Governor Chris Christie, and the Rev. Al Sharpton are just two of the featured guests that will speak at the 3rd Annual Prisoner Reentry Conference in Jersey City next week.

Governor Chris Christie and the Rev. Al Sharpton are two of the featured guests who will speak at the third Annual Prisoner Reentry Conference in Jersey City on Thursday.

The conference, which will be hosted by Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, will be held at Saint Peter's University's Mac Mahon Student Center at 47 Glenwood Ave. 

The panel will focus on the critical needs of prisoners reentering society following prison terms and will provide a platform to discuss and analyze local and regional efforts to improve ex-offenders' chances of success.

Christie and Sharpton, leader of the National Action Network, will also be joined by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, former governor and current head of Jersey City's Employment and Training Program, Jim McGreevey, and Fox News Channel personality Andrew Napolitano. 

The conference will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A panel featuring Sharpton and Napolitano will begin at 11 a.m. while a conversation between Christie and McGreevey will run from 1 to 4 p.m.

See what we learned from past test results the school district released Thursday night.

NEWARK -- In light of elevated levels of lead found in the drinking water at Newark Public Schools, the district released data Thursday night reflecting the lead levels found in water samples taken at the district over the past four school years.

District officials are currently working with state and federal agencies to re-test and eventually remediate the elevated lead levels. The current work has lead to many questions about how long lead amounts have been above the "action level" -- a marker at which the Environmental Protection Agency says samples should be reevaluated and remediated.

Here are four trends we can see in the numbers recently released by the district:

The highest levels detected in schools are lower this year

The highest level of lead detected in any school during this school year was 558 ppb at Bard High School Early College. That is lower than the highest levels detected in each of the three previous school years: in 2014-15, 2,290 ppb was detected at BRICK/Avon Academy; in 2013-14, Gateway Renaissance Academy recorded a 1,590 ppb level; in 2012-13, 984 ppb was recorded at Ivy Hill.

The highest levels reported were still far lower than those recorded in Flint, Michigan, where a water crisis saw lead levels exceeding 13,000 ppb in some measured taps.

The vast majority of water taps tested below the federal action level

Each year, only about 10 to 12 percent of the approximately 700 taps that were tested in all of the district's school buildings reported lead amounts above the EPA's action level of 15 parts per billion. But, the percentage of contaminated taps is up from the 2012-13 school year.

Here are the percentages, according to Newark schools:

• In 2012-13, 6.84 percent of water samples were at or above action level
• In 2013-14, 13.31 percent of water samples were at or above action level
• In 2014-15, 15.27 percent of water samples were at or above action level
• In 2015-16, 9.61 percent of water samples were at or above action level

25 schools have been above the action level for at least two school years

The district identified 25 school buildings that had at least one sample above the federal action level in both the 2014-15 school year, and this year. Those schools, which have had the taps turned off and are using bottled water, are:

• Barringer High School
• Benjamin Franklin School
• Berliner School
• Branch Brook School
• Camden Street Middle School
• Carver School
• Cleveland School
• Ivy Hill School
• John F. Kennedy School
• Louise A. Spencer School
• Luis Munoz Marin School
• Maple Avenue Annex
• Miller Street School Building
• New Jersey Regional Day School
• Newark Leadership Academy
• Newton School
• Old First Avenue/Old Elliott Annex
• Old Speedway School
• Ridge Street School
• Ridge Street School (K-1 annex)
• Roberto Clemente School
• South 17th Street School
• South Street School
• Weequahic School
• West Side High School

The number of samples above 100 ppb is down

Only 10 water samples taken throughout the entire district in the 2012-13 school year recorded levels at or above the 100 ppb mark. That number went up to 16 and 15 samples in the next two years, respectively. This year, it was back down to 12 samples.

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

Police have arrested a 25-year-old city man in connection with a March 15 carjacking, officials said.

(file photo)

NEWARK -- Police have arrested a 25-year-old city man in connection with a March 15 carjacking, officials said.

According to authorities, Al-Tariq S. McCoy allegedly confronted a 46-year-old man outside his South 6th Street home, threatened the victim while brandishing a gun and then proceeded to steal the victim's wallet and 2008 Dodge vehicle.

After identifying McCoy as a suspect, police arrested him at a home in the 500 block of South 12th Street.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/03/newarkers_will_be_asked_to_rate_their_cops.html

McCoy is being held on a bail of $250,000 for car-jacking, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

All proceeds benefit the animals in the shelter's care.

 

MONTCLAIR -- The Montclair Township Animal Shelter will host a "Raise the Woof" Zumbathon on Saturday, March 26, at the Montclair Soccer Dome.

The dance event will feature prizes, a children's craft table and snacks, with all proceeds benefiting the animals in the shelter's care.

The zumbathon fee is $10 for the event taking place from noon to 2 p.m. at the soccer dome at 14 Depot Square. For more information, call 973-744-8600 or go to Montclairanimalshelter.blogspot.com.

