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| We are defined by our love and diversity. |
Many
of you, like me, have been disturbed by the recent spike in homicides in our
City. We
have lost members of our Plainfield family in what seems to be a series of
senseless killings, and we want answers. I do not want to offer rhetoric in
response to these events. I would never seek to diminish the level of urgency
we all feel. When one of us grieves, we all grieve, and I truly am hurt
and sickened by these tragedies.
I have visited with the families of the
victims, as recently as yesterday and I have expressed my deep sorrow at the
loss of their loved ones; I have pledged my full support and the support of our police division and other law enforcement agencies to track down and to
hold the responsible parties accountable. I do this quietly because, for me, it
is not political and never should be. I meet with the grieving families quietly
because I care deeply.
Now,
more than ever, it is important for us to come together and be united in our
stand against the criminal elements among us who would seek to destroy the
quality of our lives, and our daily peace of mind.
I
want to assure you that our Plainfield police force, in cooperation with other enforcement
agencies, is not just being reactive in this situation. They have been
aggressively attacking this problem over the past few years and have stepped up
their activities in recent months.
The
law enforcement entities dedicated to investigating and stopping these type of
crimes have been conducting raids, seizing guns, and working tirelessly to prevent the flow of
drugs into our community. There are many aspects of these investigations which
cannot be divulged or commented on, but not for one moment should the
perception be that nothing is being done to quell this tide of violence. Since
2014, the Plainfield Police Narcotics Division, the Detective Bureau, the Patrol
Bureau, along with the Union County Prosecutors Office, the Union County
Sheriff's Office and other enforcement units, have taken 120 guns off
the streets of Plainfield, and they have executed search warrants within and
outside of Plainfield as they have followed various trails of evidence.
A
lot of police work depends on officers actually witnessing a crime or citizens
getting involved. In order to further aid in curtailing violent crime, we
have installed 30 high-definition cameras at various locations throughout the
City. With cameras in place as a force multiplier, police work has been
much more proactive. These cameras give the operators the ability to have
a 360 degree panoramic view up to several hundred feet within the area.
I
have met with the Union County Prosecutor and asked for assistance in stemming
the flow of drugs and guns into Plainfield. We have been utilizing the
resources they have made available to us as effectively as we can, and every
lead has been followed up. Rest assured that we are leaving no stone unturned
as we fight back against this scourge.
Mayor Adrian O. Mapp
City of Plainfield
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