NEWARK, NJ — The days of Newark’s mandatory police consent order with the feds are over – but not forgotten, officials say.
On Thursday, Mayor Ras Baraka signed an executive order that creates a permanent, new city department: the Office of Constitutional Affairs (OCA).
According to the mayor, the new office will build on the progress made under the city’s landmark consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.
In 2016, federal authorities and the City of Newark reached a settlement involving longstanding allegations that the Newark Police Department “eroded public confidence” by unconstitutionally harassing minority residents, particularly Black residents.
As part of the decree, Newark agreed to make a sweeping series of reforms to its police department, including changes to training, use-of-force policies, community outreach and disciplinary procedures.
A judge ended the consent decree last November, saying that the city has done its part and is in “substantial compliance.”
Baraka’s office said that “significant progress” has been made over the past decade – but more work remains.
The newly established OCA will be tasked with keeping the ball rolling.
Here’s what it will do, according to the mayor’s office:
GOALS – “Newark has created the OCA to serve as a centralized oversight, coordination, and community engagement entity. It will be responsible for supporting the City’s continued compliance with constitutional policing standards, monitoring unresolved areas connected to the Federal consent decree, and creating a structured process for community voice, accountability, and policy recommendations.”
ROLE IN GOVERNMENT – “This office will work collaboratively with the Newark Police Division, the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), advocacy organizations, legal partners, and community stakeholders to ensure that Newark continues advancing toward equitable, transparent, and community-centered public safety. The CCRB will maintain its independence and authority while sharing information, public education and community engagement efforts and recommendations.”
DUTIES – “The OCA’s responsibilities include data collection and reporting and public accountability. It will gather and analyze reliable policing data to determine whether the NPD is operating in accordance with constitutional standards, as well as Internal Affairs complaints, to prevent backsliding. It will then provide full transparency to the community by conducting quarterly meetings to discuss findings and recommendations.”
According to the mayor’s office, the OCA is structured as an independent oversight body, with leadership and governance designed to promote “accountability and independence” with its own staff and board.
The staff will consist of a manager, a lawyer and an administrative team to provide legal and organizational services.
The board will provide “governance, continuity and institutional accountability.” It will meet quarterly, and members will be compensated for their time and effort. It will hold two public meetings with the community each year. Any replacement of key board members requires approval from the U.S. Department of Justice and/or the U.S. District Court.
The board of directors will consist of partners including one representative from the following entities:
The new department will be led by LaKeesha Eure, the city’s deputy mayor for public safety and strategic initiative, who will work with the law department as she oversees the development of the office infrastructure, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement and implementation framework.
“As a city, we understand that accountability, transparency and trust are essential to true public safety,” Eure said.
“This is not just about compliance, it is about creating a culture of accountability, healing, and shared responsibility for the future of Newark,” Eure added.
Baraka said the city “earned” the dismissal of the consent decree – and the newly established OCA is one more example why.
“The fact that we have gone beyond expectations by setting up this Office of Constitutional Affairs is indisputable proof of our commitment to the law and the inherent rights of all people,” the mayor said.
Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda Sr. also lent his support to the new city department.
“This new office not only presents the people of Newark with a fresh commitment to police oversight, but allows the Newark Police Division to continue building upon the solid community trust and internal cultural changes we have achieved through the transparency and integrity produced under the nine-year consent decree,” he added.
VIOLENCE REDUCTION IN NEWARK
The mayor’s office said the dismissal of the consent decree came as the city experienced a reduction in violent crime.
Newark public safety officials recently announced that the city experienced its lowest homicide rate since 1953 last year. The total was a 16 percent decrease from the previous year.
The drop in murders is part of a 19 percent overall reduction in violent crime, authorities said. Other decreases included robbery (38 percent decrease) and aggravated assault (14 percent decrease).
Newark officials have credited part of the turnaround from past decades to a new approach to policing, which views crime and violence as a “public health” issue that needs to be attacked in several ways – not simply making more arrests.
>> Related: Newark Saw Historic Drop In Murders Last Year, Car Thefts Also Down
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