Officers with the Newark Police Department's Community Outreach/Clergy Unit spent Christmas day delivering toys to children at three hospitals

BELLEVILLE-- Never has such an industrious throng of elves been so happy to be so underemployed.

Singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," they poured onto the pediatric ward of Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville on Christmas morning, each of the gaily costumed two dozen elves laden with toys or lugging bulging bags of stuffed animals but found patients in short supply. One had just been discharged -- they greeted this with a small cheer -- leaving only two to receive visitors.

In one room, a mother cradled her fussing 2-year-old as Mike Vitcavich, a volunteer chaplain with the Newark Police Department's Community Outreach/Clergy Unit that organizes the Christmas outing, quietly prayed with the family. The elves -- detectives with the Newark Police Department, more police chaplains and assorted volunteers -- left a stack of gifts in the father's lap and tiptoed out singing "Silent Night." 

Down the hall, 13-year-old Patrick Genzale Jr. of Bloomfield shuffled to the door of his room in his hospital gown trailing an IV. He accepted only a basketball, a model monster truck and a couple of other gifts, despite a steady stream of volunteers offering up their packages. "I didn't want to take too many," he says. "I wanted the other kids to get more." 

The day before, the Genzale family had piled into their car for a trip to relatives in Queens, but Patrick, clutching a bottle of Tums, wasn't looking well. "Let me know before we get to the George Washington Bridge," his father Patrick Sr. told him. They turned around on Route 80 and ended up at Clara Maass, where doctors diagnosed appendicitis. 

"This will be one to remember," laughs Gloria Genzale. "Next year we'll probably call to come in and do this ourselves," she says, indicating the small pile of gifts. "Pay it forward." 

Clara Maass was the second stop of three on Christmas Day, part of a hastily-convened caravan through Newark and Belleville after the bus, er, sleigh that was supposed to be transporting the elves broke down. They also visited University Hospital in Newark and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, leaving extra donated toys at the nurses' stations to be distributed later.

"We're overloaded, but it's better than not having enough," says Maria Hernandez, a volunteer with the city of Newark. 

Joseph Bernal, the community resource detective with the department's Community Outreach Unit, has been spearheading the Christmas deliveries for five years, distributing 600 toys donated by local merchants and others. He played traffic cop on Sunday, directing the unruly gaggle of volunteers through the halls as his full (but fake) white beard shed wisps over his crisp dark uniform. 

"We want to make kids smile on a day like today," he told his crew. "This is the work of God, giving smiles to the children."

And it's almost, if not more, a blessing to the parents, giving them one less thing to worry about during a difficult time. The gifts, says Det. Joyia Miles, "help the parents better help the kids. They make a way out of no way."

Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook, and check out Remote Possibilities, the TV podcast from Vicki Hyman and co-host Erin Medley on iTunes, Stitcher or Spreaker, or listen here.

The victim was hospitalized in stable condition

NEWARK-- An Irvington man has been charged in a stabbing at a city residence Saturday, police said.

Police were called to the home at 18th Street and 14th Avenue around 5:45 p.m. and found a 38-year-old man who had been stabbed while visiting family, police said. The victim was in stable condition at University Hospital.

D'Angelo Hayes (Newark police)  

D'Angelo Hayes, 26, was identified as a suspect and arrested on charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

Dogs and cats throughout New Jersey await adoption.

Here is this week's collection of some of the dogs and cats in need of adoption in northern and central New Jersey.

If a nonprofit rescue group or animal shelter in any of the following counties wishes to participate in this weekly gallery on nj.com, please contact Greg Hatala at ghatala@starledger.com or call 973-836-4922:

* Bergen County

* Burlington County

* Essex County

* Hudson County

* Hunterdon County

* Mercer County

* Middlesex County

* Monmouth County

* Morris County

* Ocean County

* Passaic County

* Somerset County

* Sussex County

* Union County

* Warren County

More pets in need of adoption can be seen here and here.

Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.

Mall-ed out? Retail experts say it's not over. With post-Christmas sales in force, and Monday observed as a holiday, the shoppers will be out today.

LIVINGSTON--The day after Christmas is a siren's call for shoppers. While Santa may have parked his sleigh, there are gift cards to spend, ugly sweaters to exchange and sales to be found everywhere.

This post-Christmas, though, could be even better than usual for retailers. Today is observed as a holiday for many businesses and experts say with more people off from work, a lot of them are very likely to head to the malls like the one here in Livingston.

"December 26 is always a big day for retail, and this year it gets super-sized because of it falling on a holiday, Monday, and the end of a three-day weekend for many Americans," said Ray Hartjen of RetailNext, a San Jose-based research firm. "Retail stores are going to be very busy, with a significant part of the traffic derived from returns and exchanges of online purchases."

He called the day after the holiday "a huge opportunity for many retailers to right their holiday season performance."

The numbers for this shopping season are still being added up, but overall, Hartjen said the retail industry is expecting a moderate 3 to 4 percent year-over-year growth in sales, led primarily by off-price discount stores.

Online retailers gobbling up warehouse space

"When all the results are compiled, analyzed and reported at the end of the fiscal quarter and year, holiday shopping in 2016 will prove to have been a mixed bag," he predicted. "Some brands will awake to presents all shiny and new, but others' stockings will be filled with nothing but lumps of coal and bundles of switches."

Those figures are in line with what is being projected by the National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade association.

"NRF forecasted that retail sales will increase 3.6 percent for the holiday season, and we have not made any adjustments to that forecast," said spokeswoman Treacy Reynolds, who expects to see an accounting for the season by mid-January.

In a report earlier this month, the group's chief economist, Jack Kleinhenz, said the combination of job and wage gains led to solid holiday spending by American households this year.

"Consumers have the wherewithal to spend but households remain measured and rational, which is no surprise given their history since the recovery began in 2009," he said.

Many say that the biggest impact on retail sales this year--even more than price promotions--was the exponential growth in online shopping, particularly using mobile apps. (Ted Sherman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Many say that the biggest impact on retail sales this year--even more than price promotions--was the exponential growth in online shopping, particularly using mobile apps.

Market Track, a Chicago-based national retail research firm, said the 2016 Christmas shopping season was largely driven by the increasing use of digital promotions through mobile, social media and email as retailers leveraged all opportunities to push out deals.

"While retailers were still reliant on circulars, they proactively released them early this year, in many cases through their mobile app to drive adoption," said Traci Gregorski, senior vice president of marketing. "There was a melding of traditional tactics like TV and circulars with new media."

Weather also played a big role this shopping season.

Planalytics, a Pennsylvania research firm that provides weather intelligence for retailers and other businesses, the weather this fall started off as moderate across much of the country.

"But we got into November and December and it got bloody cold, noted Planalytics president Scott Bernhardt.

And that's actually a good thing for many retailers--especially department stores. Bernhardt said whether they realize it or not, shoppers turn from electronics and tech gear and go to apparel when the temperature drops.

It's never a holiday at the mall for car thieves

"It's a natural thing when it gets cold. People buy coats, hats, gloves and scarves," he said. "Weather is a driver."

Indeed, retail analysts say the biggest aspect of this year's wintry blast was that seasonal merchandise moved, unlike past years when winter clothing languished on shelves and in discount bins. At the same time, the cold weather likely pushed more shoppers away from brick-and-mortar stores and into ordering merchandise on-line.

While the cold drove apparel sales way up, Bernhardt said for most of the country--especially in the New York metropolitan area--there was little snow and nothing to keep shoppers at home.

This week, meanwhile, he predicts more of the same.

"Here in New Jersey, it will actually feel warm. It should be a pretty big day for shopping," he said.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

An Indian government-owned bank won't refund a misdirected deposit by a New Jersey company.

WASHINGTON -- A New Jersey dairy is embroiled in an international dispute at a time when the incoming president has questioned U.S. trade policy.

MCT Dairies of Milburn still is waiting for a state-owned bank in India to return $135,000 accidentally sent to the institution. The company has enlisted U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th Dist.) and last year hired a Washington lobbyist, all to no avail.

"Free trade has to be fair as well," Lance said. "Foreign governments and foreign entities like this bank should operate by the same rules as American companies and American banks. If this was a situation in the United States, it would have been resolved long ago."

Trade is one way Trump can win in Nov.

Donald Trump won the presidency in part by appealing to workers displaced by free trade and this dispute provides a reminder that sometimes foreign partners play by different rules.

"There are good things about free trade," said Ken Meyers, MCT's chief executive. "This is one of the bad things."

MCT does around $125 million to $150 million in business a year, 30 percent of its overseas. The company has benefitted from free trade agreements that allow it to sell its products such as cheese and butter overseas.

"Global trade is important to the dairy industry," Meyers said. "We are really big winners when free trade agreements are done."

MCT's saga began in December 2013 when the dairy transferred money to Punjab National Bank in New Delhi, which handled financial transactions for an Indian supplier of casein, milk proteins used to make cheese. But the company had shifted its accounts to another institution.

MCT sent money to the new bank, and then asked the original institution for a refund. The bank refused, claiming it was in another dispute with its former customer.

"They basically told us they weren't giving us our money," Meyers said. "They said they had a right to our money because they had a problem with the vendor. Under what guise, I have no idea."

Thousands of dollars in legal fees later, MCT remains out the money. The bank has skipped court dates in India, forcing ongoing delays.

Menendez, Booker and Lance have been joined by two GOP lawmakers from Wisconsin, where MCT has a plant, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Reid Ribble, on a series of letters to the U.S. State Department, to the Indian ambassador, and to the Indian finance ministry, all to no avail.

"We'll continue to push for a resolution to the situation in which MCT Dairies finds itself," Menendez said.

The Indian embassy did not respond to requests for comment. The State Department said it had offered assistance and was following the issue.

Menendez and Booker both sit on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and MCT's lobbyist, Mario Castillo, said one of his next steps would be to urge a congressional hearing on trade disputes like this one.

"There's no greater disinfectant than sunshine," Castillo said.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook 

Officials say "state-of-the-art" holding facility designed to prevent suicides, increase security.

NEWARK -- After decades of complaints, several suicides and concerns raised by federal authorities, Newark is set to close its aging jail and open a holding facility at the city public safety department's headquarters.

The cell block at Newark's Clinton Avenue public safety complex, which officials described as state-of-the-art, will house up to 82 detainees -- 73 men and 9 women -- compared to the old jail at 31 Green Street, which held up to 50 men and 8 women, according to the city.

"Serious problems with overcrowding and sanitation at the Green Street cellblock have existed for decades," said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.

The Clinton Avenue holding facility has been outfitted with high tech security systems, a more secure sally port for transferring detainees into the facility from police vehicles, a central control room for monitoring detainees, more space for people being held there, a widespread camera system and cell doors without bars to help prevent suicides, officials said.

Newark planning repairs to cell block DOJ calls 'suicide risk'

The Clinton Avenue lockup, called the new Municipal Processing Unit, is scheduled to begin receiving detainees within the next 90 days, according to city officials.

"I am pleased that [Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose] took the initiative to close Green Street and replace it with a humane, advanced, state-of-the-art facility," Baraka added in a statement. "And by centralizing the processing of detainees in one place, this new facility will save money and add to police efficiency enabling more officers to patrol our streets."

Located in the basement of the former Green Street Police Headquarters and opened in 1936, the old jail has a troubled history.

A U.S. Department of Justice investigation found a host of issues at the facility, including lack of proper training for offices, procedures for preventing suicides not being followed and the layout of the jail. Authorities reported at least seven suicides within the last decade at the Green Street cellblock.

"The layout of the Cell Block offers only limited lines of sight into the cells, and the cells all contain suicide hazards such as exposed cross bars which could be used as hanging points," according to a federal report on the city's police department.

The old jail has prompted costly lawsuits stemming from issues including suicide prevention. Officers also reported rodent infestations at the notorious property.

Ambrose added the Clinton Avenue facility will be safer for officers and detainees.

"It also offers a decent and respectable environment for those individuals required to temporarily spend time there," he said.

Officials previously said the largely grant-funded Clinton Avenue public safety building, which also houses administrative offices, a city emergency operations center and the police division's 5th Precinct, would be used to hold an overflow of detainees.

The DOJ's report called the public safety building a "modern holding facility which would likely mitigate concerns about suicide hazards," NJ Advance Media previously reported.

People arrested by Newark police are booked at the centralized processing unit on Clinton Avenue rather than at precinct houses, officials said. The city facility is used for temporarily holding people charged with a range of crimes before they are released or transferred to the Essex County jail.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Amazing teams, incredible individual accomplishments, coaching milestones, an Olympian and more

We're not afraid of what Trump says. Those of us who have advocated for immigrants have already seen much damage inflicted on our clients by past and current presidents. Watch video

By Harlan York

Panic in the immigrant community? 

No, I'm not talking about the election of Donald J. Trump but rather the signature of William J. Clinton on the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act just over 20 years ago.

I remember it well. Seasoned members of the immigration bar sat in a waiting room in the Peter Rodino Federal Building in Newark. These attorneys bemoaned the way in which the Clinton administration -- "in an effort to show its toughness on immigrants during a campaign for reelection" -- unleashed the most damaging  immigration legislation of the modern era.

The actual immigrant community had no idea. Nor did the American public. But those veteran immigration lawyers predicted mass deportations in 1997, and the End of the World, as far as foreign nationals in the United States were concerned.

It turns out that the attorneys were only half right. The record breaking removals did occur, but not under presidents Clinton or George W. Bush. Even after the tragic events of September 11 -- which were swiftly followed by a Muslim Registration program known as NSEERS - the United States Immigration Court continued to move at a steady pace.

In fact, under President Bush, the peak number of deportation cases nationally pending before the Immigration Court never rose above 185,000.

However, with the inauguration of President Barack Obama, that number has virtually tripled, to nearly 522,000 in eight years.  This profound increase occurred due to the work of an already existing "deportation force" (as opposed to a hypothetical entity once proposed by candidate Trump on his campaign trail) known as Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE.

Even more striking is the well documented data that the current president has deported more people than any chief executive in the history of this nation. That's 2.5 million and counting, with particular emphasis on refugees, not from Syria, but Central America --  especially young children. He's rightly been dubbed the deporter-in-chief.

In fact, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh C. Johnson issued a public statement on Jan. 4: "As I have said repeatedly, our borders are not open to illegal migration; if you come here illegally, we will send you back consistent with our laws and values." 

Johnson specifically named Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador in his declaration.

Why would someone like myself vote for a continuation of Obama's aggressive immigration policies? I didn't. Hillary Clinton didn't get my ballot. But, neither did Donald Trump.

While we observed Trump shift his messages on immigration as time has passed since he won the election, it begs a host of questions:

• Will there be a wall? Not likely a new barrier, but likely fortification of the existing border. A fence, he has said.

• Will Muslims have to place their names in a registry? Not according to a social media post by a comedian who spoke with Trump's son.

• Will there be mass deportation? Not based on the president-elect's recent statements.  

Even if some attempts to increase removals are effectuated, the Immigration Court will be overloaded far more than it is currently, which means many years of litigation for untold numbers of foreign nationals.

It is impossible to deport 11 million people, as many politicians -- including Trump spokesmen Chris Christie and Newt Gingrich -- have said. 

The jury is still out.  America may be paying attention to immigration as an issue now, but for those of us who have advocated for immigrants, we have already seen much damage inflicted on our clients by past and current presidents, particularly over the last 20 years.

We're not afraid of what Trump says he's going to do. It only matters what he does -- and what we can do about it.

Harlan York, the first attorney in New Jersey to win "Immigration Lawyer of the Year" from Best Lawyers, is former immigration chair of the NJ State Bar Association and former co-chair for the NY State Bar Association CFLS Committee on Immigration.  He also served on the American Immigration Lawyers Association National Practice Management Committee and authored the 2015 book, "Three Degrees of Law." Find him on Twitter @HYORKLAW

here

Some of the officers may have been paid with federal dollars, the New York Post reported.

An investigation into the 44 Port Authority police officers assigned to patrol PATH stations who are accused of spending hours, sometimes almost entire shifts, in the break room while on the clock may extend to the federal level, according to a published report.

Dozens of Port Authority police officers assigned to the PATH rail system are facing disciplinary action after an internal investigation showed they spent time on the clock in the break room. (Tony Kurdzuk | The Star-Ledger)

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said earlier this month the agency was "evaluating" if it would refer certain cases to local prosecutors.

An anonymous source familiar with the situation was quoted in the New York Post as saying the probe could extend beyond the local level if it's proven that some of the officers earned federal dollars.  

"This could lead to charges against one or more of these cops for taking federal money," the source told the newspaper. "It is not supposed to pay them to sleep."

A Port Authority spokesman could not be immediately reached.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security distributes federal grant money to local agencies to protect against the threat of a terrorist attack. In 2015, the Port Authority received $4 million to improve transit security.

The Port Authority said in its statement announcing its internal investigation that "some of the suspected officers were assigned on overtime to heightened security details due to terror events that had occurred nationally and internationally."

A spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), which handles distribution of the federal funding, told the Post that "it is possible" the probe includes the Homeland Security funding.

"But that can't be determined until the IG investigation is complete," the FEMA spokeswoman said.  

The Port Authority officers are facing disciplinary action after the internal investigation found that the officers assigned to seven PATH stations in New Jersey and six stations in New York were "shirking duties."

The agency says these officers, most assigned to the midnight to 8 a.m. shift, were spending large chunks of their shifts in the breakroom. In one case, an officer spent more than seven hours of his shift off patrol, the agency said. 

The agency's top commander, Robert Terrett, was reassigned in the wake of the allegations. To date, none of the accused officers have settled the disciplinary charges, and all 44 cases remain pending.

A spokesman for the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association told NJ Advance Media that the agency's low crime rates at PATH stations is proof the officers were doing their jobs.

"The PAPD is doing its job to keep our patrons safe, contrary to the Port Authority's attacks," the spokesman said. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Authorities said the dead was suspicious but not have any additional information as of Monday afternoon.

NEWARK -- Authorities are investigating what they are calling the suspicious death of a man found at a city park on Monday.

The man was found in Vailsburg Park in the Newark's West Ward on Monday morning.

A spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating the incident, said the death is suspicious but did not have any additional information.

Authorities are waiting for the results of an autopsy report to determine the cause of the death. 

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Subaru Impreza was stolen on Christmas just after 6:15 p.m.

NEWARK -- A 19-year-old was arrested early Sunday after police say they found him sleeping in a stolen Uber car. 

Bishaun WilliamsNewark Police Department 

The 2005 Subaru Impreza was stolen on Christmas just after 6:15 p.m. when a 47-year-old driver went to pick up a woman in Newark for a fare but was instead met by two armed men, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a release. 

The robbers also took the driver's cash, cell phone and wallet, the release said. 

Just over six hours later, the car was found after a resident reported someone trying to break into the parked Subaru in the area of Jellif and Avon avenues, Ambrose said.   

Bishaun Williams was found sleeping in the car, according to the release. He was charged with receiving stolen property. 

Newark police are still investigating the carjacking. 

Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

The Essex County Prosecutor's office and Orange Police jointly announced the death of 17-year-old

Authorities say a teenager was fatally shot on this stretch of Main Street in Orange on Monday afternoonGoogle 

ORANGE -- A teenager was killed in a midday shooting in Orange on Monday, authorities said.

"At approximately 1:20 pm, 17-year-old Christopher Terry of Orange was shot in the vicinity of 171 Main Street," read a brief announcement of the incident issued by the Essex County Prosecutor's office one Monday night.

Terry was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m., Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Orange Police Director Todd Warren stated in the joint announcement.

"The investigation is active and ongoing," the announcement stated. "No other information is available at this time."

 Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Authorities said 34-year-old Ibn B. Wolf was gunned down on Martin Luther King Boulevard at 4:38 p.m., and pronounced dead a little over an hour later.

The acting Essex County prosecutor and Newark public safety director announced a 34-year-old city man was fatally shot on MLK Boulevard Monday.Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com 

NEWARK -- A 34-year-old Newark man was fatally shot Monday afternoon, authorities said. 

Ibn B. Wolf was gunned down at 4:38 p.m. on Martin Luther King Boulevard, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Newark Public Safety Director's office said in a joint announcement Monday evening.   

Wolf was pronounced at 5:59 p.m., Acting Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose stated.

Authorities said the investigation was "active and ongoing," and that no suspects had been identified and no arrests had been made as of Monday evening.

Murray's office said no additional information was available on the case.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.    

The blaze broke out in a home on 40th Street around 11 p.m. Monday

IRVINGTON --The body of a badly burned man was found inside a home that burned during an overnight fire, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and Irvington Police Director Tracy Bowers announced in a release Tuesday.

The man, who authorities say they believe was in his 60s, was found on the third floor of a home on 40th Street in Irvington where a fire broke out at about 10:53 p.m. Monday. Authorities have not yet determined his identity or cause of death, citing the "badly burned" condition of the body.

Four other people who lived in the home escaped, officials said. They were not injured.

It is unclear what started the fire, or where in the wood-frame home it sparked.

According to an ABC news report, firefighters were forced to enter the house through a third-story window after being unable to get in the front door.

No firefighters were hurt, according to PIX11.com.

The blaze was brought under control in about two hours, reports said. 

Irvington 3rd Alarm 19 40th Street Fire 2.5 story frame. TRAPPED Occupant Top Floor Fatal Fire. pic.twitter.com/BS97ZoPqxx

-- NorthJersey FireNews (@NJFires) December 27, 2016

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Delays are building in the eastbound lanes in Newark

NEWARK -- Traffic is backing up on Route 22 east after a tractor-trailer jackknifed in Newark caused lane closures, officials said.

The crash occurred the eastbound lanes near Felinghuysen Avenue, according to 511NJ.com, the state department of transportation's traffic website.

Delays are 15-20 minutes as of 7:30 a.m. but likely to increase. 

Motorists are advised to take an alternate route and allow for extra travel time.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The city is planning a press conference Tuesday to announce a drop in violent crimes this year.

NEWARK -- Officials are planning a press conference Tuesday to announce what they say is a significant drop in crime in the state's largest city.

As of Dec. 21, homicides in Newark were down 11 percent from last year, city officials said in an announcement. Non-fatal shootings were down 20 percent in 2016, and robberies were down 22 percent, officials said.

The city also saw dips in the number of burglaries, car thefts, and thefts from cars, as well as a 10 percent reduction in the overall violent crime rate, officials said.

"I'm very pleased to report that our figures for 2016 show that our crime reduction strategies are effective," Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a statement.

"I attribute this successful outcome to our partnerships with the New Jersey State Police, the Essex County Sheriff's Office, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and to the support of concerned citizens from the community who consistently work with us to make Newark safer."

Activists: Court order review board toothless

The announcement follows a series of new initiatives and crime reduction strategies in the city that began with an organizational restructuring in January.

The police department has also added more officers, reassigned many to street beats, partnered with citizen groups and clergy to promote community policing, and relocated the internal affairs unit in an effort to create a more welcoming environment for residents to report police misconduct.

The changes were instituted as Newark is under the watch of a federal monitor - the result of a scathing 2014 Department of Justice review that found rampant issues within the department.

Despite the promising statistics, officials recognized more work needs to be done. The city had more than 90 homicides so far this year.

In a statement, Mayor Ras Baraka said the 2016 trend is just the beginning.

"With our increases in police manpower, deployment of new technologies, and the growing involvement and cooperation of communities with the police, we are well positioned to see further decreases in crime next year," Baraka said.

More detailed crime statistics are expected to be announced at the Tuesday morning press conference.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Scroll through the gallery to view 30 people wanted by agencies throughout the state on the most serious criminal charges.

NEWARK -- More than two years after authorities named Lamont Stephenson in his fiancee's killing, police still don't know where he is.

Olga Dejesus, 40, was found dead on Oct. 17, 2014, in her apartment in Newark's North Ward. Her cause of death was ruled as asphyxiation.

Two weeks later, the Essex County law enforcement officials obtained a warrant for Stephenson's arrest on a homicide charge.

But as 2016 winds to a close, Stephenson is one of hundreds of people still wanted by local, state and federal authorities throughout New Jersey in connection with crimes ranging from drug possession to homicide.

In some cases, the defendants were arrested, charged and released, and failed to appear for future court dates. In other cases, like Stephenson's, arrest warrants were obtained but never successfully served.

Cumberland County seeks most wanted fugitives

In some cases, authorities have posted cash rewards for information leading to arrests and/or convictions.

Walter Yovany Gomez has been a wanted man since Sept. 19, 2013 -- the day a federal grand jury indicted him and 13 of his alleged fellow gang members on murder and racketeering charges.

Authorities say Yovany Gomez, an alleged member of Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, was one of two men responsible for a May 8, 2011 killing in Plainfield of a man they believed to be a rival gang member.

This summer, the FBI's Newark Division announced a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to his arrest.

Scroll through the gallery to view 30 people wanted by agencies throughout the state on the most serious criminal charges. This is only a sample hundreds of people wanted by law enforcement throughout the state.

Of the 9 crime categories tracked internally by the department, only aggravated assaults showed an increase over the past year.

NEWARK -- Crime is down in the state's largest city by the largest amount in almost 50 years. 

"We're not here today to claim victory, but we're here to claim progress," Newark Mayor Ras Baraka told reporters gathered at the Newark Police building on Washington Street. He was joined by Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, and other city officials who gathered Tuesday to discuss year-to-date crime trends.

According to statistics presented by the department, the total number of homicides, shootings, robberies, and other violent crimes committed in the city so far this year are down, when compared to this time last year. The overall crime rate is the lowest it's been since 1967, officials said.

Of 9 crime categories tracked internally by the police department, only aggravated assaults show an increase over the past year, and Ambrose said the department had also seen an increase in domestic violence crimes.

"We've been able to drive the numbers down all the way up to Christmas Day," Baraka said, while acknowledging the city had a "rough year" with several high-profile homicides.

Authorities are still investigating the killing of Hassan Q. Cobb-Jones, 32, who was fatally shot Sunday in the 100 block of Parker Street.

Officials say the statistics show a promising trend that they hope will continue. Baraka and Ambrose credited the crime dips to changes in the police department over the past year.

Among other department initiatives, the officials pointed to the department's shooting response team, which they said responds to calls of "shots fired" as if they're known to be homicides.

The officials said assistance from the New Jersey State Police, Essex County Prosecutor's Office, the county Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman's Office was also a major factor. Ambrose also thanked the officers of the Newark police department, saying their work in the city has helped drive crime down. 

"I would say some luck and prayer helped, too, to get these numbers where they're at," Ambrose said.

Ambrose, a former Essex County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Detectives, officially took over in Newark in January, as part of a restructuring of the department.

Since then, the department has also added more officers, reassigned many to street beats, partnered with citizen groups and clergy to promote community policing and relocated the internal affairs unit, among other moves touted by officials.

Ambrose said multiple classes of new police officers are expected to graduate in coming months, giving the department more boots on the ground.

The department has now just under 1,000 officers, he said.

Three years ago, Newark had the third highest murder rate in the nation, according to FBI statistics. Reform efforts hoping to revitalize the city have often staggered by violent crime rates.

Past statistics show fluctuating crime rates in Newark, but officials say they hope continuing changes to the department will work to keep the trends moving in a downward direction. 

In a statement to NJ Advance Media, James Stewart Jr., the president of the Newark Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, said the FOP was pleased by the news.

"The reduction in crime is great news for the citizens of Newark, as well as the thousands of visitors we host every day," Stewart said.

"The men and women working on the streets have answered the director's call for more hours of work, which equates to more visibility, which means less opportunities for crime. We are looking forward to 2017 and possibly Newark's biggest recruit class ever, which we hope will mean even safer streets here in the city."

The crime report comes as Newark is under the watch of a federal monitor - the result of a scathing 2014 Department of Justice review that found rampant violations within the department.

Police and city officials Tuesday said such moves are welcomed by the city.

"We definitely believe in treating the community with strength and dignity," Police Chief Darnell Henry said.

Ambrose, responding to a question from a reporter, did say that a bail reform system set to take effect in 2017 could have a still-undetermined impact on the city's crime numbers.

Under the new system, high-risk defendants may be held without bail, while many others accused of minor crimes could be released without having to post bail.

"The small things become big things," Ambrose said, referencing alleged crimes that may not be serious to merit holding defendants under the new system. "We're going to have more people probably wanted on warrants."

Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Ethan Z. Chandler, 42, of Belleville, previously lived in Connecticut and Tennessee, police said Tuesday Watch video

ESSEX COUNTY - The youth sports video producer arrested earlier this month on child sex charges previously lived in Connecticut and Tennessee and police are seeking potential victims there, authorities said.

Ethan Chandler, 42, of Belleville

The State Police issued the multi-state alert Tuesday in the investigation of Ethan Z. Chandler, 42, of Belleville, and identified other counties in New Jersey where he previously resided. Authorities asked people to share the post featuring several photos of Chandler on social media.

"Detectives have determined that Chandler resided in Bergen, Essex, and Morris counties while living in New Jersey," according to the State Police. "He also lived in the towns of Norwalk, Stamford, and Monroe in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and the mid-1990s, Davidson County, Tennessee."

Chandler was arrested on Dec. 1 after exchanging explicit messages with an undercover detective posing as a 13-year-old boy and arranging to meet the detective in Woodbridge, authorities have said.

Newark sees greatest crime drop in nearly 50 years, officials say

The detective was responding to an advertisement Chandler posted on Facebook and contacted him through the mobile chat app Kik, police said.

Chandler posted bail, but was arrested a second time less than a week later after investigators found additional evidence taken during the search of his residence, police said.

Chandler had sex with a 14-year-old boy at his apartment on at least three occasions, including as recently as a several weeks ago, police said. He has since been released on $200,000 bail and pleaded not guilty at his initial court appearance.

Police have not said if any additional alleged victims have come forward.

Anyone with information about other possible alleged victims is asked to call the New Jersey State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit at (609) 584-5051 ext. 5624 or email hitech@gw.njsp.org.

Police say they are looking for two suspects.

MONTCLAIR -- Police are looking for two men who they say carjacked a Montclair couple's Subaru Legacy at gunpoint.

File photo of the Montclair police department.
 

According to Montclair police, a 24-year-old Medford man and 24-year-old Bloomfield woman were sitting in the car in the Mid-Town parking lot on Forest Street at about 7:13 p.m. Monday when two men pulled up in a black Jeep Liberty. The men, who were each holding a semiautomatic handgun, got out of the car and approached each side of the Subaru, threatening the young couple with the weapons, police said. After ordering the two out of the car, the men stole the Subaru and sped off in that and the Jeep, police said.

The man and woman were not hurt in the incident, police said.

The alleged carjackers were described as a black male, approximately 5-feet-10-inches to 5-feet-11-inches in height with long dreadlocks, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and skull cap, and a black male approximately 5-feet-6-inches to 5-feet-7-inches in height, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and skull cap, police said.

The Subaru was later found in Newark, unoccupied, authorities said.

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.