In an email to constituents, Mayor Steven Fulop announced several policing changes to improve the Jersey City Police Department, noting it’s been his priority to “enact meaningful reform” since taking office in 2013.
While the national conversation has shifted to defunding law enforcement since the murder of George Floyd and many other African Americans at the hands of police, Fulop said that is “not a viable option in Jersey City.”
“The reality is that the progress we’ve made over the last seven years is fragile,” Fulop said. “Think about it: we’ve worked to enact meaningful reform and make Jersey City safer over a short seven year period, after prior decades of mismanagement. Stripping our police department of resources now would reverse that progress and make our neighborhoods less safe. “
But, he said his administration is committed to long-term progress, noting recent changes to the Jersey City Police Department’s Use of Force Guidelines.
He also cited the recent contract approved by the city council for police de-escalation training for all 950 of the city’s police officers as well as the newly formed Quality of Life Division within the city’s Department of Public Safety.
On the horizon
To increase transparency in disciplinary matters, Jersey City will formally institute a disciplinary matrix that will outline the infraction and the expected penalty for the officer.
“All of our stakeholders, from the unions to our community leaders, weighed in and helped us on this initiative, and Jersey City will again be the first in New Jersey to implement this model,” Fulop said. “We will remove the arbitrary nature and questions around what happens when an officer does something improperly. After all, transparency is key in any discussion.”
Fulop also outlined changes in police deployment.
“One officer responding to a person in crisis may be physically unable to bring the situation under control, causing them to potentially escalate on the use of force continuum,” Fulop said, noting that if an officer is alone and requests assistance over the radio “this often triggers a larger response than necessary, which can be misread as over-policing and can escalate tension.”
He further noted that two officers at the scene allows each to intervene if he or she sees an opportunity to use an approach or technique that their partners may not have considered. Perpetrators are also less likely to resist arrest if two officers are present.
“This prevents the necessity for any use of force,” Fulop said. “If it doesn’t start, it cannot escalate.”
The city is expanding its use of video cameras, in police stations and with body cameras worn by officers.
Video cameras will now be in all areas of police stations where “police interact with the public, ” including if in custody with aperpetrator as opposed to just outside stations and interview rooms.
Body cameras will now be worn by every police officer.
Fulop advocated for state legislation so that municipalities can institute Civilian Complaint Review Boards.
“Since the death of George Floyd, the administration has been and will continue to be aggressive about police reform in Jersey City,” Fulop said. “We will continue to implement structural changes beyond just ‘feel good measures,’ because we recognize that making sure every single resident of our community can feel safe is our most important goal.”
For updates on this and other stories check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Marilyn Baer can be reached at Marilynb@hudsonreporter.com.
