News Release For Release: Friday, July 31, 2009 Contact: Linda Cofer 201-259-5072

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Orange to receive stimulus grant of nearly one million dollars to hire additional police. Mayor Hawkins credits community policing strategy with near 10% reduction in crime, thanks Senators Lautenberg and Menendez and Congressman Payne for their help.

At a news conference today held at 2pm at the Polhill Justice Complex, 29 N. Park St, Orange, and attended by Senator Frank Lautenberg, Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. announced that Orange will be receiving $964,000 from the federal COPS program to hire five police officers for the next three years. COPS is the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The funding comes from the federal recovery program, and competition for the grants was intense.

The COPS funding is in addition to the recent federal stimulus grant of $251,503 received by Orange from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) for the purchase of five Ford Crown Victoria police cars equipped with radios and mobile data terminals, funding of two current officer salaries, and desktop computer upgrades for the police grant administrator.

Most New Jersey police departments that applied for the COPS money -- including the State Police -- were turned down. Eighteen New Jersey police departments received funding, a small fraction of the 305 New Jersey police departments that applied under the COPS Hiring Recovery Program. Nationally, Pittsburgh, Houston, Seattle and Phoenix, were among the roughly 6,000 applications rejected.

Mayor Hawkins, himself a police officer in neighboring West Orange, took the occasion of the news conference to announce that crime was down in Orange in all categories in the year since he took office compared to the prior year. A 9.7% overall reduction.  He attributed the reduction in crime to the city’s reliance on its new strategy of community policing and said that Orange won the stimulus funding because the grants are specifically targeted to help cities with successful community policing initiatives.

Statement by Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.
I want to thank Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez and Congressman Donald Payne for helping us secure this funding to expand our community policing. Orange is proof that community policing works. We’ve reduced crime because the Orange Police Department works 365 days a year with community groups and individuals to identify criminals and crime hot spots and to bring criminals to justice.

Our community policing has included a successful Gun Buyback Program; Operation Park and Walk, where officers park their cars and walk along major thoroughfares; a fast response complaint system enabling police to monitor crime “hot spots” reported by citizens; plus Adopt a School, Adopt a Street, and Adopt a Church programs in which officers voluntarily participate in community affairs. We expanded Crime Watch activities and energized neighborhood Police Community Council meetings with regular attendance of the Police Director and top police officials.

Our police go into the schools and teach students and their parents how to reject gangs and drugs. We have a new Child Internet Safety Program, an executive internship program for Orange High School students focusing on the managerial and organizational side of police work, and we expanded the Junior Police Academy program for children in Orange. We also established liaison with immigrant groups. This is critical because unless a good police relationship exists with immigrant communities, crime in these communities too often goes unreported and crimes unsolved.

Statement by Senator Frank Lautenberg
“With this grant funding, police officers in Orange will be better prepared to perform their duties.  The COPS grant is a proven program that has helped drive down crime and strengthen communities.  After years of misguided budget cuts, I am pleased that the program once again has the full support of the White House and will put officers to work enhancing safety and security in our neighborhoods,” stated Senator Frank R. Lautenberg.”

Statement by Senator Robert Menendez
“No matter the economic climate, we can never let our guard down when it comes to protecting our families and keeping our cities safe from gangs, from violence, and from the new threats we face as a nation. Every mayor knows their first responsibility is to keep their community safe -- Mayor Hawkins has done that, and done it well. This investment in our law enforcement and our security will help him keep the streets of Orange safe and provide budgetary relief during these tough times.”

Statement by Police Director John Rappaport
“I am extremely gratified that our department has received these funds.  Budgets are difficult to manage in these hard economic times.  Police officer jobs are at stake.  This endeavor is important to the City and its citizens and the officers who will I am sure continue to provide both efficient and proficient service to our community.”