Shelters interested in placing a pet in the Paw Print adoption column or submitting news should call 973-836-4922 or email essex@starledger.com.

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

 

See the percentage of samples that tested positive for high lead levels at your child's school over the past four years.

NEWARK -- District officials this week released the results of lead testing conducted at its school buildings over the last four years. The highest level of lead recorded in that time period was seen during the 2014-15 school year at the BRICK/Avon Academy. One tap tested at that school reported a contamination level of 2,290 ppb, more than 150 times higher than the federal action level for lead.

School officials have turned off taps at the 30 schools that tested positive for elevated lead levels this year.

4 things we've learned about Newark lead levels

Check the look-up tool below to see if your child's school has had a high lead level since 2012, if the water at the school has been turned off this year, and the percentage of samples taken at the school over the past four years that have returned readings above the federal action level.

Note: The look-up tool includes schools that were tested in previous years, but have since been closed or are no longer in use by the district. See the actual lead levels recorded at each building here.

Use the search tool below to find your local schools.

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

Three men charged in a 2014 crackdown on an international ring that shipped high-end stolen cars abroad were sentenced to state prison Friday for their roles in the scheme, officials say.

Kurtis Bossie (left) and Jim J. Bryant Jr. (right) 

TRENTON - Three men charged in a 2014 crackdown on an international ring that shipped high-end stolen cars abroad were sentenced to state prison Friday for their roles in the scheme, authorities said.

Kurtis Bossie, 24, of Newark was sentenced to 18 years in state prison, while Jim J. Bryant Jr., 24, also of Newark, was received a 10 year sentence.

Both men pleaded guilty on Feb. 26 in Superior Court in Union County to first-degree charges of conspiracy and carjacking.

Daniel I. Hunt, 38, of East Orange, was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading to second-degree conspiracy to commit fencing.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/02/carjacking_ring_broken_up.html

They were just three of the 30 men charged following "Operation Jacked," a 10-month investigation led by the by the state Division of Criminal Justice and the New Jersey State Police that recovered 160 stolen cars worth more than $8 million at ports in New Jersey and New York, according to the state Attorney General's Office.

Police say many of the cars were taken at gun or knifepoint and shipped from Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal to West Africa, where they can fetch twice their retail value. Authorities broke up a similar ring targeting cars along the Route 17 corridor in northern New Jersey last fall.

IN 2014, the Division of Criminal Justice indicted 26 defendants in connection with the ring on charges including first-degree racketeering, including three alleged ringleaders, two alleged shippers for the ring, and 21 associates who fenced, carjacked and stole vehicles, or acted as wheel men who moved and hid the luxury vehicles, officials said.
 
"Over the past three  years, we've joined forces with our law enforcement partners to crack down on violent carjackers and thieves who have terrorized victims in Newark and throughout the region," said Acting Attorney General Lougy.

"Through proactive operations to lock up carjackers like Bossie and Bryant, as well as fences like Hunt, we've cut carjackings by more than half," he said.
 
Seven other defendants have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to 12 years as a result of guilty pleas secured in connection with Operation Jacked, officials said.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Judge Michael L. Ravin permitted Kevin Roberts to act as his own attorney on charges in the fatal carjacking Watch video

NEWARK -- As he considered whether to allow Kevin Roberts to represent himself on charges in a fatal carjacking at The Mall at Short Hills, Superior Court Judge Michael L. Ravin on Friday wanted to make sure Roberts understood the risks involved.

The judge noted how Roberts has no legal training and is unfamiliar with the rules of evidence and court procedures. Roberts also would be facing "an extremely well-trained team of prosecuting attorneys," the judge said.

"And in this fight for your life, you will be entirely responsible for your own mistakes, like an attorney," Ravin told Roberts, adding that "you're going to be treated like an attorney and you don't have the training of an attorney.

"It's a risk," the judge added. "Do you understand that?"

But Roberts indicated he was unhappy with his attorney and was willing to take a chance on himself.

"I'd rather take the risk than have a counsel that's not gonna fight for me," Roberts told the judge.

The judge ultimately permitted Roberts, 35, of Newark, to represent himself after determining he understood the nature and consequences of waiving his right to counsel and that his decision is "knowing and intelligent."

Ravin said Roberts's attorney, Albert Kapin, would be appointed to serve as standby counsel and could assist Roberts in communicating with prosecutors and the attorneys representing his three co-defendants, Karif Ford, Basim Henry and Hanif Thompson.

"I think you're making a big, big mistake, Mr. Roberts," the judge said.

The four defendants are facing murder, carjacking and related offenses in the Dec. 15, 2013 fatal shooting of Hoboken attorney Dustin Friedland at the upscale mall in Millburn. His widow, Jamie Schare Friedland, is pursuing a lawsuit over the killing.

