IT A POINT TO SAY, THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT.
AND, AND WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT, BUT IN THE CLIMATE, UM, THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN, THERE SEEMS TO BE A, UM, AN OVERCORRECTION OR MOVEMENT AWAY FROM SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE KNOW WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING BECAUSE OF A PERCEPTION, UM, THAT THERE WAS A, UM, AN INCREASE IN A VIOLENT CRIME OR CRIME OVERALL.
I'M, I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND ARGUE ABOUT WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOWED OR DIDN'T SHOW, UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DEEPLY CONCERNS ME IS THAT, UM, PROGRAMMING, UM, LIKE, UH, THE ONE THAT, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROGRAMMING THAT'S HERE IN FRONT OF US, UM, HAS BEEN TARGETED, UM, AS BEING PART OF THE PROBLEM
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S CRITICAL I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR US TO HAVE FORUMS LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, TO, I THINK TO PUSH BACK ON THAT, YOU KNOW, ON THAT NARRATIVE.
UM, AND TO CONTINUE TO TRY AND EXPAND ON PROGRAMMING THAT WE KNOW, UM, IS WORKING TOWARDS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL.
UH, WITH THAT, UM, WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS WHO HAD, WHO HAD SHE HAS, PLEASE, COMMISSIONER.
UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE TO LEAVE, BUT I, I THOUGHT THAT I KNEW
[01:05:01]
I NEEDED TO BE HERE TO SUPPORT ALL OF THESE EFFORTS, UM, TO SOME WAY, SOME KIND OF WAY.FIND WAYS TO QUELL GUN VIOLENCE OR JUST VIOLENCE, JUST VIOLENCE IN PARTICULAR.
BUT I KNOW WE'RE HERE ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, SO I WANTED TO COME HERE AND LISTEN AND, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW AL TARIQUE VERY WELL IN THE HUB.
IN FACT, HE EVEN HAS MY PICTURE ON THE WALL, BEEN THERE A LONG TIME, JUST PAINTED ON THE WALL.
UM, SO ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO THAT MY OFFICE CAN DO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE MY UNDIVIDED ATTENTION.
WHEN YOU GO AND MEET WITH THE, THE LADIES AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I, IF I CAN ATTEND, I WILL BE THERE.
BORN AND RAISED IN NEWARK, AND I STILL LIVE IN NEWARK.
AND I DON'T HAVE TO, BUT I CHOOSE TO.
I CHOOSE TO STATE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY LIKE ED AND FOLKS LIKE THAT NEED TO SEE PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT'S RIGHT.
WHO ARE SUCCESSFUL STILL IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK UP AND SEE THAT.
AND WHATEVER YOU NEED, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE.
SORRY, I DO HAVE TO LEAVE THOUGH.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON.
AND ACTUALLY, I, I, UM, I THINK, UM, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN, UH, THE PERSON WHO INTRODUCED AL TORE TO ME.
SO
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE IN THE HEARING.
UM, WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, SPEAKERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO, TO SPEAK TONIGHT AND ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE.
UH, WE HAVE THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS FORUM.
I'M SORRY, JUST, COULD YOU PUT YOUR NAME ON THE RECORD AGAIN? SURE, OF COURSE.
I'M THE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION CHAIRPERSON FOR NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN IN ESSEX COUNTY.
AND I WORK ALONG WITH MOMS MAN ACTION OFTEN AND OTHER GUNS SAFETY ADVOCATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
I'M A MEMBER OF CEASEFIRE NEW JERSEY, WHICH INCLUDES BRADY MONS MAN ACTION MARCH FOR OUR LIVES, UH, OTHER, UH, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION BACKGROUND, UM, AND GIFFORDS AT TIMES.
UM, I HAVE SO MANY THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, BUT I KNOW I'M LIMITED.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO BREAK IT DOWN TO TWO, TWO THINGS.
ONE IS, UH, ON THE WORK ON SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS IS SO CRITICAL.
UH, I AM ON A, UH, A WORKING GROUP OF GUN SAFETY ADVOCATES THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON THE SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS LEGISLATION WITH SENATOR KRY, UM, AND ASSEMBLED IN GREENWALD.
IT'S, IT IS, IT IS STUCK AND THERE IS NOT AN INTEREST TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
AND ACTUALLY THE TWO BILLS ARE VERY DIFFERENT.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHER BILLS THAT HAVE COME UP RECENTLY THAT MIGHT BE, UM, MORE, UH, WELL RECEIVED BY THE ENTIRE, UH, ASSEMBLY AND, AND STATE SENATE.
AND THOSE ARE REGARDING EDUCATION.
NEST RAISED THE OTHER ONE ABOUT, UH, SAFE STORAGE IN, IN RETAILERS.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ON YOUR END CAN DO TO SUPPORT THOSE KIND OF ACTIONS, BUT I KNOW THAT GUN SAFETY ADVOCATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATIVE OF ANY SUPPORT.
UM, THE NEXT PRONG IS EDUCATION, WHETHER IT'S IPO OR SAFE STORAGE, OR OTHER, OTHER ISSUES REGARDING, UM, MAKING OUR STATE COMMITTEE SAFER.
THERE'S ONE ENGLISH ISSUE THAT THE PUBLIC REALLY HAS NO IDEA ABOUT.
IT'S THE BREWING CASE, AND THAT YOU CAN CARRY IN ANY PRIVATE BUSINESS UNLESS THERE'S A DECAL ON THE WALL SAYING YOU CAN'T.
SO, UM, WE ALSO ARE WORKING WITH A'S OFFICE TO GET THOSE DECALS OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
WE'RE NOT AS BIG AN ORGANIZATION AS MOMS, BUT I THINK THAT MAY I SUGGEST
I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC EVEN REALIZES IT.
AND I THINK IT WOULD RAISE THE RAISE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AS AN ISSUE.
THEY MAY TAKE IN CONSIDERATION WHEN THEY VOTE MORE AS WELL, WHICH I
[01:10:01]
THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.UM, THE NEXT, AND THE NEXT THING I'M GONNA SAY, WHICH I'M SORRY IF I'M A LITTLE BIT POLITICAL, BUT, UM, THE BIPARTISAN SAFETY COMMUNITIES ACT, UH, 2022 WAS IN RESPONSE TO VALDI, UM, MASSACRE.
IT DID DO A LOT OF GOOD WORK, INCLUDING IMPORTANTLY, AND I'M NOT HERE FOR THE HUB, BUT I LOVE THE HUB, UM, FUNDING COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY VIOLENCE, UM, HOSPITALS, INFANT INTERVENTION PROGRAMS. UM, I SIT ON WITH PEG IS THERE SOMETIMES THE NEURO COMMUNITY STREET TEAM VOTE TEAM ROUND TABLE.
AND I'M SURE THERE MUST BE SOMEONE HERE FROM THAT ORGANIZATION.
THAT ORGANIZATION IS SO REMARKABLE.
THEY'VE BEEN INVITED TO THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE.
UM, THEY ARE A ROLE MODEL FOR WHAT COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION IS AS, AS WELL AS THE HUB.
UM, AND MY CONCERN, AS I'M SURE YOURS IS, IS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THEM NOW.
UM, THE DAY OF THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION WAS ERADICATED.
I I HAVE NO DOUBT THERE'S FUNDING HAS BEEN ERADICATED FOR THESE COMMUNITY VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY, BUT IT IS, IT, IT IS FACTUALLY ACCURATE AS, AS THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM HUD SAID THAT CRIME HAS, WHEN VIOLENCE HAS GONE DOWN SINCE THE 2022 BILL, BECAUSE OF, MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING IN THE INNER CITIES.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN DO IT, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP THESE ORGANIZATIONS ALIVE.
UM, THEY DO AMAZING WORK, AND I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU AND MOMS, UM, ON ALL YOUR INITIATIVES.
UM, NATIONAL COUNCIL'S JEWISH IS, IS VERY INTERESTED AND INVOLVED, UM, ON THIS ISSUE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, NEXT UP WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM, UH, HERE.
MY CRIES HELP HER THAT GOOD EVENING.
CEO OF P MY TRIBE, A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
BORN FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCES FROM GUN VIOLENCE.
I HAD A DESIRE TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF MY ONLY CHILD, EVEN 27 YEARS OLD, WHO LOST HIS LIFE TO A CENSUS AUNT CENSUS ACT OF GUN VIOLENCE IN NEWARK ON OCTOBER 28TH, 2019.
THIS CAME THREE YEARS AFTER I TWO SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF GUN VIOLENCE.
I WAS LEFT AS A PARAPLEGIC FROM A SHOOTING ON APRIL 24TH, 2016, AFTER LOSING MY SON IAN.
THREE YEARS LATER, MY ONLY GODDAUGHTER, DEIA AGE 31, LOST HER LIFE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WITH A GUN IN JUNE OF 2022.
THE VISION AND PASSION OF HEARING MY CLASS IS TO HELP OTHER WOMEN, MEN, YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITY HEAL FROM THE TRAUMA OF VIOLENCE.
