Crime & Safety
Newark Gets Nine More Police Officers
Department slowly growing again following large round of layoffs three years ago
Nine new police officers were sworn in Friday, including five who were laid off from the force during a drastic round of personnel cuts in 2010, the Newark Police Department said in a statement.
The officers were sworn in by Deputy City Clerk Kenneth Louis during a ceremony at the department’s headquarters on Clinton Avenue.
“I congratulate the newly appointed police officers as they continue their law enforcement careers as one of Newark’s Finest. I also challenge them to go beyond the call of duty as they serve and protect the citizens of Newark,” stated Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio.
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The department’s new officers are James R. Allen, Erik D. Blount, Daniel Diaz, Brian Johnson-Logan, Mark C. Moore, Jose Morales, Shamar Reddick, Arnaldo J. Rivera and Taray J. Tucker, all of whom completed three weeks of specialized training.
In addition to the re-hired Newark police, four other officers who had been laid of from the Camden force were also sworn under legislation sponsored by state Sen. Ron Rice giving priority in hiring to members of law enforcement who had lost their jobs due to personnel cuts.
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As recently as a decade ago, Newark had approximately 1,500 police, a number that has gradually been reduced to about 1,000 today. That reduction includes the layoffs of 150 officers in 2010 as Newark, like the rest of the nation, struggled to balance its budget in the wake of the so-called “Great Recession” of 2008.
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