“Our nation is in true peril. Not only do we have to endure and fight COVID-19 from killing us, we are continuously being murdered by the hands and impacts of racism, while our lives are being undermined as families are torn apart by the intractable violence taking place in our communities,” Mayor Baraka said.

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“While homicides have been down in Newark for the past four years, this uptick in violence that our city and nation is experiencing during this precarious time will not be tolerated and must be stopped. The Newark Police Department is meeting with state and federal partners today to discuss how we can band together to end this epidemic. Now more than ever, we need the help of every resident, every community group, and every resource, to fight against what appears to be one of our toughest adversaries.

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“We are also holding a virtual town hall for our Newark community this Friday with Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose, Police Chief Darnell Henry, and the captains of every precinct, to address the shootings and how we can put an end to them by working collectively to do so.”