HERE, MY CLASS IS SUPPORTED BY A DEDICATED BOARD, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND COMMITTED COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS, THE BRICK CITY PEACE COLLECTIVE, THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND TRAUMA RECOVERY DEVOTED TEAM AND VOLUNTEERS.
I KNOW THE CONSISTENT WORK THAT WE DO IN THE COMMUNITY IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THOSE IMPACTED BY VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
A FAVORITE QUOTE ABOUT COLLABORATION BY HELEN KELLER SAYS, ALONE, WE CAN DO SO LITTLE, BUT TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH.
IT IS A KNOWN FACT THAT UNITY IS STRENGTH HERE.
MY CLASS HAS YEAR ROUND PROGRAMMING THAT INCLUDES OUR AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS, YOUTH MENTORSHIP, COLLEGE TOURS, GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS, TRAUMA INFORMED CARE, MEN EMPOWERMENT, ART THERAPY, STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, HEALING CIRCLES, DISCUSSIONS, PEACE RALLIES, COMMUNITY MEET AND GREETS.
OUR LARGER FUNCTIONS INCLUDE THE MEN AGAINST VIOLENCE LUNCHEON.
THE MEN AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE LUNCHEON, SORRY, EXCUSE ME.
OUR ANNUAL BROKEN CRAYON SYMPOSIUM.
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE SUFFERED GRIEF AND TRAUMA, OUR CONVERSATIONS SURROUNDING HEALING SERIES AND MUCH MORE, OUR PROGRAMS EDUCATE, CONNECT, MOBILIZE PEOPLE TO DECREASE GUN VIOLENCE AND VIOLENCE IN OUR AT-RISK COMMUNITIES, OUR COMMUNITY TO THE WORK, OUR COMMITMENT TO THE WORK AND THE COMMUNITY IS STRONG.
[01:15:01]
MOMENTUM.WE DID WELL TO DECREASE WE TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE HOMICIDE RATE IN NEWARK.
BUT WE HAVE MUCH MORE TO DO WITH STOPPING THE BALANCE.
FUNDING IS SORELY NEEDED FOR RESOURCES AND STAFF TO MAINTAIN AND BUILD ON THE SUCCESS THAT WE ALL ALREADY HAVE ACHIEVED.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD WISH TO BE HEARD? DO? OH, THANK YOU.
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
UM, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME AT A FARM LIKE THIS.
UM, THIS YOUNG LADY HERE GAVE ME THE INVITE 'CAUSE SHE FOUND OUT THAT, UM, I HAD THIS, A SIMILAR SITU SITUATION SHE HAD.
UM, I'M A PARENT, I'M A FATHER, I'M A BLACK MAN.
I JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE 62 YEARS OLD AND STILL FUNCTIONAL IN THIS WORLD.
UM, BUT WITHIN THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, I CAME BACK TO HELP MY SON GET BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH.
WITHIN EIGHT MONTHS, MY YOUNGEST SON WAS MURDERED IN THE CITY OF NEWARK.
AND, AND I'M NOT MAKING THE, HAVING THE CITY OF NEWARK LOOK BAD BECAUSE I LIVED IN OTHER STATES.
THE CITY OF NEWARK HAVE, IT IS NOT EVEN THAT CLOSE TO HOW OTHER STATES HAD, UH, VIOLENCE.
BUT THE THING THAT HAPPENED ALSO, AGAIN, JUST A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, MY OLDEST SON GOT MURDERED IN THE CITY OF ME.
UM, I HAVE A NONPROFIT CALLED MENDING HEARTS TOGETHER FOR HEALING, WHICH THE NONPROFIT WAS FOUNDED ON THE PURPOSE OF, UH, HELPING PARENTS THAT LOST CHILDREN SO WE CAN COPE TOGETHER.
'CAUSE WHEN I LOST MY FIRST SON, I TRIED TO FIND A PLACE IN, IN, IN EXES COUNTY OR IN NEWARK, WHERE I CAN GO AND I CAN SIT WITH OTHERS THAT HAD LOST CHILDREN.
I'M NOT KNOCKING NOBODY TO LOSE A NEPHEW OR, OR AUNT OR GRANDMOTHER.
LOSING THE CHILDREN IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT DIFFERENT LEVEL OF LOSS.
AND ME AS A, AS A MALE, IT IT IS, IT SAD SADDENS ME TO SEE THAT WHEN WE HAVE EVENTS, LIKE I DON'T, I'M SORRY, I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE HERE.
YOU MAY HAVE BEEN IN MY PATH, BUT, UM, HAS EVENTS THAT ME AND, UM, MS. JAMES PUT TOGETHER.
THERE'S NOT THAT MANY MALE FIGURES BECAUSE IT IS, IT IS.
I KNOW YOU TALK ABOUT FUNDING.
I KNOW EVERYBODY TALK ABOUT FUNDING.
FUNDING IS GOOD, BUT SHOWING NUMBERS AND, AND PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAYING THAT IT'S WRONG FOR WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND, AND WE GOTTA STOP LOOKING AT THE, AND I DON'T LOOK AT THE POLICE FORCE TO SAVE EVERYBODY.
'CAUSE THE POLICE FORCE IS TRYING TO SAVE THEY SELVES.
SO EVERYBODY'S QUICK TO SAY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, LAW ENFORCEMENT, LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND I GREW UP IN A TOWN WHERE THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES, AND THERE'S NO COLOR ON COMMUNITY.
IT'S JUST THAT YOU JUST GOTTA HAVE FAITH IN EACH OTHER IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
YOU CAN'T JUST SAY, WELL, UM, THIS COMMUNITY IS THIS WAY OR THIS COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE EVERYTHING, ALL OF THIS STUFF HAPPENED IN EVERY COMMUNITY.
BUT MY THING IS THIS, MY SON'S DAUGHTER, ONE OF MY SON'S DAUGHTER, MOTHER WENT TO TRY TO GET SOME HELP FOR MY GRANDDAUGHTER.
AND I THINK THAT WAS HURTING ENOUGH, SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T SUPPORT SOMEBODY.
THAT SON GOT MURDERED BY SOME DERANGED PERSON THAT JUST WAS, JUST WANTED TO MURDER SOMEBODY OR WAS JUST BEING RECKLESS WITH A WEAPON.
AND, UM, AND THEN I SEE A PLACE LIKE PARKLAND OR ONE OF THEM SCHOOLS GETTING, GETTING SHOT UP AND THEY GETTING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE GUN COMPANY.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GET IT.
I DON'T HATE ON HOW NOBODY GET, GET WHATEVER, BUT IT IS NO MONEY DISTRIBUTED LIKE THAT IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES.
BECAUSE INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING
PEOPLE NEED TO SAY, WELL, LET'S MAKE PLACES SO THAT THEY CAN GO SO THEY CAN GET COMFORT AND LEARN HOW NOT TO DESTROY EACH OTHER.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS NOT JUST A COLOR THING, IT'S JUST THAT IT SO HAPPENED THAT IN THIS, IN PARTICULAR ON DEMOGRAPHICS, IT'S JUST PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE A LOT OF INCOME.
YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT'S WORKING AND THEY COME HOME AND THEY FIND OUT THEIR CHILD HAS BEEN MURDERED.
NOBODY EXPECTED THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO IT, IT WOULD BE NICE THAT FUNDING WOULD COME FROM SOMEWHERE,
[01:20:01]
EVEN IF IT'S FOR PLACES WHERE WE CAN GO, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A, A, A A HUNDRED NON-PROFITS FROM DIFFERENT FOLK.BUT WE CAN JUST HAVE A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY CAN COME AND THEY CAN DEAL WITH THEIR TRAUMA.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, THE INNER CITY IS NOT, NOT AN EASY PLACE TO BE AT.
UM, NOT SAYING THE SERVE BIRDS IS EITHER, BUT, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT'S LOSING PEOPLE JUST AT THE SPARE OF THE MOMENT, THEY MIGHT, IT IT, BELIEVE ME, BELIEVE ME, I'VE BEEN THERE AND IT, UM, IT'S NOT GOOD.
AND AS A FATHER, AS A PARENT, UM, MY YOUNGEST SON, I, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE STORY ON THIS, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I SURVIVED.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THE NIGHT MY SON GOT MURDERED DURING THAT AFTERNOON.
ON THAT DAY, ME AND HIS LAST PHONE CALL WAS, HE WAS ASKING ME WAS I OKAY.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED, I WAS AT A, I DID, UM, I WORKED FOR THIS COMPANY WHERE I, I MOVED AROUND BEVERAGES AND WHAT HAPPENED? THE OLD FREIGHT ELEVATOR JUST SO HAPPENED TO, TO CUT, ALMOST CUT MY FINGER ALL THE WAY OFF.
IT'S WHAT MOST, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS CUT TO THE POINT.
I HAD TO HAVE SEEN THE LAST WORDS.
HE SAID TO ME, I LOVE YOU, DAD.
AND THEN LATER ON THAT NIGHT, HE GOT MURDERED ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE, UM, WHAT'S THE THING THEY DO ON THE NORTH? THE, WHEN THEY CEASE FIRE, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT CALLED? UM, THE STOCK VIOLENCE, THE 24 HOURS A PIECE.
