Police will have "zero-tolerance" for quality of life offenses in the city, public safety director says
More Newark police officers will be deployed over the Fourth of July holiday weekend (File photo)
An additional 60 officers will target quality-of-life complaints and respond to fireworks calls in the state's largest city, according to Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. The officers will also be available to handle calls of crimes in-progress.
"These officers will be tasked with enforcing our zero-tolerance to any activity that denigrates the quality of life in our city," Ambrose said in a statement. "We will be strictly enforcing city ordinances and monitoring the activities of suspects in problematic areas whose actions rise to the level of reasonable suspicion."
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Another group of extra officers will be assigned to focus on drunk driving, according to the public safety director.
"There is a cost for public safety, if one life is saved it's worth it," Ambrose added. "So far this year we have 1,000 less crime victims and a 20 percent reduction in overall crime."
Police also announced a crackdown on illegal fireworks in the days leading up to the holiday weekend. The latest arrest in that effort came Tuesday when authorities seized more than 6,300 fireworks from a man who was selling the pyrotechnics from his car, according to officials.
Based on a tip from a member of the public, police said they found bottle rockets, Roman candles, bunker bombs and other fireworks in the man's trunk.
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Another arrest on Friday netted 47 pop-bottle rockets and eight Roman candles, police said. Officers issued several summonses.
Residents were urged to continue supplying information to police through the city's tip lines at 877 NWK-TIPS (877-695-8477) or NWK-GUNS (877-695-4867). Crime Stoppers would be kept confidential.
Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.