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July 30, 2020

Mayor Baraka and Public Safety Director Ambrose Announce Police Recovered 11 Handguns in Recent Gun Arrests

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Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka and Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose announce that Newark Police have recovered 11 firearms, including an AK-47 semi-automatic weapon, and report 16 gun arrests and 3 shooting arrests since the weekend.

“We’re taking this situation very seriously as the City of Newark is not a place where blatant violence will be tolerated,” Mayor Baraka said. “We have worked hard to reduce crime and are committed to keeping our residents and their families safe, especially when it comes to reducing senseless gun violence.”

During the summer months we generally see an uptick in violence,” Director Ambrose said. “We have had five years in a row of fewer victims of violence. It’s sad, the amount of illegal guns that get into the wrong hands,” he said. “Imagine if New Jersey didn’t have one of the toughest gun laws in the country.”

Director Ambrose said four juveniles are included in the 16 gun-related arrests this week and that Major Crimes detectives are following up on all leads involving recent shootings, with additional arrests expected.

“Immediately identifying the people who are committing violence on our streets is the key to curbing these crimes,” Director Ambrose explained. “Residents can review our Citizen Virtual Patrol cameras at https://cvp.newarkpublicsafety.org/ and report anything they see right from their phones or laptops.”

Director Ambrose urges anyone with information about any criminal activity to call the Department's 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477). All anonymous Crime Stopper tips are kept confidential and could result in a reward.

Anonymous tips may also be made using the Police Division’s website at: www.newarkpd.org or through the Newark Police Division Smartphone App available at iTunes and Google Play.