Gun Violence is the Scourge of the 21st Century - No City is Immune

When someone you love is taken violently and unexpectedly away from you, there is nothing that anyone can say to make it right. The truth is that gun violence has far reaching implications when it comes to its impact on our community.

Here in Plainfield as in many other places around the country, we have not been immune to our share of tragedy. We have lost loved ones, we have grieved and asked our share of questions. The sad fact is that no matter how dedicated our law enforcement officers are, and no matter how many improvements are made as we increase our vigilance in the war against criminal activity, there can never be one hundred percent surety of safety until hard action is taken in the fight for gun reform.

Eighty nine (89) people die from gun violence in the US every day... and that is a statistic that touches every single city in this country, there is no place that is immune, and while this may seem like an isolated fight here in our beloved city, it is not.... It is a battle that is being waged all around us as we fight as a nation to keep our loved ones safe. Part of our healing in recovering from tragedies caused by gun violence has to be the conviction that we will not accept this as our status quo, and we will do everything in our power to prevent it from happening again.

So, what can we do in Plainfield to join the fight in combating this 21st century scourge? How can we join the fray as we say, "not here--not now--not in our city...." There are no quick and easy solutions. 

As your Mayor, I want to tell you that you can walk out with assurance that a bullet will never find anyone you care about...but, as long as there are laws that put guns in the hands of unfit people, I can't do that....

I want to be able to tell you that you will never have to worry about an innocent bystander losing his life because he happened to be standing in the wrong spot...but, as long as Congress allows itself to be manipulated by special interest groups, I can't do that....

Until we have mandatory mental health screenings for potential gun owners, I can't do that....

Until there are laws governing renewal of gun permits that are at least as strict as those governing your driver's license, I can't do that....

As long as every day citizens are allowed to own and carry assault weapons, I can't do that....

Until there are laws that prohibit the flow of weapons of mass destruction into our community...I can't do that.

So, what can I do? I can continue to support our law enforcement officers and the work they do 100 percent. I promise you that there are new initiatives taking shape even now within the Plainfield Police Division to tackle the challenges we are facing. I will continue to work steadfastly with our State legislators to enact changes to our current gun laws. I will assemble some of the best minds, community leaders, professionals, and educators in the coming weeks to help chart our course forward and to lead us out of the valley of despair. I will work tirelessly and speak into every ear that I can in my capacity as Mayor to combat this scourge and I will not stop until we begin to see results from all these actions.

Plainfield, I cannot do it alone. I need your support as a community, as people who know what it is to suffer loss to this scourge. Use your vote to support legislators who have shown the will and desire to support meaningful change and much needed gun reform measures. Be watchful, and report strange and unusual behavior around your neighborhoods.  

If you see something, say something.  

We may not be able to prevent every violent act that occurs, but if we can prevent even one, it is another step toward eliminating the problem. 

 Creating One Plainfield - One Future,

Mayor Adrian O. Mapp

City of Plainfield

Good Police/Community Relations are Vital to a Community's Well Being

What would our community be like without the presence and actions of our Police Officers?  

 

Try to imagine our society functioning each day without a body of law enforcement…try to imagine waking up to a world where criminals run rampant and the citizens have only themselves to rely on for protection…try to understand what that world would be like.…

Luckily, that is not a scenario we will have to put to the test. Here in Plainfield, we have a dedicated police force that works tirelessly to ensure the safety of all Plainfield citizens. Click on the link to view the Plainfield Police Division's website, which contains detailed information on the division's bureaus, on public safety, on crime prevention, and more: Plainfield Police Division. While appreciating the efforts they make on our behalf each day, we recognize that it is physically impossible for them to be everywhere at all times, which is why it’s important to have strong bonds between the community and law enforcement. It is not just important, but it is vital for the continued well-being of Plainfield that these bonds are developed and nurtured and our police officers are seen as community partners.

With this in mind, our local law enforcement body has created numerous outreach and community-oriented initiatives to strengthen ties and create stronger bonds. Our police force has never been as interactive with our community as they are today. Due to the strengthening of our Division-Wide Community Policing philosophy, our officers provide directed patrols to various areas of the community on a daily basis, where they walk and positively engage the community. The Command Staff, including the Director of Public Safety, Carl Riley, is also a part of this initiative and participates on a weekly basis. 