THE, THE NIGHT OF DEATH WAS MURDER.
UM, AND I'M NOT SEEKING FOR NO PITY OR, OR NO.
I JUST WANT SOMEBODY TO GIVE, TO SHOW THAT THEY CARE ABOUT THESE YOUTH.
MY SON WAS EIGHT 19 YEARS OLD.
I CAME BACK TO NORTH CAROLINA TO HELP HIM TO GET BACK WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE.
I'M GONNA GIVE THEM THEIR CREDIT BECAUSE THE URBAN LEAGUE DID A HECK OF A JOB.
AND, UM, JUST THE DAY BEFORE HE GOT MURDERED, UM, THE GENTLEMAN FROM THE URBAN LEAGUE CAME AND ACTUALLY ON HALF KEVIN COME BACK.
WE GOING TO REENTRY HIM INTO THIS CLASS THAT I HAD GOT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE BREAKS OUT HERE.
I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND TELL YOU HE WAS AN ANGEL.
BUT IT IS JUST THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT GO, THERE'S REALLY NO PLACE WHERE INNER CITY KIDS CAN GO.
ALL THEY PARENTS WHERE THEY CAN JUST SIT.
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT KEEP GOING TO A CHURCH AND DOING IT.
I'M TALKING ABOUT AN ACTUAL PLACE WHERE I'VE SEEN IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, BEAUTIFUL PLACES, BRAND SMACKING NEW FROM THE BOTTOM UP, FROM GLASS TO MARBLE TO WHATEVER, AND HAVE THE NAMES OF THE, OF THE CHILDREN ON THE FOLK THAT WERE MURDERED.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S AN INSPIRING LOOK.
I, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE SHOT ARTILLERY ROUNDS AND I THINK, I STILL THINK SEEING THEM BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS ROCKS ME MORE THAN JUST HITTING ARTILLERY ROUND GO OFF.
YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I'M 62 YEARS OLD.
I'VE SEEN, I'VE LIVED IN THIS CITY WHEN I REMEMBER PEOPLE OF COLOR COULDN'T EVEN GO DOWNTOWN.
THEY SHOP IN SPRINGFIELD, COME ON DOWN.
FOR ME TO SIT HERE AND HAVE TO PRETTY MUCH ALMOST ASK PEOPLE TO HELP US OR THOSE THAT'S BEEN AFFECTED BY SOMEONE GETTING A GUN AND SHOOTING IT.
THERE'S NO COLOR ON THE GUN BECAUSE BULLETS, BULLETS ARE ALL MADE THE SAME.
I, I'M A, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT BULLETS COST $2,000.
THE GUN VIOLENCE WOULD GO DOWN.
YOU BUY A BOX OF BOOKS, BARELY 10 BUCKS THAT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
THAT'S, BUT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND IF ANYONE IN THIS ROOM CAN AT LEAST HELP FOLK, YOUNG LADY, MS. JAMES AT LEAST FIND WAYS TO EASE IT.
IN MY PLATFORM WITH MY NONPROFIT IS TRYING TO HAVE PARENTS COME TOGETHER AND COPE TOGETHER JUST BY SAYING ME, CONTINUE TO STAND STRONG.
AND BELIEVE ME, I DON'T KNOW HOW I DO IT.
BECAUSE EVERYBODY THAT SEE ME, THEY GO, THEY GO, HOW DO YOU DO IT? AND I, AND I PLAINLY SAY THIS, I'M NOT A RELIGIOUS PERSON, BUT I SAY, GOD MUST BE SAVING ME FOR SOMEONE ELSE, YOU KNOW, AT ALL.
I JUST HOPE THESE WORDS, UM, GET SOMEONE TO COME ABOUT.
'CAUSE ON THAT PART, I'M, I'M DEFINITELY HERE FOR THAT PART.
'CAUSE UM, I GOT SOMETHING INVESTED IN THIS.
I GOT BLOOD INVESTED IN THIS, SO THERE'S NO, TODAY I'LL BE LIKE, UM, I'M DEDICATED TOMORROW.
UM, SO MANY GOTTA STOP PLAYING WITH THESE COMMUNITIES THAT'S IN THESE COMMUNITIES PLAYING, THAT THEY DOING SOMETHING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
FIRST WE GOTTA DUSE THESE MINDS BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE'S IN TRAUMA, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN TRAUMA.
SO IT STARTS WITH TRAUMA AND IT WORKS ITS WAY TO, TO SOLVING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON IN CERTAIN CITIES BECAUSE IT'S EVERYWHERE.
BECAUSE NOBODY EXPECTED THE GUY COLORADO TO WALK IN A MOVIE THEATER TO START, YOU KNOW, SO COLOR, DEFINITELY HATE, HATE THE THING FOR, UM,
[01:25:01]
BUT IF ANYONE, ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME OR WANT TO, UM, CONTRIBUTE OR WANT MY INFORMATION, I'M OVER HERE ONCE AGAIN WITH THIS YOUNG LADY.DID SHE TELL Y'ALL HER STORY? YEAH.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT DID SHE, SHE, I TOLD HER MINE.
I'M LIKE, HEY, GOD KEPT US FOR WHAT WE DOING.
AND THANK YOU, MR. BAKER FOR BEING, FOR, FOR BEING HERE AND SHARING YOUR, SHARING YOUR PERSONAL STORY, UM, AND YOUR TIME AND, UM, AND YOUR EXPERIENCE.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, UM, ANYTIME SOMEONE TAKES TRAGEDY AND TRIES TO CONTINUE TO PERSEVERE, UM, YOU KNOW, HATS OFF TO YOU BECAUSE I, I KNOW THAT IT'D BE VERY EASY FOR YOU ALSO JUST TO BE AT HOME,
SO, UM, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT I THINK THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE, UM, NOT ONLY IN THIS ROOM, BUT ARE EXTENSIONS OF THIS ROOM, UM, WHO SHARE THOSE SENTIMENTS AND WANT TO SEE, UH, THE EXECUTION OF THE VISION THAT YOU JUST OUTLINED.
SO ONE OF THE MOST BASIC THINGS WE'LL DO, WE'LL BE ABLE, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO SHARE THROUGH OUR OFFICE, UM, WITH EVERYONE WHO WAS HERE.
SO EVERYONE HAS CONTACT INFORMATION.
USE THIS AS A PLATFORM TO DO THAT, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I'M JUST, I'M JUST GONNA ASK, SO WE'RE GONNA, UM, TRY TO, WE, WE JUST WANTED TO ALSO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME QUESTIONS WHILE WE HAD HER.
SO GONNA TRY TO, UM, IF WE CAN KEEP, UM, BETWEEN THREE TO FIVE MINUTES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
IT WOULD BE, WILL BE THE SHORTEST.
JUST, YOU NAME YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
DANIELLE FRANCOIS, ESSEX COUNTY FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.
I WAS NOT PREPARED TO SPEAK, BUT I FELT COMPELLED.
UH, SO, UH, I HAVE NOTHING TO LIKE, PREPARE.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY EXACTLY.
I'VE BEEN SPEAKING, UH, PUBLIC PUBLICLY FOR NINE YEARS.
FOR SOME REASON I'M SO NERVOUS.
UM, IT WAS MENTIONED, IT WAS BRIEFLY MENTIONED IN SOME OF OTHER COMMENTS, THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS ALSO AFFECTED BY GUN VIOLENCE.
UM, I'M HERE AGAIN, REPRESENTING THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.
WE PROVIDE FREE SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LIVING IN ESSEX.
I THINK IT'S ALSO VERY IMPORTANT, UM, IN THIS POLITICAL CLIMATE TO SAY THAT WE ALSO OFFER SERVICES TO, UM, UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR, YOUR STATUS.
WE WILL OFFER FREE SERVICES TO YOU IF YOU NEED THEM.
UM, I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT WE JUST INCLUDE SURVIVORS IN THIS CONVERSATION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UH, AND AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE ECPO AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR INCLUDING THEM.
UM, AGAIN, I REALLY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY.
IT IS JUST THAT I WANT US TO KEEP THAT IN MIND, RIGHT? THAT SURVIVORS ARE AFRAID RIGHT NOW, UM, ESPECIALLY TO GET, UH, RESTRAINING ORDERS IF THEY ARE UNDOCUMENTED.
UM, AND RESTRAINING ORDERS CAN POTENTIALLY HELP THEM AND SAVE THEM IF THEIR ABUSER HAS FIREARMS. RIGHT? WE CAN LIST FIREARMS ON A RESTRAINING ORDER.
THE POLICE IS REQUIRED TO CONFISCATE THOSE FIREARMS. HOWEVER, IF SOMEBODY'S AFRAID TO GO TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEN THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN.
RIGHT? THEY DON'T GET THAT PROTECTION.
UM, AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA.
UM, ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC HEARING AND SEEING NONE, JUST OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FOR, UM, FOR OUR PANELISTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.
COMMISSIONER MERCADO? YES, THANK YOU.