The Office of the Public Defender in Essex County assigned Kapin to represent Roberts and, following Roberts's criticism of Kapin, the office has indicated it will not assign a different attorney to represent him, according to the judge. The office has said it has "complete confidence" in Kapin's legal abilities to represent Roberts, the judge said.

Roberts also said he cannot afford to hire a private attorney.

During Friday's hearing, Kapin said he has advised Roberts against representing himself and told the judge, "I would be better representing him than he would be representing himself."

But Roberts argued he'd "do a better job of representing myself than Mr. Kapin has done thus far." Roberts claimed Kapin has refused to pursue motions that Roberts is seeking in the case.

"I would rather represent myself than go to trial with what I believe to be inadequate counsel," Roberts said.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

In all, 17,000 students are eligible for free, in-district testing. Watch video

NEWARK -- About 130 children have been tested for lead so far at the two school sites made available to parents interested in screening their children, according to a school administrator.

"We're waiting for more information about what will happen (with testing sites) next week, through spring recess and probably the week after," said Nana Ofosu-Amaah, Newark Public Schools' executive director of the Office of Early Childhood. After the next two weeks, parents can go to the city health department to get their children screened, she said.

Though other parents can bring in students from other schools to get tested, the district is ready to accommodate toddlers who are attending these pre-K centers first, Ofosu-Amaah said.

Thirty schools in the state's largest district were found to have unsafe levels of lead following district testing, officials announced earlier this month.

Now, as many as 17,000 students are drinking bottled water at school, and they are eligible for free voluntary testing, which began Thursday at one 210-student pre-K school and is continuing with a second, 131-student pre-K Friday, officials said.

The issue has led to a lot of uncertainty and alarm among parents and educators.

Elevated lead levels in Newark schools' water dates back to at least 2012, school officials confirmed Wednesday. 

'Uncertainty' about past testing prompts new DEP lead plan in Newark

Even low lead exposure in children can cause irreversible problems with paying attention and have detrimental impact on academic achievement, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Ofosu-Amaah was interviewed around noon outside Early Childhood School -- West, the second designated testing site, a federal Head Start program on Speedway Ave., where she said 32 parents had come to sign up for testing and to get one-on-one information on the lead situation, and 31 children had been screened so far on Friday. This school is open as a testing site until about 4 p.m., with the help of the city health department, she said. 

By 3:30 p.m. Friday, 45 children had been tested at the school, according to Newark Public Schools spokeswoman Dreena Whitfield.

At the first testing site, Early Childhood School Central at Samuel L. Berliner School, 95 families signed in and 85 children ultimately got screened, she said. 

Most parents are coming in to register their children at 8 a.m. before school, or after school, but parents are allowed to come in at any time, she said. The registered students at the Speedway Ave. school are put on a list, and carry out a normal day of school until it is their turn to get their blood drawn, she said.

"Today I didn't hear a lot of crying kids," she said. "We got them lollipops to take home for the weekend."

In this particular school, she said, only one of 10 locations within the school where water was tested was found with elevated lead levels, and it was in the staff lounge.

Ofosu-Amaah said she couldn't speak to whether the district knew there was lead in the water for 10 years, noting that she had just worked for the district one year.

However, parents at the second testing site expressed alarm about the possibility the district may have known so long ago. 

"You should have let the parents (know) about all that stuff," said Sakina Banks, who signed her 4-year-old son up for testing Friday morning. "(His behavior) changed. I know he's been exposed to lead."

Like a few other parents previously interviewed, Banks said she might sue if the results show high blood lead levels.

"They should have told all the parents about this in advance... It's crazy, it really is," said Quanissa Mickens, who is testing her 4-year-old daughter before her oldest child, who also was at one of the 30 schools. "I'm really nervous, because I don't know what the results are going to come out with."

"I'd rather be safe than sorry," she added. "(Once I get the results) I'll do whatever I have to do."

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Babatope Oweseni, 36, of East Orange, received the sentence after losing a bid to withdraw his guilty plea

NEWARK -- More than a month after losing a bid to withdraw his guilty plea to strangling his pregnant wife to death, an East Orange man was sentenced on Friday to 16 years in state prison.

But throughout the hearing, Babatope Owoseni claimed his former attorney coerced him into pleading guilty and he maintained his innocence.

"I didn't kill my wife," Owoseni told Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler, according to an audio recording of the hearing. "You're sending an innocent man to jail."

The judge, however, rejected those claims and noted how Owoseni had admitted when he pleaded guilty to killing his wife during "a dispute over the fact that she was pregnant and that the child was not yours." Owoseni also had said he was not being forced to plead guilty, according to the judge.

"I heard it out of your own mouth under oath," Wigler told Owoseni. "I have trouble believing that you're an innocent man like you profess today."

Owoseni, 36, pleaded guilty on March 19, 2015 to an aggravated manslaughter charge in connection with the Dec. 27, 2013 killing of 26-year-old Fatoumata Owoseni, who was nine months pregnant at the time. The unborn child died as a result of the attack, authorities said.