The Police force is actively engaged with programs like DARE and, throughout the school year, participated in several career day activities at various schools around Plainfield. Currently underway is the Summer Fun with Plainfield First Responders, which started on June 20th and which runs until July 1st, from 12 noon to 1:30pm at the Plainfield Public Library. This is a collaborative effort between Police, Fire and EMS to positively engage our Plainfield youth and entails quality interaction from both parties which will ultimately lead to better awareness among our youth and encourage strong community spirit.

Another initiative is the Queen City Mentoring Academy, which will run from July 18th – August 5th at Hubbard Middle School. This quality program, expanded from last year, allows approximately 50 of our young people to be mentored by police officers, again offering quality time with good, solid role models. 

In the spirit of engaging on a social level with residents, the Police Benevolent Association will be hosting a Community Cookout in each ward at a park location. The first one will be on Thursday June 30th, at Hannah Atkins Park, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. 

Plainfield, the closer and more interactive we are with our law enforcement officers, the more effective they can be at doing their jobs of serving and protecting us. They are our family members, neighbors, and friends. They want to enjoy the same quality of life that we do. They want to live in a safe and secure environment. They want their children to feel safe walking the streets, and they are as dedicated as any one of us to doing whatever it takes to make that happen. 

If we are to move ahead and truly build in the spirit of One Plainfield with One future, then law enforcement MUST be an integral part of making that happen…each collaborative and cooperative effort we participate in makes our great City that much safer. 

This community oneness is vital for our Plainfield to grow and move ahead.

Mayor Mapp Squelches Misleading Board of Ed Election Rumors

Below is a letter that I sent to Plainfield Education Association (PEA) President Eric E. Jones in response to inaccurate and misleading rumors regarding the Board of Education election. The complete text is also readable below the original.

April 11, 2016

Dear Mr. Jones,

I want to write to you about two matters of concern to you and your members that have come up in the context of the current Board of Education election campaign. I am sorry I was unable to be with you at the PEA Candidate Forum on Wednesday evening. I was out of the city on business.

But first, I want to congratulate you on your recent election as president of the Plainfield Education Association (PEA). It has certainly been disconcerting in recent years to see the local unit languish under mediocre and dysfunctional leadership. I trust that your tenure will be marked by a new vigor on the part of the PEA in pursuit not only of equity and fairness for your members but in excellent educational outcomes for all our students, for whom the PEA is one of the first lines of defense.

The first matter I want to touch upon is that of union members' status and the question of outsourcing.

I have heard that some people are saying that I, as Mayor, want to privatize certain portions of the District's staff as a cost-saving measure.

This is ridiculous for two reasons. In the first place, I have always been a strong and consistent supporter of unions as protectors of workers' job rights, as well as their economic well-being. When I was a young man starting out in my career as a financial professional, being a member of a union saved my job when it was under attack. I have never forgotten that fact and will be eternally grateful for the support of the union for one of its members.

Secondly, the suggestion that the Mayor is in a position to decide on a question of outsourcing of ANY public school employees does not hold up when the facts are reviewed. In some communities, the Mayor appoints the Board of Education members. That used to be the case in Plainfield, but the practice was abolished in the late 1980s, when ELECTED school boards were decided upon for Plainfield by a public referendum.

Under our current system, the governance and management of the City and the School District are separate, with neither having any say (other than the public expression of opinions) on the operation of the other. These facts make a rumor that I, as Mayor, will make changes in staffing or governance laughable.

There is however, good reason to be concerned about the outsourcing of District jobs. I know that rumors were circulating among employees in the weeks leading up to the Superintendent's presentation of the proposed FY2017 budget to the Board that layoffs were likely and that the Superintendent was in consultation with Board President Campbell about outsourcing certain employee functions as a cost-saving measure. PEA members would be well-advised to be vigilant about this concern and to monitor the situation closely.

The second concern is the matter of Charter Schools.