UH, UH, COMMISSIONER COLLEAGUE.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA TRY TO BE BRIEF, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH TO SAY ON THIS SUCH IMPORTANT TOPIC.
UM, MOST OF YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHO I AM, BUT, UM, ASIDE FROM BEING A COMMISSIONER, UM, I AM A SOCIAL WORK AND CO AND JUVENILE JUSTICE PRACTITIONER.
I WORKED FOR THE JUVENILE JUSTICE COMMISSION FOR THE LAST 27 YEARS, UM, UH, OVERSEEING THE OFFICE OF JUVENILE PAROLE AND TRANSITIONAL SERVICES.
UM, AND I'VE COMMITTED MY ENTIRE CAREER TO HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES AND,
[01:30:01]
UM, HAVE SEEN, UH, WHAT VIOLENCE DOES, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES.UM, THE YOUNG IS SPECIFICALLY, UH, I'VE FOCUSED MY CAREER IS WORKING WITH THE YOUNGER KIDS.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME THE ADULTS.
AND, UM, I WANNA APPLAUD ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS TODAY.
ES, UM, THANK YOU, UH, AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
UM, 'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED SOME DATA, UM, AND NOT FOR TODAY, BUT, UM, IF THERE'S ANY DATA SPECIFIC TO ESSEX COUNTY, UM, I'LL BE INTERESTED IN, IN, IN THAT, UM, TO MOMS WHO DEMAND ACTION, UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
ESSEX COUNTY, UM, UH, AND NEWARK IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE I LIVE IN NEWARK.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE AND STILL LIVE HERE.
UM, WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY THAT LIVE HERE.
THAT'S RIGHT BETWEEN THE NORTH POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE, UH, UH, THE CORRECTIONS.
UH, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY LEVELS.
THE FEDERAL MARSHALS, THERE'S SO MANY LEVELS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT LIVE IN THIS COUNTY AND IN, AND IN NORTH IN PARTICULAR.
UM, AND THAT SECURE GUN STORAGE IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT LIVE IN HOMES.
UM, AND SOMETIMES, UM, THEY LEAVE THE GUN AROUND.
YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T SECURE IT AS THEY SHOULD.
THEY MAKE SU, THEY MAY SECURE THEIR PERSONAL WEAPON, BUT LEAVE THEIR, UH, THEIR STATE ISSUE OR COUNTY ISSUE WEAPON AROUND.
SO THERE'S SO MANY, UM, UH, UH, WAYS THAT WE CAN ASSIST, UH, TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT SAFETY, SECURE STORAGE.
UM, AND, AND I WILL DEFINITELY, UM, BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THAT INITIATIVE ON OUR END.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND I THINK WE CAN UTILIZE OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY TO SPREAD THAT MESSAGE.
UM, AND IT'S HOW YOU GET THE MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE THAT OWN GUNS THAT LEGALLY OWN GUNS.
UM, AND THAT, AND AS THE, UH, UH, DOCTOR, AS NESTA SAYS, UM, MOST SUICIDES ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD GUNS FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WITNESSED SOME HORRIFIC SITUATIONS RIGHT HERE IN OUR COUNTY.
SHERIFF OFFICER COMMITTING SUICIDE.
UM, JUST NOT LONG AGO, A FRIEND OF OURS, UM, AND, AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT, UM, THAT WAS, WAS IN SUCH A DARK PLACE THAT THEN FELT THEY DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO AND THEY HAD THAT WEAPON AVAILABLE.
SO HOW WE CAN SECURE THAT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, I THINK, UM, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UM, TO OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
CAPTAIN JENKINS AND CAPTAIN RILEY.
THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UH, UH, IN OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT PLAYS AN A, A SUCH AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THIS COUNTY.
AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY ON THE STREETS, BUT IN THE PARKS AND IN THE COURTS.
AND, AND, AND THEY, THEY HAVE, THEIR UNIT IS, IS SUCH, UH, IMPORTANT UNIT TO THE COUNTY, TO THE STATE, THEIR BOMB SQUAD.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE SO MANY INTEGRAL PARTS OF, OF, OF WHAT THEY DO AND, AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
UM, AND I'M GONNA BE BIASED BECAUSE MY SON IS A SHERIFF OFFICER
AND, UM, AND, AND I, UH, TOTALLY SUPPORT, UM, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY.
I COME FROM A FAMILY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, A BROTHER THAT WAS A CAPTAIN, ANOTHER BROTHER LIEUTENANT IN CORRECTIONS, UM, TWO THAT ARE STILL, UM, UH, IN, IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THE RISK AND I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY ON BOTH SIDES.
UM, SAFETY FOR OUR COMMUNITY, UM, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND OUR FAMILIES, AND SAFETY FOR OUR OFFICERS.
'CAUSE WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE OFFICERS THAT ARE COMMITTING SUICIDE, THAT ARE, UH, COMING TO A PLACE IN, IN THEIR LIFE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, FIND THEMSELVES, UH, UNABLE TO, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY COPE.
UM, AND, AND, AND THEY WERE SO, UM, TO OUR PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, UM, TO OUR PROSECUTOR, STEVENS AND MY GOOD FRIEND GWENDOLYN.
SHE AND I, UH, GO WAY BACK, UM, MANY YEARS, UH, WORKING, UM, WITH THE POLICE INSTITUTE AND, AND, AND, AND SAFETY AND COMMUNITY, UM, REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE.
UM, AND IT WAS LED BY RUTGERS, THE SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
AND, UM, UH, GWENLYNN WAS PART OF THAT TEAM THAT WAS AROUND THE TABLE WITH A DOCTOR, A RESEARCHER THAT WAS HELPING NEWARK FIGURE OUT HOW TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE, UM, IN OUR CITY.
AND, UH, AGAIN, UM, TO THE HUB.
UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
[01:35:01]
UM, IN MY DAY JOB IN, IN, IN, IN JJC, JUVENILE PAROLE AS OUR YOUNG PEOPLE RETURN HOME FROM INCARCERATION.MANY OF THEM WITH, UM, UH, UH, WEAPONS OFFENSES, AND MANY OF THEM IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE, SUPPORT, AND SERVICES.
UM, AND WE'VE LEANED ON THE HUB, UM, TO HELP US, UM, THEN HELP THE YOUNG PEOPLE TRANSITION BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, GET A JOB, GO TO WORK, GET TO COUNSELING, GET MENTORING.
THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE CAN OFFER THEM SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO, UM, GO BACK TO THE LIFE THAT THEY WERE, UM, THAT THEY WERE LIVING.
AND, UM, AND THAT'S SAY THEY PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART, UM, WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE IT'S OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT, UM, ARE REALLY THE, UH, THE FUTURE, RIGHT? SO, AND NOW WE GOTTA START, LIKE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EVEN HIGH SCHOOL, IT'S MIDDLE SCHOOL NOW.
IT'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, YOU KNOW.
AND, UM, GWENDOLYN TALKED ABOUT GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND SPEAKING TO FOLKS OUT, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY AND SCHOOLS ABOUT THE WORK IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN AND LEARN ABOUT, UM, IN CIVICS.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, TO MS. JAMES, UM, YOU KNOW, HEAR MY CRIES.
UM, I, I, I WAS READING ABOUT, UM, THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT ARE FUNDED, UM, BY THE NEW JERSEY, UH, DIVISION OF, UH, VIOLENCE PER INTERVENTION AND VICTIM ASSISTANCE.
UM, AND, AND THEY LIST ABOUT 12 AGENCIES IN ESSEX COUNTY, UM, THAT WERE FUNDED, UH, AS A COMMUNITY BASED VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM.
AND, AND THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, 12 AGENCIES THAT GET FUNDING FROM THERE.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A BUNCH OF AGENCIES THAT GET FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF AGENCIES THAT ARE WORKING IN, IN VIOLENCE INTERVENTION.
AND, UM, AGAIN, IS THAT COLLABORATION OF KNOWING WHAT THE OTHER IS DOING, SUPPORTING EACH OTHER, AND SUPPORTING THE WORK THAT THAT GETS DONE.
AND THEN, UM, TO MR. BAKER, THANK YOU FOR, UM, FOR YOUR REMARKS.
AND, UM, I AM SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.
UM, UM, AND, AND, AND, UH, IT'S, UM, IT REALLY TOUCHES MY HEART WHEN SOMEONE, YOU LOSE ONE CHILD, YOU KNOW, TO LOSE TWO, TWO SONS, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SO TRAUMATIC, YOU KNOW? AND I, UM, REALLY, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UM, FOR YOUR FOCUS TO, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON BEHALF OF, OF, OF YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR SONS AND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND TO ALL THE AGENCIES HERE THAT ARE HERE TODAY, AND SOME THAT I MAY HAVE NOT MENTIONED.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UM, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
WE WANT TO BE TO SPEARHEAD THROUGH, UM, TO COMMISSIONER GILL WHO HAS, UM, UH, UH, SPEARHEADED THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, THANK YOU, UH, MR. CHAIR FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.
AND THIS IS JUST THE FIRST MEETING.
UM, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO JOIN US, UM, TO SHARE EACH OTHER'S.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER, GET TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO BRING, UM, THE AGENCIES TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ON THIS END.
