Acting Attorney General John Hoffman said today that fatal and non-fatal shootings have decreased 50 percent in Trenton since troopers surged in Aug. 15. Watch video
TRENTON - The large-scale deployment of New Jersey State Police to Trenton that has coincided with a decrease in gun violence has been extended indefinitely, acting Attorney General John Hoffman said today.
More than 500 arrests have been made since the Aug. 15 deployment, which was Initially slated to last one month. The troopers will remain in the city, Hoffman said in a news conference this morning outside Trenton Police headquarters held with law enforcement and community leaders.
Hoffman and city, state and county officials touted the success of the Targeted Integrated Deployment Effort, or TIDE, saying the troopers' efforts have helped city police bring down reported shootings by half and the number of people shot by nearly the same amount.
"I am here because intense law enforcement and prosecutorial initiatives we launched last month to combat violence in Trenton are working," Hoffman said.
Of the suspects arrested with guns, 18 have been selected for the second piece of the state's effort in Trenton, known as the Targeted Anti-Gun (TAG) initiative.
TAG mandates suspects caught for gun crimes in Trenton get at least three and a half years in state prison with no possible parole even if they take a plea deal. It also directs prosecutors to seek high bails for weapons charges.
The punishments are sending a message to those who would carry guns without fear of consequence on Trenton's streets that their time is over, Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini said.
"I can guarantee you you're going to be vigorously prosecuted, and you're going to go to jail," he said.
Alongside the longer State Police deployment, the attorney general's office will be providing a total of $1.2 million over three years for the Trenton Violence Reduction Strategy, geared to get young people out of the gang culture with job training programs and family assistance.
"Many social problems that contribute to violence start in the homes," Trenton Police Director Ralph Rivera Jr. said.
A New Jersey State Police troop car on Chambers Street in Trenton this July as part of a State Police deployment to the capital city. The most recent, larger deployment of troopers, dubbed the Targeted Integrated Deployment Effort (TIDE) initiative, has been extended, acting Attorney General John Hoffman said today. "To those of you who are already doing good and important work in the community, join us in marshaling our resources as one," Hoffman said.
City officials hope the additional time the troopers will stay, along with the three-year commitment, will create more than a single month of reduced violence.
"We're cautiously optimistic," said Trenton Business Administrator Sam Hutchinson, who was there on behalf of the city administration. Mayor Tony Mack was not at the news conference.
Hoffman urged the public to check the results on the street, not just his words.
"I stood up here 40 days ago and told you talk is cheap," he said.
Editor's note: The story and headline has been update to correct the amount of money dedicated to the violence reduction program.
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