I understand from several people who were in attendance at the Forum (one of whom is my wife Amelia), that Board President Campbell, under criticism from several candidates for appearing to have no plan of action for dealing with the surge of Charters in Plainfield, responded that "Mayor Mapp is a supporter of Charter Schools," citing my attendance at a ribbon-cutting for the College Achieve Charter School in support of her assertion.

Let's be perfectly frank. In the first place, Charter Schools have been a growing presence in Plainfield for fifteen years or so now. They are granted their charters by the state, which may also revoke them. I have been Mayor for less than three years. Board President Campbell has been on the school board for twelve years, and is seeking yet another three-year term. Her mandate covers all matters school-related. Mine does not. You tell me which one of us bears the responsibility for the Charter School situation in Plainfield.

As for my attending the ribbon-cutting for the College Achieve Charter School, it is my ceremonial duty as the chief executive of the City government to welcome new businesses and institutions. In fact, I would have been present at the ribbon-cutting for the recognition of the District's acceptance of the $25 million gift of the former National Starch property from the Schools Development Authority -- had my invitation not been last minute and had it not conflicted with a previously scheduled engagement. But I could not. I find it interesting that instead, Board President Campbell is pictured with the Republican Lt. Governor, Kim Guadagno, in that very ribbon-cutting, on the billboard currently on display over the Plainfield Donut Shop. And it is this billboard which has caused such public comment and outrage as an instance of the improper and unethical use of District funds to promote a candidate in a school board election.

All that being said, I do have a criticism concerning the Charter Schools. And that criticism is directed against the Superintendent and the Board President for not developing EVEN THE OUTLINE OF A PLAN to deal with the Charters' encroachment on the District.

Charter Schools certainly have had mixed outcomes in Plainfield, with some earning plaudits for being well-run, innovative and fostering student excellence. However, some are mediocre, barely or not even surpassing the performance levels of students in the District, with underpaid staffs, inexperienced and unaccountable boards and fiscal sloppiness. In fact, several Charters in Plainfield have been revoked by the State.

When Charter Schools were first proposed about twenty years ago, the big sales pitch was that they would be INNOVATIVE, that students would PERFORM BETTER, that parents would have MORE CHOICE, and that the host Districts would be able to appropriate those measures that would improve THEIR situations.

One scarcely hears about the innovativeness of Charter Schools any more. And records show that for the most part they are hardly different from the District in test scores. So, why haven't the Superintendent and the Board President demanded accountability on those counts alone? If the Charters have found certain innovations -- whether in curriculum or management -- to be beneficial, why hasn't the District culled those innovations and put them into practice to improve the situation in the District?

The answer seems to point to an unwillingness or inability on the Superintendent's and the Board President's parts to do the heavy lifting necessary to improve the educational environment for Plainfield's teachers and lay the groundwork for better outcomes for the District's students.

Decency demands that these concerns be addressed.

I am hopeful that the Plainfield Education Association's members will see fit to support candidates in the election who will demonstrate that they have the grit and determination to bring transparency and a welcoming spirit to the Board, as well as fairness, equity and accountability to the Superintendent's management of the District.

In closing, I must say that several people have spoken to me about how well run and thoughtfully planned out your Forum was on Tuesday. That is refreshing indeed, since some "forums" offered to Plainfield residents and voters seem little more than thinly disguised opportunities to promote selected candidates. This, of course, does not refer to the League of Women Voters, whose forums are considered the "gold standard" and have been for the last 95 years, since their inception in 1920. (Their candidate forum is next Wednesday, April 13 at 6:30 PM at the Plainfield Public Library; I am hopeful PEA members will attend and raise their concerns in this highly respected forum.)

Lastly, I want to wish you all the best in your tenure as president of the Plainfield Education Association. If there is any way that I or the City can be of help, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I hope you will feel free to share this letter with all your members. Since the topics herein are part of the ongoing public conversation in this election cycle, I am also going to post it to my personal blog at adrianmapp.blogspot.com/.

With every best wish.

Sincerely,

Adrian O. Mapp
Mayor
City of Plainfield