Newark officials credit first homicide-free month in 44 years

[Pat McCotter]

Newark officials credit first homicide-free month in 44 years to 'large-scale' drug sweeps
By Star-Ledger Staff
April 02, 2010, 8:00AM

NEWARK  -- When the clock struck midnight on April 1, Newark reached a milestone: its first homicide-free calendar month in 44 years. While police and city officials say that's a solid benchmark, they say there's more work to do.

"I just think its amazing. Four consecutive weeks without a murder, " Police Director Garry McCarthy said. "The program strategies and policies are working and we're going to stick with them, but the goal is zero (homicides).

"It's going to take us a while to get to zero, but right now these are big changes," he said.

McCarthy credited large-scale sweeps at some of the city's most notorious drug strongholds — in one case nearly 150 arrests during a six-month operation — as well as increased police presence on city streets at night with helping keep the city without a homicide from Feb. 28 through tonight.
Previous coverage:

• Newark records first homicide-free month in more than 40 years

• Irvington man is Newark's first homicide victim in 43 days

• Pa. man shot to death in Newark is first homicide of year
City officials also said community safety caravans as well as the installation of the ShotSpotters gunshot detection system and surveillance cameras in high-crime neighborhoods has helped.

The last time a calendar month passed without a homicide in the state's largest city was May 1966. McCarthy said his goal is to keep the streak going as long as possible. In 2008, the city went 43 days in March and April without a homicide, the longest span since 1961.
...

[Lloyd Danforth]

At least none that they are aware of.  Presumably, even in Newark, someone might know enough to bury a body.

[AntonLee]

sweet, if they keep it up there will be no need for police.

[Pat K]

That he could make this quote with out being run out
of town tells you all ya need to know about Newark.

"I just think its amazing. Four consecutive weeks without a murder, " Police Director Garry McCarthy said.