YOU KNOW, IF IT MEANS FUNDING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO PUSH TO TRY TO SEE, UM, IF THAT IS A POSSIBILITY, I WILL FIGHT FOR THAT ON YOUR BEHALF.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT COUNTY FUNDS ANY SPECIFIC ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAM, AND IF WE DO NOT, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD.
UM, SO I WILL BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THAT WITH, UM, MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE, UH, UM, AND, AND FOR THE ONES THAT I'M NOT HERE AS WELL, UM, I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT BECAUSE OUR COLLEAGUES ARE NOT HERE, THAT THEY DON'T FEEL THAT THIS IS A JOINT ISSUE.
WE HAVE BUDGET HEARINGS, UM, FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS.
UM, AND, UH, BUT THEY, UM, I, I BELIEVE WILL SHARE, UM, MY, MY, MY ENTHUSIASM AND, AND, AND MY COMMITMENT TO THIS ISSUE IN MY OFFICE.
I AM AVAILABLE, UM, FOR ANYONE.
AND, UM, I'M NOT GONNA ASK ANY OTHER THING.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MERCADO.
UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR EFFORTS, YOUR WORK, AND FOR, YOU KNOW, AND FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER.
UM, THERE'S A QUOTE THAT I'M GONNA BUTCHER, BUT IT SAYS SOMETHING LIKE, THE SMARTEST PEOPLE IN THE ROOM ALWAYS HAVE SMARTER PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
UM, YOUR WISDOM ISN'T JUST BY WHAT YOU HOLD YOURSELF, BUT IN THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM THAT YOU ASSEMBLED THROUGH COMMUNITY.
WHEN I THINK OF THE ROOM THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, THAT COMMISSIONER GILL HAS SHEPHERDED,
[01:40:01]
THAT'S EVIDENCE OF REAL WISDOM OF BRINGING TOGETHER LIKE MINDS AND HEARTS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND STORIES AND EXPERIENCES, BUT COMMITMENT TO SAYING, THIS ACTUALLY ISN'T NORMAL CHILDREN AND INNOCENT PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE DYING WHEN IT'S PREVENTABLE.AND THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
SO, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER GILL.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR STEWARDSHIP AND OF THIS SPACE.
AND FOR, UM, EVERYONE WHO'S HERE TODAY, UH, FROM THE ES COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, TO THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE TO DR.
ANES AND YOUR WORK, UM, AT THE NJ GUN VIOLENCE RESEARCH, OF COURSE, TO, TO MOM'S DEMAND ACTION, WHO WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE WORK WITH AND HAVE HAD HERE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE TOO.
ALWAYS GREAT TO BE IN SPACE AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU AGAIN, UM, TO THE HUB, TO THE NATIONAL, UH, COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN TO HEAR MY CRIES.
AND OF COURSE, FOR THE ESS COUNTY FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.
AND, UH, HEAR MY CRIES IN PARTICULAR AS A NEWARK ARE THROUGH AND THROUGH.
UM, IN FACT, MY OWN STORY, JUST LIKE MANY OF US WHO ARE ON THIS BOARD OR IN THE ROOM, THIS WORK ISN'T JUST WORK.
UM, I REMEMBER GETTING A CALL FROM MY MOTHER WHEN I WAS VISITING MY GRANDMA IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
'CAUSE FOLKS WHO KNOW IF YOU'RE BLACK AMERICAN FROM UP NORTH, NINE TIMES OUTTA 10, YOU GOT FAMILY IN THE SOUTH.
SO MY MOM WOULD SEND ME TO SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE SUMMERS TO SPEND TIME WITH MY GRANDMOTHER.
AND I REMEMBER GETTING A CALL FROM MY MOM AND HER EXPLAINING TO ME THROUGH THE ANALOGY OF THE LION KING.
AND WHAT HAPPENED TO, WAS IT MUSTAFA, THE NAME OF THE FATHER, UM, THAT MY DAD, HEART, HIS HEART HAD STOPPED.
WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL A, MAYBE A FEW DAYS OR SO LATER WHEN I WAS ON THE TRAIN BACK UP TO NEWARK, UM, THAT HIS HEART DIDN'T JUST STOP, THAT IT WAS, HE WAS KILLED.
IT WAS INTENTIONALLY STOPPED, UM, BY A GUN AND PARTICULARLY BY A YOUNG MAN.
UM, AND I OFTEN WONDER HOW DIFFERENT OUR LIVES WOULD'VE BEEN IF THE YOUNG MAN WHO TOOK MY FATHER'S LIFE WOULD'VE HAD A HUB AND WOULD'VE OPTED TO PICK UP A BOOK OR A PEN OR A HEADPHONES AND A STUDIO RECORDING HIS ART AS OPPOSED TO A GUN, RIGHT? AND SO AND SO, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
SO I WANNA, AND IN FACT, BEFORE I EVEN GOT INTO RUNNING FOR OFFICE, IT WAS REALLY THROUGH ASKING MYSELF THOSE QUESTIONS AND SAYING LIKE, HAMED RIGHT, I'M GONNA BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM.
BEING 19, STARTING A NONPROFIT FOR YOUNG WOMEN AFFECTED BY GUN VIOLENCE AND OTHER FORMS OF TRAUMA HERE IN NEWARK, UM, THAT GOT ME INTO POLITICS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SOMETIMES YOU'RE CALLED TO THE WORK, UH, BEFORE YOU ARE CALLING ON IT.
AND THE WORK CALLED ME, UNFORTUNATELY, THROUGH A STORY OF TRAUMA, BUT IT'S GRATEFULLY TO BE HERE.
SO I JUST WANT TO GO INTO TWO QUICK THINGS, COMMITMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM COMMISSIONER GILL, COMMISSIONER MERCADO, UM, SUCH AN INCREDIBLE BROTHER AND ALLY IN THIS WORK.
ON AND OFF THE DEUS, AND OF COURSE TO COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON, WHO IS HERE, UM, EQUALLY, UH, DEDICATED BROTHER.
UM, AND ALL OF OUR COLLEAGUES WERE, WERE COMMITTED.
UM, WERE COMMITTED TO SPREADING AWARENESS, UH, PARTICULARLY ON ALL THINGS.
AND I KNOW THERE WERE SOME TANGIBLES THAT WERE OFFERED, UH, FROM OUR PARTNERS AT MOMS AND MAIN ACTION, AND DR.
ANESTI ON THE SMART AND SECURE GUN SAFETY, PARTNERING WITH OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UH, PARTNERING WITH EVEN OUR, UH, LOCAL, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN OUR RESPECTIVE, UH, DISTRICTS.
I KNOW FOR ME, I REPRESENT DISTRICT TWO, SO THAT'S NEWARK CENTRAL WARD AND SOUTH WARD NEWARK IN PARTICULAR.
UM, MAPLEWOOD AND IRVINGTON, WE, ALL OF US THOUGH, HAVE DEEP TIES IN RELATIONSHIPS TO THE MUNICIPAL LEADERS AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT LEADERS WITHIN OUR DISTRICTS AND THE COUNTY AT LARGE.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP TO MAKE SURE THESE VERY ACTIONABLE ASKS ON, UH, COMMUNICATIONS AND GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT SMART AND SECURE GUN SAFETY IS DONE.
SO, SO AWARENESS, UH, CONNECTED TO THAT ACTIVATION.
SO WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO KIND OF BUFFER THAT SPREADING OF AWARENESS WITH ACTUAL ORDINANCES OR RESOLUTIONS AND TOWN HALLS LIKE THIS THAT MAKE SURE WE DON'T JUST TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WE BE ABOUT IT.
UM, AND AS I THINK LOOK AT OUR, OUR SHERIFF'S, UH, WITH CAPTAINS TO, UH, TO OUR WRIGHT AND I THINK ABOUT A BROTHER, UH, HISTORIC, UH, UH, HISTORY MAKING, UH, SHERIFF AMIR JONES, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE PARTNERS IN OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HERE IN ESSEX COUNTY, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACTIVATED AND AWARE AND OF COURSE, HOLDING FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, BE IT FROM OUR STATE LEGISLATURE, UM, TO DOWN TO OUR LOCAL LEVELS, TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE THE COMMITMENTS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW JUST A FEW, TWO QUESTIONS JUST 'CAUSE WE HAVE SUCH EXPERTS IN THE ROOM.
UM, I'D LIKE TO START WITH DR.
ANESTI AND MOM'S DEMAND ACTION, AS WE HEARD SO BEAUTIFULLY FROM HAMID AND THE TEAM
[01:45:01]
AT, UM, HUB, THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM.AND IF WE ARE NOT SUPER INTENTIONAL, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE CAN BE OVERREPRESENTED IN, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE IN, IN THE, AND FOLKS WHO ARE NOT ONLY VICTIMS OF THE GUN, BUT ON THE SIDE PULLING THE TRIGGER.
