Councilwoman Speaks Out About Linden Shooting

Statement from Councilwoman Cosby-Hurling:

My neighbors and I are not pleased with the recent and ongoing instances of gun violence that is played out in the streets as if this is the wild west!

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I trust that the police are doing everything that they can and that the investigation is progressing. What has me upset is, the shooting this past week may have been avoidable if my request for public cameras had been given serious consideration and attention in 2015 when the council embarked on a journey to upgrade and install cameras in public areas.

In 2015 we selected the vendor to install cameras in areas that were considered to be a priority yet the area of Chandler Ave an area that I asked for was never added to the list for phase I or phase II. We should not play political games with our communities safety! In August and September of 2016 cameras were ordered and installed at the request of one member of the council without a review of the committee or full governing body because it was election time! There was no gun violence reported at Dobson Park but there was in the Chandler Ave area. There were meetings held and yet my request for cameras on public streets in known areas of violent crimes was ignored.

Will the request continue to be ignored? How much more damage to property will my neighbors have to endure? Must someone be shot and or killed before the powers that be do what they know is right? Install the cameras now!

The residents in this particular area do not have exterior cameras in their homes. The businesses in the area do not have cameras. For the safety of all the residents, the city should have installed cameras when the project was started. The Library and parks could have waited until phase 11 in my opinion based on the clear difference in reported incidents when compared to the reported incidents on Chandler Ave and the surrounding streets. Church vandalism, attempted break-ins, theft of property and yes, violent crimes should have warranted this area as being a PRIORITY for cameras.

I was not pleased that I was not informed of the incident by the police department when it occurred. I learned from a neighbor the next day when he called to ask if anyone was killed! I was disappointed and angry at the delay in any information that was provided to me when I asked about it. I was made to wait for a press lease and that was ALL the information I was given. I know that a directive was given in the past from the office of the Mayor about members of council not being allowed to contact the Chief of Police, however, we as council members must have some form of communication with our law enforcement. If I am left out of the communication loop, how I can accurately inform my community in times such as this?
Community policing will only work when we all work together.

I will be demanding that the council revisit of the public safety commission ordinance that I proposed many years ago. It was reintroduced in 2016 only to be placed on the back burner by the council majority. We need to stop playing politics and get the decision makers in a room with the stakeholders from the community and have the long overdue conversations about public safety; specifically, violent crimes and how we, working together can cull this epidemic called violence.

— Councilwoman Rhashonna Cosby- Hurling

908-718-7933
Linden, Ward 5