Police will focus on crime "hot-spots," add patrols and checkpoints, according to a city announcement.
Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren speaks at an unrelated press conference (File photo) ORANGE -- After a string of shootings in the city this summer, Mayor Dwayne Warren appointed his brother as the city's acting police director with a mandate to carry out a wide-ranging plan to tackle crime.
Todd Warren, who previously served as deputy police director, replaced the department's former acting head, John Wade.
"As Mayor, my primary responsibility to the families of Orange Township is their safety and well being," Mayor Dwayne Warren said in a statement Friday.
The mayor said the acting police director would be tasked with implementing a strategic plan to "secure our streets, remove violent offenders from our community and strengthen the partnership between local police and residents."
The effort included strengthening ties with outside law enforcement agencies and neighboring towns, unannounced checkpoints, walking patrols, targeting people with outstanding warrants and undercover operations to arrest those involved in the drug trade, according to the city statement. The city said it also plans to create an anonymous tips line for residents to provide information to police and provide services for youth through the Orange Police Athletic League.
Shots fired on busy street outside Orange fire station
"I will not let a small group of bad actors undo all the progress we have made in Orange to improve the quality of life for our residents," Warren added.
The mayor pointed to his brother's "extensive law enforcement experience" in making the selection, including positions working with the family court system, correctional institutions, gang intervention programs and investigations.
Todd Warren's resume lists a range of experience in law enforcement, government and education dating back to the early 1990s when he served as an Essex County corrections officer, internal affairs investigator for the county corrections department and teacher.
Warren is a former Essex County probation officer, who graduated from the Essex County Police Academy, according to his city biography. He holds a master's degree in administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a bachelor's degree in political science from University of Massachusetts Amherst, according to a copy of his resume released to NJ Advance Media Friday.
The acting police director also held positions as a special assistant at Newark Public Schools and dean of discipline at the city's Central High School, according to his resume. He was named Orange's deputy police director in July 2012 after working as warden and director at the Essex County Youth Services Juvenile Detention Center.
Warren is in an acting position ahead of a confirmation hearing by the Orange city council, according to a city spokesman.
Councilman Kerry Coley, a former Orange police sergeant who ran against the mayor, said he wanted a career officer to serve as the department's director.
"I always felt and still feel that the person should come through the ranks," Coley said.
A longtime police officer would have a complete understanding of the department, he added. More officers were needed and morale was low among the ranks, he said.
"The men and women of the Orange Police Department need someone at the top who is going to look out for their best interests all of the time," Coley said. "In good times and bad times."
As a candidate for mayor, Coley accused the Warren administration of being rife with cronyism and nepotism.
Coley said council members have not interviewed Todd Warren for the police director position.
"The jury is still out," he added.
Officials in July confirmed Wade no longer worked for the city, but the circumstances of his departure were unclear. He was deputy emergency management coordinator for Orange and a former police lieutenant, according to his biography on the city website.
39-year-old ID'ed as victim of deadly triple shooting in Orange
In July, the 2.2 square mile city experienced two deadly multiple shootings within less than a week. In another incident, gunfire erupted on busy Central Avenue outside the city's fire headquarters around 11 a.m. July 29. Authorities have not announced any arrests in the shootings.
Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.