Under a plea agreement, prosecutors recommended the 16-year prison sentence for Owoseni. He must serve nearly 14 years before becoming eligible for parole and he will receive credit for more than two years of time served.

Given the admissions Owoseni made when he pleaded guilty, Wigler on Feb. 5 denied his motion to withdraw the guilty plea. The judge said at the time he remains satisfied that Owoseni understood the terms of the plea agreement and that his guilty plea was "knowing and voluntary."

In his motion, Owoseni claimed his former attorney did not provide him with certain materials before he pleaded guilty, according to his current attorney, John Haggerty.

Those materials were the autopsy report, crime scene photos, autopsy photos and a transcript of the grand jury proceedings leading to his indictment, Haggerty said.

But Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Ralph Amirata, who handled the case, noted that although Owoseni claims he was not provided with the autopsy report, he acknowledged during the plea hearing that he reviewed the report.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

East Orange girl, 15, was last seen Feb. 19

EAST ORANGE -- Police are looking for a 15-year-old girl last seen leaving school nearly a month ago.

Taheerah Nowlin disappeared after leaving East Orange Campus High School and walking towards Prospect Street Feb. 19 at around 3:30 p.m.

She is 4'9", 130 lbs and has short brown hair. She was wearing khaki pants, a gray polo shirt, a blue coat and green Kevin Durant-brand sneakers. She has been known to frequent Central Avenue.

Linden shooting victim now missing

Anyone with information is being asked to contact their local police or East Orange police at 973-266-5000.

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

A 21-year-old man wanted for a February burglary was arrested Friday.

Hassan Hill (Newark Police Department)  

NEWARK -- A 21-year-old man was arrested Friday by the police department's Fugitive Apprehension Team for a burglary last month.

Hassan Hill was wanted in connection with the Feb. 17 burglary at an address in the 200 block of N. 12th Street. He was arrested on Clinton Place Friday morning after he was identified with the help of the crime scene unit, police said. He has been charged with burglary and theft and was being held on $35,000 bail.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to call  the department's confidential 24-hour Crime Stoppers' tip line at 877 NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877 695-4867).

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

Former city school officials said they do not recall turning away assistance from the federal agency Watch video

NEWARK -- As Newark school officials continue to address elevated lead levels in city schools, a spokesman for the federal Environmental Protection Agency said Friday school officials in 2003 rejected an offer to partner with the agency to address lead contamination in the district.

But school officials from that time period said they do not remember such an offer being made.

"I don't recall us saying we don't need the help of EPA," said Marion Bolden, who served as the superintendent of the Newark Public Schools from 1999 to 2008.

The district's response to lead contamination has come under scrutiny in the wake of findings that 30 city school buildings have recorded elevated lead levels. School officials are planning to test all district buildings in the coming weeks and testing has begun on students' blood lead levels.

The district has said it has been testing school buildings for lead and taking remedial actions for more than a decade.

According to EPA spokesman John Martin, the federal agency conducted water testing in the district in 2003 and asked school officials about partnering with the EPA to implement the "3Ts lead in schools program" in Newark.

"While the EPA offered to help implement the 3Ts program, the Newark school district let the EPA know it already had a program in place, which included testing and providing filters in their schools," Martin said in an email.

But Steve Morlino, who served as the district's executive director of facilities between 1999 and 2013, said he did not recall federal officials offering to partner with the district and officials turning the agency down.

"If they had offered to partner with me, I would've taken them up on it in a heartbeat," Morlino said. "We would never turn down help like that, not while I was there."

Morlino said the agency conducted water testing in the district and recommended various remedial measures, including replacing water fountains and installing lead reduction water filters. He said school officials followed those recommendations and continued to regularly test the water in school buildings.

In addition to water testing, Morlino said school officials during his tenure replaced water fountains where high lead levels were discovered, installed filters throughout the district and followed flushing protocols to eliminate contaminants.

In response to EPA's claims, district spokeswoman Dreena Whitfield said school officials worked with EPA in the early 2000s, but the exact involvement of the agency was not clear.

"Past documentation and facilities staff have both articulated that the district worked in conjunction or in 'consultation' with the Federal EPA in the early 2000's," Whitfield said in a statement.

"It is not clear from our review what the exact involvement of the EPA was, but it appears that previous staff felt comforted by their conversations that the protocols they were putting in place complied with federal guidance at the time," she added. "We continue to conduct a comprehensive review of all past practices in this area and continue to be committed to sharing whatever we find with the public."

NJ Advance Media Reporter Jessica Mazzola contributed to this story.

Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A flurry of information has been reported in the two weeks since school employees first noticed discolored water in city schools. See what we know, and what questions we still have.

NEWARK -- What started as a staff member noticing discolored water at the Louise A. Spencer Elementary School on March 3 has turned into what some are calling a water crisis for the largest school district in the state.