SO, I'D LIKE TO KNOW FROM YOUR RESEARCH, DO YOU HAVE DATA KIND OF BREAKING DOWN? UM, WHAT ARE THE PERCENTAGES OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO, PARTICULARLY IN THE PAST, LIKE ONE TO TWO OR THREE TO FIVE YEARS, WHATEVER IS KIND OF THE MOST RECENT TREAT, UH, UH, MARKER.
WHAT IS OUR DATA ON YOUNG PEOPLE AS FAR AS YOUNG PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATION? BE IT IN THE, UM, THE SUICIDE PIECE, UH, BE IT IN, UH, PERPETRATION.
I KNOW FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN BEFORE AT THE AGGREGATED LIKE FEDERAL LEVEL, IT DOES SEEM LIKE IT, IT IS ON THE RISE.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT LIKE, IF YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR DATA, UM, MORE LOCALIZED THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO.
AND THEN LASTLY, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS WAS BROUGHT UP, UH, BEAUTIFULLY AND, UH, UNFORTUNATELY SO SAD IN THE VARIOUS DYNAMICS OF IT FROM THE ESS COUNTY FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.
BUT WITH THE RISE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, UH, PER, UH, RATES AND PARTICULARLY THE PREVALENCE OF GUNS THERE, ARE WE SEEING THE PERCENTAGE OF GUNS THAT ARE SHOWING UP? HOW MANY, WHAT PERCENT IS OUR LEGAL OWNERSHIP VERSUS ILLEGAL? I'M CURIOUS JUST ABOUT THE NUMBERS THERE.
UM, AND THEN SECONDLY, ON THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PIECE FOR THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AS WELL, LIKE, HOW CAN WE HELP, I'M LOOKING AT THIS ROOM FULL OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
ALL OF US ARE CONNECTED TO VARIOUS PARTNERS.
HOW CAN WE HELP, PARTICULARLY ON THE CONTINUING TO CONTINUING TO BE PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN BE IT GETTING MORE INTO THE SCHOOLS AND DOING TRAININGS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND, UH, WARNING SIGNS.
BUT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT YOU CAN LEVERAGE THE PARTNERS? AND THEN ALSO, DO YOU HAVE DATA ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE SHOWING UP, UM, WITHIN THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CRIMES THAT WE'RE SEEING? ARE THEY YOUNGER? ARE THEY OLDER? IS IT A RANGE? IS THERE A CERTAIN GENDER TREND THAT YOU'RE SEEING? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DATA YOU HAVE BOTH AS FAR AS, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS, REPEAT OFFENDERS VERSUS NEW OFFENDERS? AND WHAT, WHAT AREAS OF HELP MIGHT YOU ALL NEED IN YOUR DEPARTMENTS? SO WHOEVER WOULD LIKE TO, TO START.
AND IF YOU CAN'T GET ALL OF THAT NOW, I'M HAPPY TO, I KNOW THIS ISN'T, THIS IS THE FIRST CONVERSATION OF FURTHER ONES, SO, BUT JUST WANTED TO PLANT THOSE SEEDS.
'CAUSE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION COULD BE HELPFUL FOR US AS WE THINK ABOUT AWARENESS, ACTIVATION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WELL, COMMISSIONER, I CAN SAY, UM, AT THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, WHEN WE HAVE OUR, UM, INTERACTION WITH THE YOUTH, WE FIND THAT THERE IS A HIGH RATE OF TEEN DATING VIOLENCE.
AND WE DEAL WITH, UM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP, UM, INFORM YOUNG PEOPLE.
A LOT OF TIMES, I HATE TO SAY IT, IT'S A LEARNED EXPERIENCE BECAUSE THEY KNOW OF FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE IN THE SAME SITUATION.
UM, SO THAT IT'S HARD SOMETIMES TO BREAK A CYCLE.
BUT WE ALSO, AT THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE HAVE WHAT WE CALL OUR SANCTUARY PROGRAM.
IT'S A HUNDRED HOURS OF TRAINING THAT WE GIVE TO COMMUNITY PEOPLE AT NO CHARGE.
WE HAVE A CLASS THAT WILL BE STARTING IN FEBRUARY.
IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND YOU, UM, SEARCH THE SANCTUARY, UM, PROGRAM.
IT IS HOW TO RECOGNIZE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE SOME PEOPLE, AS I SAID, IT'S A LEARNED EXPERIENCE, SO THEY DON'T RECOGNIZE IT BECAUSE THEIR FRIENDS ARE IN THE SAME TYPES OF SITUATIONS.
BUT IT'S GOING OUT, UM, TALKING, TEACHING, AND BEING ABLE TO LISTEN.
WE ALSO, WHEN WE HAVE OUR YOUTH CONFERENCES, AND WE DO THOSE TWICE A YEAR, UH, WE HAVE ONE CONFERENCE THAT'S CALLED WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT, YOUTH CONFERENCE.
AND, UM, WHAT WE DO IN THAT CONFERENCE IS THAT WE HAVE VARIOUS DIFFERENT SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AT THE CONFERENCE AND PART OF THE CONFERENCE, OTHER THAN LEARNING ABOUT INTERNET SAFETY, UH, FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE NORMALLY DO, MAKING GOOD DECISIONS, HOW TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION.
WE HAVE THEM TO FILL OUT, THEY RECEIVE A CARD AND THEY HAVE TO ANSWER THE CARD.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS MIGHT BE, I HAVE A FRIEND WHO CAME TO ME IN CONFIDENCE AND TOLD ME THAT HER BOYFRIEND BEATS HER AND SHE REFUSES TO SAY ANYTHING TO HER PARENTS.
HOW CAN I HELP HER? AND THEY ARE TO GO TO FIND OUT WHAT AGENCY WOULD HELP THEM, HELP HER FRIEND.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES THERE ARE SCENARIOS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP CONFIDENCES AND SOMETIMES SOME OF THE CONFIDENCES THAT WE KEEP, IT'S A CRY FOR HELP.
AND IF YOU DON'T TELL SOMEONE WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO HELP THEM,
[01:50:01]
UM, SOMETIMES THERE'RE TRAGIC RESULTS.SO IT'S EDUCATION AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, TALKING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, AND HAVING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM, THAT IF WE COULD GET EACH OTHER'S CONTACT INFORMATION, THAT WE COULD ALSO INCLUDE THEM INTO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
UNFORTUNATELY, UM, PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER OF THE PURSE LIKE THE COMMISSIONERS DO.
WE LEARN HOW TO, UH, WORK ON A SHOESTRING.
BUT WHAT WE ALSO DO IS THAT WE ALSO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND TRY TO HELP EACH OTHER IN TERMS OF KNOWING WHAT THE OTHER ORGANIZATION DOES AND HOPEFULLY HELPING OTHER PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT THEM AS WELL.
I CAN ANSWER THE FIRST PART OF THE QUESTION.
SO ON THE HOMICIDE SIDE OF THINGS, YOU DO SEE PRETTY HIGH NUMBERS AMONGST YOUTH, PARTICULARLY WITHIN BLACK OR BROWN COMMUNITIES, THAT THE DIS THE DEGREE TO WHICH THAT'S DISPROPORTIONATE IS, UH, HORRIFYING ACTUALLY.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S A UNAMBIGUOUS STAT ON THE SUICIDE SIDE OF THINGS.
IT DOES TEND TO BE HIGHER RATES IN MIDDLE AGED AND OLDER ADULTS.
BUT WHERE YOU ARE SEEING MORE OF AN ALARMING TREND, IT'S STILL A LOWER NUMBER THAN THOSE FOLKS.
BUT YOUNG BLACK ADULTS AND BLACK YOUTH HAVE SEEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THEIR SUICIDE RATE.
AND WE CAN'T SAY FOR WHY THAT IS, BUT I THINK A BIG CHUNK OF THAT IS BECAUSE THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF FIREARM OWNERSHIP HAVE CHANGED.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGE OF NEW FIREARM OWNERS OVER THE LAST FIVE OR SO YEARS, THE PERCENTAGE THAT IDENTIFY AS BLACK, AS HISPANIC OR AS FEMALE ALL INCREASED DRAMATICALLY FAR DISPROPORTIONATE TO HOW MUCH THEY ARE REPRESENTED IN THE POPULATION.
AS WHERE THERE'S MORE FIREARMS, THERE'S MORE TRAGEDIES, AND IN THIS CASE, THAT TRANSLATES TO SUICIDES AS WELL.
SO THE NUMBER'S STILL LOW, IT'S NOT AS LOW AS IT USED TO BE.
SO, UM, A QUESTION, UM, UH, ON A PROBABLY MAYBE, UM, ON A SEPARATE ISSUE THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY TOUCH ON TODAY, BUT IS ALSO POTENTIALLY, I THINK ABOUT A LOT ABOUT THIS ISSUE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL, UM, GUNS THAT ARE MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE STREET, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP AND THE CURRENT COMPOSITION OF OUR, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA BE SEEING THAT MUCH MORE ACTION ON ANY TYPE OF THE COMMON SENSE MEASURES THAT, UM, WE KNOW WORK.
