After four homicides in one week, Atlantic City officials are pleading for the public’s help in addressing the recent rise in violent crime, especially as Gov. Phil Murphy and other state leaders tout record decreases in violent crime elsewhere in the state.
But Mayor Marty Small said at a press event this week that it will take a unified approach, with the police union not necessarily on the same page on how to address the problem.
“At the end of the day, it’s a collaborative approach, everyone working together, and no one should be pointing the finger,” Small said of union’s criticism that his administration hasn’t done enough.
Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds’ office will oversee the investigation of the recent murders, and he highlighted that there has been an overall decrease in homicides since 2012.
“There hasn’t been a study presented based on population and visitors since I’ve been in [office], which is 19 months, to show me what the accurate number of police officers should be,” he said. “So, there are theories from everyone involved as to how many officers should Atlantic City have, how they should be deployed.”
Vincent Omar McDaniel, assistant director at One Neighborhood Evolution, said community groups like his can play a key role in responding to family or neighborhood conflicts.
“We can help resolve it, and there is no need to involve law enforcement,” he said. “Sometimes people don’t feel comfortable if they find a gun maybe in their home. Do they call the police and get their son locked up, or do they call us and resolve the issue?”
The outcry from the recent murders has been so strong that the group now expects more than 500 people to participate in Saturday’s Peace Walk, that was originally scheduled before the violence happened.