Gov. Chris Christie cautioned parents against panicking about the lead levels Friday. Still, thousands of kids in Newark may be tested for lead poisoning, half of the district's student body is relying on bottled drinking water while officials retest water samples and formulate a lead remediation plan, and past school, city, state, and federal officials are disagreeing about just how long Newark's kids have been exposed to lead at school.

Look-up: How much lead is in your school's water?

Below is a look at what we know, and what questions still remain, about the elevated levels of lead found in the drinking water at Newark school buildings.

HOW WE FOUND OUT

On Wednesday, March 9 - a week after a staff member reported discolored water - school district officials and the state Department of Environmental Protection announced the results of annual testing revealed lead amounts at 30 school buildings were higher than the "action level," at which the federal Environmental Protection Agency advises retesting and remediation take place. The district immediately announced it was turning off water taps that had tested above the 15 ppb limit, and importing bottled water to be used for drinking and cooking at those schools for the foreseeable future.

Though Chris Cerf, the superintendent of the 35,000-student, state-controlled school district, has said that he finds the elevated levels "extremely concerning," he and other officials have cautioned residents from comparing the levels found in Newark to those found in Flint, Michigan.

WHAT WE KNOW

• Newark officials say the lead is not originating in the city's water supply, but instead from aging pipes and other infrastructure inside the old school buildings. The highest water sample recorded in Newark in 2015 was 558 ppb. The highest water sample that has been recorded in the district in the past four school years was 2,290 ppb. By comparison, Flint has garnered national attention for contaminated city drinking water that reportedly tested as high as 13,200 ppb.
• While local officials are working with the NJDEP and EPA on a new water re-sampling and remediation plan, the EPA has said that it reached out to the district when elevated lead levels were found in its drinking water in 2003. The district opted for its own remediation plan, and refused federal help, the EPA has said. But, Newark officials who worked in the district at the time denied that.
• This week, district officials released test results from samples taken at Newark schools over the past four school years. Sixty-two percent of schools showed elevated lead levels last school year. That dropped to 43 percent this year.
• Health experts have said it is unlikely that the lead levels recorded in Newark schools would cause serious health complications. But, the city began this week testing thousands of kids who attend the affected schools.

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW

• What exactly has been done? Newark teachers union members have accused district leaders of failing to adhere to remediation procedures that have been in place since at least 2004. District officials say they are continuing to investigate what procedures have actually been followed.
• Who will be on the hook to fix the problem? Whether the district opts to replace piping, add filtration systems, or continue serving kids bottled water, the bill to deal with the issue is going to be hefty. Though the city has stepped in to provide water bottles and free blood testing to residents, Mayor Ras Baraka said Friday he plans to ask for assistance to cover the cost. "It's not fair. (The state) runs the system, and we deal with the fallout," he said.  
• How far reaching is the problem? Newark schools are far from the only old buildings still in operation in the state. Environmental leaders have said this issue, and a similar one in Jersey City schools in 2013, point to a larger problem that exists throughout the state. Some other school districts have started testing their water in response. Local leaders in Newark have called for the state to invest in an overhaul of its infrastructure.

What questions do you have about the ongoing Newark schools' water issue? Ask in the comments section below, and we will work to get the answers.

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

The state Public Employee Relations Commission has granted a Newark Police Department union a hearing on its complaint against the city's new civilian-led police oversight committee.

NEWARK -- Now codified into law by the municipal council, the existence of the Newark Civilian Complaint Review Board is being challenged by the police unions it is intended to oversee.

The state Public Employee Relations Commission has granted the Newark Superior Officer's Association a hearing on an "unfair practices" complaint filed over the creation of the city's first civilian-led police oversight committee.

In the complaint, the police union alleges that city officials including Mayor Ras Baraka skirted state due process law in creating the board.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/03/newark_municipal_council_citizen_police_overight_b.html

Among a host of other grievances, the union alleges that the board's operating guidelines were developed without the union's approval and represent a significant departure from the established police officer disciplinary process.

At the heart of the dispute is the provision which empowers the board to conduct its own investigations and compel officers to appear before its 11 members.

According to SOA President Capt. John Chrystal, those changes represent a violation of the union's collective bargaining agreement. "The city ordinance is in violation of state law, labor law and our negotiated agreement, and we're confident that we're going to prevail," Chrystal said. 

The hearings, which are scheduled to begin on April 14 at the employment commission's offices in Newark, would appear to complicate Mayor Ras Baraka's plans for the board, which he has said would begin operating in the spring.

Baraka could not immediately be reached for comment. But in a previous interview, the mayor pushed back against the "disingenuous" allegation that the city did not seek the union's input during the development of the board's operating guidelines.

"We asked them to be involved in it, but they refused," Baraka said. "They refused to be involved because they're trying to push for a contract themselves without regard for what we're doing here, which is wrong."

The city could soon face a second legal challenge to the CCRB from the police department's other major union.

James Stewart, president of the Newark Fraternal Order of Police, said the union's negotiated collective bargaining agreement prevents alterations to the agreed upon disciplinary process. 

"Laws stipulate who has subpoena powers, and we don't believe a mayoral executive order supersedes that," Stewart said Wednesday. The union plans on challenging the ordinance creating the CCRB in court, he added.

Conceived in the wake of a damning report released by the U.S. Department of Justice in July 2014, the board is designed to provide additional civilian oversight of an embattled police department that federal investigators found routinely engaged in acts of excessive force and violations of residents' constitutional rights.

It would grant citizens the option of directing their complaints to the board or to the police department's internal affairs unit. Board members would then conduct an independent investigation on cases brought before them, and would be able to summon the officers facing the allegations to a formal hearing.

The board will issue a determination as to whether an act of misconduct occurred, which will be forwarded to the city's police chief, who can issue a final decision on punishment using a so-called "discipline matrix" that creates guidelines for certain offenses and their severity.

Baraka and other advocates for enhanced civilian oversight of the city's police force have called the ability to review internal affairs investigations essential to the board's work.

That power gives the Newark CCRB an unparalleled advantage over similar civilian-led police oversight committees, said New Jersey ACLU Executive Director Udi Ofer.

"Subpoena authority is in place in other civilian review boards, and clearly a key power that must be a part of Newark's regime in order to ensure that the board has meaningful investigatory authority," Ofer said in an emailed statement.

"We're disappointed that the union has decided to litigate this issue before the ink is hardly dry on the civilian review board legislation, and before any rules and regulations have even been issued on how the review board will operate," he said. 

With an administrative hearing pending, both opponents and advocates of the CCRB acknowledge that what powers it has may ultimately be decided in court.

Baraka said city officials are consulting with the state attorney general's office and U.S. Department of Justice as to the question of the board's ability to conduct its own investigations.

Regardless of the outcome of pending legal proceedings, its imperative that Newark police buy into the changing culture of the department, Baraka said.

"I think most police officers are with us," he said. "Newark has to be a part of it, we have to be a part of transparency, community policing."

For those officers that can't, "It's time for them to find another place of employment," Baraka said.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A 38-year-old city man was arrested Saturday after attempting to evade police in a stolen Freightliner semi-truck, police say.

(file photo)

NEWARK --A 38-year-old city man was arrested Saturday after attempting to evade police in a stolen Freightliner semi-truck, according to a Newark Police Department news release.

The incident began at approximately 2:30 p.m., when Newark police officers arrived in the area of Ridgewood and Bigelow Street after receiving reports of a man driving a stolen semi-truck.

According to police, the truck's operator, 38-year-old Charles Lee, refused commands to pull over and led officers on a chase that continued down Route 78 until he crashed into two police cruisers near the Fabyan Place exit, authorities said.

As an officer attempted to climb the truck to place Lee under arrested, the car struck a parked car causing a chain reaction in which two other civilian vehicles were damaged, authorities said.

After being placed into custody, Lee was taken to University Hospital in Newark where he is receiving medical treatment for minor injuries sustained during the incident, officials said.

Officer Michael Walski, who was in one of the marked cruisers struck, was also taken to University Hospital, where he is receiving medical attention for minor injuries, officials said.
 
Lee now faces charges of aggravated assault, theft, resisting arrest and other offenses related to the chase, officials said. 

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, officials said.

Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Gov. Chris Christie said Newark schools' faucets are off and bottled water is in, but little is known about the final cost. Watch video

ELIZABETH -- Resisting comparisons to the disastrous mismanagement of Flint, Michigan's water quality, Gov. Chris Christie said Friday that the elevated lead levels found in Newark schools water were "nowhere near crisis or dangerous levels."

"These levels, while slightly above the EPA (recommended action) levels, are no where near crisis, dangerous levels," the governor said.

Thirty Newark schools' water supplies were found to contain levels above 15 parts per billion, according to state Department of Environmental Protection officials. That's the threshold at which the federal government requires additional testing, monitoring and remediation.

"Now, there's no 'safe' level of lead," Christie adde. "We don't want it in the water."

But the governor cautioned that it wasn't yet known how much remediation would be required to get Newark's water quality back to federally acceptable levels, and said that the ultimate costs would be born by the state, which has overseen Newark's troubled schools for 20 years.

Asked by one reporter if he should not take a role that was more visible to the parents of Newark school kids, Christie insisted that "the governor is at work" but that he was reluctant to get over-involved in the lead abatement decision-making process.

Christie: Denying Trump 'dangerous'

"I don't want to intervene unnecessarily," said Christie, because "the school district are the folks who are best positioned to make these decisions, along with the local advisory board and with the mayor."

It was a decidedly different tone than the governor took two weeks ago, when he threatened to "run over" Newark Mayor Ras Baraka if he stood in the way of expanding Newark's charter schools.

The governor was asked how, as a father himself, he would react as a parent to the news of his kids drinking lead contaminated water.

"I'd be just as concerned as they are," Christie said. "And my message to them is: We're working. ... Not only as a governor, but as a father, I know exactly what you're concerned about. 'Cause there's nothing more important than the safety, the health, the livelihood of your child."

He added that he'd avoided appearing in Newark to avoid creating undue worry about the lead levels.

"I don't want there to be panic," said Christie, "I go charging down there with the state troopers and the whole 'show' that happens when I show up someplace, that can lead to some panic as well, sometimes."

Claude Brodesser-Akner may be reached at cbrodesser@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ClaudeBrodesser. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Lotus Equity Group plans to demolish the vacant stadium to build a high-rise residential tower

NEWARK — Newark's Field of Dreams has been sold.

The former home of the Newark Bears minor league baseball team — left to languish along Broad Street since the hard-luck franchise folded in 2013 — has been sold to a New York-based developer for $23.5 million.

The site at the corner of Broad Street and Orange Street has been sold to the Lotus Equity Group, city officials confirmed this week. Lotus plans to demolish Riverfront Stadium and build a mixed-use, high-rise tower in its place.

"This property is so significant," said Baye Adofo-Wilson, the city's Deputy Mayor for Economic and Housing Development. The stadium "was part of a previous attempt to revitalize the downtown...It didn't work out. We had to come up with a new idea."

Once hailed as a beacon for a new era of development and prosperity in Newark, the return of minor league baseball to the state's largest city proved to be a misstep almost immediately.

The Newark Bears, started by city native and former Yankees catcher Rick Cerone in 1998, continued a legacy of minor league teams in the Brick City.

Though the stadium opened to much fanfare in 1999, and the team attracted former major league stars like Rickey Henderson and Jose Canseco, the Bears failed to capture the hearts of area fans, and the team soon had nearly as many unpaid bills as nightly attendees. A group of developers rescued the franchise from bankruptcy in 2008, but it folded for good five years later. The 6,014-seat venue has hosted only college and local games in the years since.

Where might a Newark casino go? 3 potential landing spots

The franchise-less stadium has continued to cost Newark and Essex County taxpayers a combined $2 million in annual debt payments.

Wilson said the new high-rise will include both residential units and commercial spaces. Though plans have yet to be finalized, that could include a hotel, he said.

Both the city and Lotus hope to market the apartments as both eco-friendly and part of a thriving transit-oriented district, in hopes of attracting millennials and other young professionals to Newark. The current stadium is just a short walk from the city's light rail and NJ Transit's Broad Street station.

"We have the ability to create a vibrant, multifaceted downtown destination for residents and visitors," said Ben Korman, founder of Lotus Equity Group.

"As longtime investors in Newark, we understand this is a unique opportunity to harness the city's incredible energy to build an enduring economic driver for generations to come."

The precise number of units proposed for the tower is unclear, but officials said it could be between 1,000 and 1,500. Some of the units, though it is unclear how many, will likely be designated as affordable housing.

While Wilson said Lotus will probably seek a tax abatement for the project, the details of what it will look like have not yet been ironed out. But, the tax break would be contingent upon the company hiring Newark residents during construction, and hotel staffing, he said.

"We require that you hire Newark residents," Wilson said. "If you do that, we can grant an abatement."

The stadium's sale appears to dash any hopes that the site might one day be home to a casino, should North Jersey officials prove successful in convincing both legislators and voters to allow gambling outside Atlantic City. But, city officials said the sale does not mean that the possibility of a casino somewhere else in Newark is off the table.

"There are several locations that folks are interested in," Mayor Ras Baraka said Friday, noting that the development he supports includes not only a casino, but an entertainment complex and hotel.

"We never decided that we would stop development (while we wait to find out about) the casino...We have to move forward either way," he said.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, a key supporter of the casino effort, said he was "very excited" about the high-rise. The stadium was owned by both the city and the county, and managed by the Essex County Improvement Authority, officials said.

"This dynamic project will contribute immensely to the economic revitalization of Essex County and Newark," DiVincenzo said.

"The economic stimulation and the financial debt that will be removed from the budgets of Essex and Newark are substantial advantages that make this project worthwhile and beneficial for the residents of Essex."

While grand plans for the property have fallen flat before, Baraka said he was confident the new development would play a critical role in revitalizing Newark's long-foundering downtown.

"This will spark more development in and around that area," he said. "We are excited."

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Rabbi Jesse Olitzky of Congregation Beth El in South Orange is helping to organize a walkout when Donald Trump speaks on Monday.

WASHINGTON -- When Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump addresses the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual conference Monday night, a New Jersey rabbi plans to walk out of the room.

Rabbi Jesse Olitzky of Congregation Beth El in South Orange is helping to lead a protest against what he called "the bigotry that Mr. Trump has spread during his campaign" under the banner of "Come Together Against Hate," a play on the AIPAC conference theme of "Come Together."