UM, SO AT SOME BASE LEVEL, UM, THE, UM, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, THE AMOUNT OF FIREARMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
UM, BUT, UM, THE MANUFACTURERS THEMSELVES AND WHAT STATES, COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES ARE DOING, IS THERE, UM, ANY, UM, GOOD EXAMPLES? WE, WE WORKED ON AN ORDINANCE, UM, PROBABLY OVER A DECADE AGO, UM, THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I WORKED ON HERE, WHICH, UM, WHICH REQUIRED, UH, ANY, UM, ANY, UH, UNIT OF EXA COUNTY GOVERNMENT, WHETHER IT BE THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE OR SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHO WAS BUYING WEAPONS OR AMMUNITION FOR THE MANUFACTURER THEMSELVES TO HAVE TO ANSWER A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT ESSENTIALLY, UM, WOULD ASSURE US THAT THEY WERE, UM, GOOD STEWARDS, UM, SO TO SPEAK.
AND THAT THEY WERE, UM, UTILIZING BEST PRACTICES IN MAKING SURE THAT THEIR OWN FIREARMS THAT THEY ARE SELLING AND DISTRIBUTING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WERE NOT BEING ILLEGALLY SOLD ACROSS STRAIGHT LINES.
WERE BEING, YOU KNOW, HELD, UM, TO ALL AVAILABLE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL STANDARDS ARE, IS THERE ANY, UM, PARTICULARLY MAYBE COUNTY OR STATE THAT'S DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF UTILIZING THE POWER OF THE PURSE TO HELP INFLUENCE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF ILLEGAL GUNS OR GUNS THAT ARE BEING ILLEGALLY TRADED ACROSS STRAIGHT LINES THAT ARE GETTING ONTO OUR STREETS? LIKE IS THERE A CONNECTION OR A STATE THAT, OR COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY THAT'S DOING THAT REALLY WELL AND FOR US TO LOOK AT, I MEAN, I LOCALLY, I JUST POINT TO THE SAFE OFFICE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THEY'VE JUST ANNOUNCED SOME RECENT, UH, CASES THAT THEY'VE BROUGHT AGAINST, UH, FOLKS, UH, SPECIFICALLY ALONG THESE LINES, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S COMPLICATED, AND AS YOU SAID, IT'S GONNA GET MORE COMPLICATED.
THE CURRENT COMPOSITION OF THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, WE FUNDED A GROUP IN COLUMBIA THAT ACTUALLY SHOWED ON A MAP WHERE FIREARMS ARE TYPICALLY TRAFFICKED, UH, ALONG INTERSTATE LINES AND HOW THEY FLOOD INTO STATES LIKE NEW JERSEY WHERE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY RESTRICTIVE LAWS FROM STATES LIKE SOUTH CAROLINA WHERE YOU HAVE FEWER, OR GEORGIA IN PARTICULAR, UH, COMING NEW JERSEY.
UM, I, I, I THINK THAT NEW JERSEY'S DOING AS GOOD A JOB AS ANYBODY, BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO WHEN OTHER STATES DON'T ENFORCE LAWS, RIGHT? WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER WHAT HAPPENS IN ANOTHER STATE.
YOU CAN PROSECUTE STRAW PURCHASERS AND BAD FAITH,
[01:55:01]
UM, UH, GUN RETAILERS WHO SELL, UH, KNOWINGLY, UH, IN THIS PROBLEMATIC WAY, BUT THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEY'RE GONNA GET PROSECUTED AND IDENTIFIED PUBLICLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.UM, BUT I THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE SOURCE.
IT'S A SMALL, IT'S A SURPRISINGLY SMALL NUMBER OF RETAILERS RESPONSIBLE FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF THE FIREARMS THAT TURN UP, UH, IN TRACES AFTER CRIMES.
BUT IF WE CAN'T HOLD THEM TO ACCOUNT IN DIFFERENT STATES, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT FROM WHERE WE SIT.
UM, AND JUST A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, IS THERE, UM, IN, I MEAN, IN NEW JERSEY, WE HAVE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST, UM, GUN LAWS ON THE BOOKS RIGHT? NATION NATIONWIDE.
IS THERE, ARE THERE, UM, ANY, UM, IMMEDIATE AREAS THAT MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES, YOU KNOW, SHOULD OR COULD BE SUPPLEMENTING, UM, THOSE EXISTING LAWS? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S NOT DONE ON THE STATEWIDE LEVEL THAT YOU'D SAY, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR A COUNTY TO HAVE A POLICY THAT DID X OR PASS AN ORDINANCE THAT DID Y UM, THAT'S NOT ALREADY ENCOMPASSED IN WHAT THE STATE HAS ALREADY, THE STATE HAS ALREADY LAID OUT? WELL, THE SECURE GUN STORAGE THING ACTUALLY HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
THAT LAW HAS NOT BEEN PASSED, THAT'S NOT PASSED.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHY, AS DIANE TALKED ABOUT ALSO, IT, THERE'S A, AND AND IT'S NOT MOVING, RIGHT? SO I WOULD SAY THAT SOME ACTION COULD HELP THERE.
SO MAYBE ON THE SAFE STORY, I MEAN, MAYBE COMMISSIONERS, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK AT IS, UM, OUR ABILITY AT, AT THE COUNTY LEVEL TO CREATE, UM, A COUNTYWIDE ORDINANCE THAT IF THE STATE'S NOW TAKING ACTION ABSOLUTELY.
YOU KNOW, TO MAYBE LOOK AT SOMETHING.
AND LOOK AT LANGUAGE, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING YOU BROUGHT UP A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WAS MAYBE GOING AFTER MANUFACTURERS ON A NUISANCE MM-HMM
BUT SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTUALLY HAS DONE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW TO WHAT SUCCESS, BUT HE HAS BEEN GOING AFTER MANUFACTURERS FROM THE NUISANCE STANDPOINT.
YEAH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH FOLLOW UP.
WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH THAT TOO.
UM, WITH THE, WITH THEIR OFFICE.
I MEAN THAT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY AGAIN, AGAIN, WOULD MAYBE BE TO DO SOMETHING AT THAT, YOU KNOW, ON THAT LOCAL LEVEL.
IT'S ALSO NOT JUST AN IDEA TO PUT MORE THINGS ON THE BOOKS THAT RIGHT.
BECAUSE THE ENFORCEMENT AND THE EXECUTION.
SO I MEAN, THE, THE, THE MOVEMENT OF WHAT WE HAD REPRESENTED TO HERE TONIGHT IN TERMS OF, UM, UM, NON-PROFIT SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE BE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS, UM, SPENDING OUR RESOURCES ON, UH, THE BEHAVIORAL SIDE OF THIS, UM, ISSUES ALL WHERE, WHERE IT SHOULD BE.
UM, AND, BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT, UM, SINCE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO RELY ON GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, THAT WE TIGHTEN UP EVERYTHING WE CAN ON THE, ON THE COUNTY LEVEL.
SO, AND, AND CAN I SAY SOMETHING? PLEASE? YEAH.
WITH YOUR PERMISSION, MIGUEL, THIS IS A LITTLE OF AN ASIDE, BUT I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH.
AND THIS ISN'T POLITICAL BECAUSE VOTING IS A NONPARTISAN ISSUE.
IF IT HAS NEVER BEEN ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL ELECTIONS, WHO YOU VOTE FOR, FOR YOUR SCHOOL BOARDS, WHO YOU VOTE FOR, FOR YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WHO YOU VOTE FOR, FOR YOUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTS, FOR YOUR JUDGES, FOR YOUR COUNTY SURROGATES, FOR YOUR COUNTY CLERKS, FOR YOUR COUNTY EXECUTIVES, IT SHOULD BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR.
NOW, ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL, AND AS A TAXPAYER, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO REPRESENTATION THAT REPRESENTS YOUR VALUES.
THAT WHEN YOU SAY, I'M SICK OF MY CHILDREN DYING OR BEING FEARFUL OF DYING WHEN THEY WALK INTO THEIR SCHOOLS OR GO TO THE GROCERY STORE THAT YOU HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DC WHO WILL SAY, YEAH, LET'S ACTUALLY HOLD THE TOWN HALL AROUND THAT AND BRING EVERYONE TO THE TABLE SO WE CAN MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
PEOPLE YOU HAVE ACCESS TO IN THE SCHOOL, IN THE SHOPRITE, YOU KNOW, UM, AT THE PARKS WE ARE AROUND, WE'RE HERE AND WE ARE YOURS.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR STEWARDING THIS HOUSE, UH, COMMISSIONER GILL ON THIS WORK, AND JUST CONTINUE TO LET YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS KNOW TO STAY INVOLVED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL BECAUSE OUR LIVES ARE LITERALLY AT STAKE.
AND GRACEFULLY, GRATEFULLY, THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT BY BEING INVOLVED.
WELL, I, IF I CAN JUST SAY, UM, WHEN MOMS, UM, FIRST STARTED, THEY STARTED MORE AT A FEDERAL LEVEL AND THEY FOUND THAT THEY WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL, UM, RIGHT AFTER SANDY HOOK AND THEY, UM, REIMAGINED THEMSELVES AND THOUGHT, WE HAVE TO START, WE GOTTA START AT
[02:00:01]
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE OF OUR ADVOCACY UPWARDS OVER 90% LOCALLY, EITHER, UM, A MUNICIPALITY STATES, UM, OVER 90% OF NRA BACKED GUN LEGISLATION WAS STALKED.
