WATCH: Newark Mayor, Council Create New Department Of Public Safety

Newark, NJ - Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and the City Council announced the creation of the a new municipal Department of Public Safety on Monday.

According to city officials, the new department is intended to “enhance public safety by making police and fire protection more effective and efficient.”

The two departments will merge to become the Police and Fire Divisions of the Public Safety Department. In addition, the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security will come under the new department as its own division, officials stated in a release.

As part of the reorganization, the city plans to eliminate several positions: Fire Director, Assistant Fire Director, Police Director, Assistant Police Director, Public Information Officer and multiple other unnamed staff positions.

Two new positions will be created - Public Safety Director and Assistant Public Safety Director – but there will be a net savings of $585,000, city officials estimated.

Video by the City of Newark

According to officials:

• The Department of Public Safety will control numerous functions, including communications, taxicab control, and community relations. The Public Safety Director will also oversee the police and fire disciplinary processes, including trial boards.
• The Police Division will continue to control the Office of Housing Security, the Board of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the use of off-duty police officers, and compensation for police deployments for special events like parades and movie shoots.
• The Fire Division will continue to work with the Engineering Department to enforce hazardous materials regulations, and on its own, maintain a Bureau of Fire Prevention and Fire Safety to conduct fire safety and fire alarm inspections, investigate arson cases, and enforce violations of those laws and ordinances. It will also continue to provide emergency medical services. The ordinance also establishes an Arson Prevention Fund within the Fire Division, which will pay rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to the detection and apprehension of any person found guilty of committing arson.
• The Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security will be tasked with coordinating training, preparedness, and response to man-made and natural disasters, including blizzards, hurricanes, extreme heat, acts of terrorism, and special events, working with its public and private partners.
• The new Division of Communications will unify 911 calls and responses, as well as internal operational communication between the Police and Fire Divisions.

“Many cities, counties and states have consolidated police, fire, and emergency services by creating departments of public safety,” Baraka said. “In our state, Jersey City and East Orange have taken that step recently to better protect their residents. We are shaking up the way Newark deals with police and fire protection to enable better coordination and faster responses.”

“The move will eliminate waste and duplication, freeing up more resources for law enforcement and fighting fires,” Baraka continued. “It will increase our effectiveness in preventing crime and fires, provide clarity on chain of command, and create a structure for the department to grow while maximizing resources dedicated to street patrols. It will increase the involvement of police officers and firefighters with Newark’s diverse communities. In addition, unifying the agencies will enable them to better share intelligence about gangs and drug dealers, in the same way that law enforcement keeps track of potential terrorists.”

NEW DIRECTOR

Baraka appointed former Newark Police Chief and Police Director Anthony Ambrose, currently Chief of Detectives for Essex County, as the first director of the fledgling division.

According to city officials, Ambrose has almost three decades of law enforcement experience. Since 2008, he has served as the Chief of Investigators for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, where he directed the daily activities of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office investigatory staff, including over 120 sworn and weapons-licensed officers.

Prior to this position, Chief Ambrose was appointed an undersheriff in the Essex County Sheriff’s Office in 2006, and served as police director and chief of police for the Newark Police Department from 1999 to 2006, managing 1,240 sworn officers and 400 civilian personnel with an operating budget of $123 million dollars.

During his tenure with the Newark Police Department, Ambrose also served as CompStat Facilitator, Internal Affairs Investigator, Academy Instructor, Unit/Field Supervisor, Criminal Investigator in the Narcotics, Robbery and Homicide Squad, Police Officer and Special Police Officer. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (‘99) and has a master’s degree in Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University.