"As a rabbi, I feel like I have a responsibility to not stand idly by when I see hateful rhetoric," Olitzky said. "We need to consider what the ethical values are that we hold dear as Jews and what is our responsibility to stand up to the bigotry that Mr. Trump has spread during his campaign."

Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump draws boos (and some cheers)

AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobby, routinely invites all of the presidential candidate to address its annual conference in Washington.

Trump has been attacked by his Republican rivals for saying he would be neutral on Israel. He said was simply referring to the fact that he would treat both sides equally in negotiations to bring peace to the Middle East.

"If I go in, I'll say I'm pro-Israel," Trump said during the March 10 GOP debate in Miami. "But I would like to at least have the other side think I'm somewhat neutral as to them, so that we can maybe get a deal done."

At the Republican Jewish Coalition presidential forum in December, Trump was booed when he refused to declare Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel, saying he would not prejudge negotiations with the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, as their capital.

Besides Trump, who is leading in opinion polls and in the delegate count for the GOP presidential nomination, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, also are scheduled to speak.

Olitzky said Trump was a special case.

"I feel personally a responsibility to walk out during his speech," Olitzky said. "I hope those who will be present who are also feel alarmed by Mr. Trump's incitement of bigotry will walk out as a statement as well. Remaining in the room to hear him speak can be construed as condoning his views and his perspectives."

Olitzky said that those boycotting Trump's speech will gather elsewhere to discuss Jewish ethics and values.

Michael Cohen, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and special counsel to Trump, addressed the  charges of racism on Twitter.

.@JTSantucci Anyone who believes that @realDonaldTrump is a racist doesn't know #Trump at all. Shame on the protesting rabbis with #AIPAC

-- Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) March 18, 2016

Trump kicked off his campaign by describing Mexicans as "bringing drugs," "bringing crime," and "rapists."

He later said he would deport all 11 million unauthorized immigrants, called for a ban on admitting Muslims to the U.S., and didn't initially renounce the support he received from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

The Anti-Defamation League in February called on Trump to "unequivocably" put distance between him and white supremacists. "It is time for him to come out firmly against these bigoted views and the people that espouse them," said national chairman Marvin D. Nathan and chief executive officer Jonathan A. Greenblatt.

At the RJC forum, Trump told its members that they wouldn't support him because he didn't want their campaign contributions and therefore wouldn't be beholden to them.

"You're not going support me even though I'm the best thing that would happen to Israel," Trump said. "You're not going to support me because I don't want your money."

Following his statement, the ADL's Greenblatt said that Trump's comments were not intended to be anti-Semitic but "could be interpreted that way" and asked the billionaire businessman to "clarify that this was not his intention, and that he rejects the traditional stereotypes about Jews and money."

Democratic consultant Aaron Keyak, former Middle East adviser to then-U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9th Dist.), said Trump's presence on the GOP ticket will make it easier for his party to attract more Jewish support. The share of the Jewish vote going to the Democratic presidential nominee dropped to 69 percent in 2012 from 80 percent in 1992, according to exit polls.

"Our best ally in increasing the Jewish vote is Donald Trump's words and actions himself," Keyak said.

New Jersey has the fourth largest Jewish population in the U.S., with an estimated 321,200 adults, according to Brandeis University's Steinhardt Social Research Institute 2012 population estimate.

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

The wounds are not life-threatening, police said.

A Newark man was shot twice, March 20, 2016. (File Photo) 

NEWARK -- A city man was shot twice early Sunday, police said.

Medical staff at University Hospital told Newark Police at 3:30 a.m. they had treated a 21-year-old man for two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Police interviewed the man and set up a crime scene at Clinton and Jeliff avenues, Newark Police Capt. Derek Glenn said. The investigation suggests the man was targeted.

Detectives are attempting to identify a motive, Glenn said.

Anyone with information was asked to call (877) NWK-TIPS or (877) NWK-GUNS.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The ASPCA poison control hotline is 888-426-4435.

Petfinder.com, where you can find nearly a quarter of a million adoptable pets listed by more than 12,000 adoption groups, offers these tips to pet owners now that spring is near:

* There will be plenty of sticks and branches on the ground after winter, and they can cause choking and severe mouth injuries to dogs. If your pet likes to chew and chase, make sure to use a tennis ball, Frisbee or other toy instead of branches.

* You might be doing some spring cleaning; if a pet ingests a household cleaner, don't call a human poison control center - they won't be able to help with animals. Call your vet or the ASPCA poison control hotline, 888-426-4435.

* Dogs can get seasonal allergies just like people ... but they manifest themselves in dogs more as skin conditions than sneezing. Check with your vet for treatment options.

* Flea and tick prevention for dogs and cats should be continued year-round, but even if you take a break during winter months, make sure to apply the preventatives before the weather warms up.

Here's a gallery of adoptable dogs and cats in northern and central New Jersey. Enable captions to get all the contact information needed to adopt. More pets in need of homes 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.