AND WHAT SHANNON WATSON, OUR FOUNDER, WHAT SHE SAID, THIS IS, THIS IS A GENERATIONAL FIGHT.
THIS IS GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE, UM, UM, INSTITUTED A PROGRAM, I THINK IT'S THREE YEARS OLD NOW CALLED AMANDA SEEK, WHERE YOU CAN SIGN UP AND GO THROUGH, UM, TRAINING.
FOR, I DON'T, FOR QUITE A WHILE TRAINING ON TO RUN FOR OFFICE HOW TO RUN FOR OFFICE OR HOW AT THE LOCAL LEVEL ALL THE WAY UP, RIGHT? YEAH.
OR HOW TO HELP SOMEBODY RUN FOR OFFICE.
AND I THINK IT'S THREE YEARS IN THE MAKING, AND THIS YEAR WAS OVER 300, 300 I THINK NATIONALLY.
WAS OVER 300 MOMS. DEMAND ACTION VOLUNTEERS RAN FOR OFFICE, SCHOOL, BOARD COUNCIL, WHATEVER.
AND WE, A COUPLE OF OUR, OUR, THE WOMAN WHO GOT ME INVOLVED IN IN MOMS, SHE IS A, UM, COUNCIL PERSON IN VERONA.
AND WE HAVE A FEW IN, IN, UM, NEW JERSEY IN UNION.
BUT AT, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WELL, NOTHING'S HAPPENING WITH GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, IT IS.
AND BY GETTING PEOPLE ELECTED AND THEY WORK THEIR WAY UP THROUGH THE SYSTEM, THINGS WILL CHANGE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
BUT LIKE SHANNON WATT SAID, THIS IS A GENERATIONAL FIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE BREWING DECISION A FEW TIMES AND HOW IT MADE IT EASIER TO CARRY WHAT WE HAVEN'T MENTIONED FROM THE BREWING DECISIONS DID A SECOND THING THAT I THINK IS EVEN MORE STARTLING, AND IT MADE IT SO THAT ANY FIREARM LEGISLATION HAS TO HAVE A HISTORICAL PRECEDENT FROM THE TIME OF THE FOUNDERS.
THE KIND OF MUSKETS THAT SPECIFICALLY SAYS, THIS CAN BE REGULATED, OTHERWISE IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
WHICH IS NOT A STANDARD BEHOLD ANYTHING ELSE TO, BUT THAT IS THAT.
SO AS WE THINK ABOUT POLICIES AND STUFF, IT'S IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE A FINITE AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND A FINITE AMOUNT OF TIME, RIGHT.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POLICIES THEY'RE DESIGNING CAN STAND UP TO THAT ABSURD LEVEL OF SCRUTINY AND SURVIVE THAT, OTHERWISE THEY CAN'T SERVE THEIR FUNCTION.
THAT'S WHY I SPEND A LOT OF TIME POUNDING TABLE ON THINGS LIKE LIABILITY FOR FIREARM RETAILERS.
NOT BECAUSE I WANT ALL MY POLICIES TO FOCUS ON, MAKE FOCUS ON MAKING THINGS EASIER FOR FIREARM RETAILERS, BUT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WILL PASS.
AND BY THAT PASSING IT'LL SAVE SOME LIVES, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND SO AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO SOLVE THESE THINGS, REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT JUST GETTING INTO PAST, IT'S LETTING IT STAY.
OTHERWISE, IF IT PASSES FOR A MOMENT, THAT'S A, THAT'S GOOD FOR A CHEER, BUT THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR SERVING THE FUNCTION.
IT'S DESIGNED TO FUNCTION TO DO.
SO, JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.
I WANNA BE QUICK, BUT TO ADD TO DR.
N AS I WAS THINKING, JUST, I'M SORRY.
YOU JUST HAVE TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
AND THEN DIANE DOES DEAL AGAIN.
I WAS THINKING OF THE SAME VEIN AS DR.
ERNESTUS, BUT TO SAY THAT YES, A COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CAN INITIATE AN ORDINANCE, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE CHALLENGED.
YOU'RE GONNA BE IN LITIGATION.
I MEAN, OUR AG IS FIGHTING TOOTH AND NAIL ON THE ASSAULT BAN ON, UH, THE CONCEALED CARRY CASES, DOING A GREAT JOB.
BUT YOU WERE GONNA BE CHALLENGED RIGHT AWAY.
WHAT YOU WOULD NOT BE CHALLENGED ON IS EDUCATION REQUIRING THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON PARENTS ON SAFE STORAGE FIREARMS ON
SO I KNOW YOU DON'T WANNA BE LOCKED IN, IN LITIGATION AND IT COSTS MONEY AND THE MONEY THAT COULD BE USED FOR, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY VIOLENCE INTERVENTION.
AND, AND THAT'S WHERE, UM, UM, THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS CAN BE REALLY HELPFUL TO US BECAUSE WE'RE, UM, TRYING TO GET SCHOOL BOARDS TO SEND SECURE STORAGE INFORMATION HOME TO PARENTS 'CAUSE THEY, AND WHEN WE ARE OUT TABLING AND WE TALK TO PEOPLE AND PEOPLE WILL SAY, I DON'T HAVE A GUN.
I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS.
AND THEN WE'LL SAY, WELL, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY GUNS THERE ARE IN NEW JERSEY? YEAH.
WHAT ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, SO MANY CHILDREN DIE AND SUICIDE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND, UM, BY GETTING THE INFORMATION TO THE PARENTS, GETTING THE INFORMATION, THE PARENTS IS ESSENTIAL.
AND WHO BETTER TO DO THAT THAN THE SCHOOLS? THEY HAVE SUCH A BROAD REACH IN
[02:05:01]
OUR COMMUNITIES THAT THEY CAN GET TO EVERY, UM, EVERY PARENT.IT'S JUST THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN ARE DYING, BUT THEY HAVE UNDERSTOOD.
THAT'S WHERE THE SUPERINTENDENTS CAN HELP US.
IF I COULD PIGGYBACK, COULD YOU PUT YOUR NAME ON THE RECORD? THANK YOU.
UH, MELISSA SCHAEFFER, MOM'S DEMAND ACTION.
PIGGYBACKING ON MY COLLEAGUE LORRAINE.
UM, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH WHAT SHE'S SAYING.
THE BEST PLACE WE CAN GET OUT THIS INFORMATION IS IN THE SCHOOLS.
AND, UM, WHEN LORRAINE AND OTHERS ON OUR TEAM DO THIS, WE ARE JUST TRYING TO TAKE AWAY THE STIGMATIZATION OF TALKING ABOUT, IS THERE A GUN IN THE HOME? SORT OF LIKE PEOPLE WILL SAY, DO YOU HAVE NUTS IN YOUR HOME? BECAUSE MY CHILD IS ALLERGIC TO NUTS ALSO, JUST TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT.
UM, I THINK ANOTHER PLACE THAT WOULD BE GREAT, UM, SPEAKING TO, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, SIEBOLD AND ALSO, UM, DIANE, THINKING ABOUT YOU IS, UM, THE CHURCH OR THE SYNAGOGUE, OR THE MOSQUE.
AND I'M THE ESSEX COUNTY, UH, INTERFAITH LEAD.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, BRAINSTORM WITH OTHERS ABOUT HOW TO GET, EVEN STARTING JUST WITH THE SAFE STORAGE, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A SAFE, SIMPLE, SENSIBLE CONVERSATION TO TALK ABOUT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN OUR, UM, PLACES OF WORSHIP.
SO I THINK THAT ASIDE FROM SCHOOLS, IS THOSE ARE TRUSTED, ABSOLUTELY TRUSTED PLACES.
I, I I WANT TO, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS, SO THANK YOU FOR SPENDING THE TIME HERE.
UM, I, I WANNA BE CONSCIOUS OF EVERYONE'S TIME AND, UH, AND ESPECIALLY OUR STAFF WHO HELPED PUT THIS TOGETHER, WHO I, WHO I TOLD.
I THOUGHT SIX 30 WOULD BE PLENTY OF TIME.
WE PROBABLY COULD STAY FOR ANOTHER HOUR,
BUT I WANT TO THANK, UM, ALL OF OUR PARTNERS.
THIS WOULD BE, UH, MY HOPE, UM, THE FIRST OF MANY, UM, UH, WHETHER THEY BE HEARINGS OR PLATFORMS OR OTHER ACTIVITY.
I'M GONNA CONFER WITH MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, BOTH BASED ON WHAT WE HEARD TONIGHT ABOUT WHAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO.
AND I LOOK FORWARD, UM, TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE IMMEDIATE ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED TONIGHT, UH, AS WELL AS SOME OF THESE LARGER IDEAS THAT ARE GONNA TAKE, TAKE, I THINK SOME MORE TIME.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA ADJOURN TONIGHT'S HEARING, UH, AND WISH EVERYONE A SAFE, UH, EVENING.
UM, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE.