Duncan Harrison Announces Plan for Safe Streets and Secure Communities

TRENTON, NJ—Councilman-at-Large and candidate for Mayor Duncan Harrison today announced his plan to improve public safety in Trenton so every Trentonian can feel secure in their community. Harrison knows that the foundation of Trenton’s revolution will be trust between neighbors and across neighborhoods, and he is committed to guaranteeing the sense of security Trentonians need for trust to grow.

“Without a basic sense of security, we cannot make the bold changes we need to bring in new jobs, expand educational opportunities for our children, and revitalize our neighborhoods. That’s why improving public safety and ending the violence in our streets will be my top priority,” Harrison stated.

As a father raising three young children with his wife on Rutherford Avenue, Harrison knows what it is like for parents to worry about whether or not their children can play outside or walk to school. As the Associate Executive Director of UIH Family Partners, Harrison has helped families rebuild in the wake of losing a loved one to gun violence or drug overdose.

In developing his plan for safe communities, Harrison spoke with parents, young adults, students, and police.

Harrison’s will make Trenton’s streets safe and build trust in neighborhoods by:

Hiring additional police officers who live in Trenton. Our police force is stretched thin, and hiring more officers who are from Trenton will help fill in the gaps and prevent problems that occur when officers patrol communities they do not understand. This initiative will also open new doors for young people in Trenton by providing training and education that will prepare them for college or a career in public service.

Strategically deploying new technology to save money while making it easier for Trenton’s officers to respond to crimes quickly. As a Councilman, Harrison led the way on improving lighting in high-crime areas and implementing ShotSpotter technology, which has a proven record of reducing gun violence. Harrison will build on these initiatives by expanding ShotSpotter to the entire city and actively seeking out the best technological advances to keep Trentonians safe.

Building strong connections between officers and the communities they serve by appointing Community Liaison officers who are focused on engaging with the community and building positive relationships between officers and the neighborhoods they serve. Harrison will also make transparency and accountability a priority for his administration and will ensure that anyone who has a question or complaint about police behavior will be heard and had their concerns addressed fully and quickly.

Improving training for officers so they can accurately assess and de-escalate situations. Harrison knows that police need to understand how to interact positively with the communities they serve, and that requires training them so they are well-prepared to handle any situation that arises while they are on the beat.

Harrison also knows that just hiring more police and implementing better technology are not going to solve Trenton’s problems with violence and crime. He has a plan to make the bold changes Trenton needs to eliminate violence and crime by taking on all aspects of the issue. That means:

• Creating new jobs and opportunities—Harrison has a plan to jumpstart an economic revolution in Trenton by bringing in new businesses, expanding training programs for Trenton’s workers, and opening up new educational opportunities for students
• Revitalizing our neighborhoods—Harrison will revitalize abandoned buildings, crack down on illegal dumping, and create a community Clean-Up Squad to pick up litter
• Making bold changes to Trenton’s education system—Harrison will improve education in Trenton by making pre-K programs more accessible, opening community libraries, and working with local colleges and universities to create a university center downtown

“I am running to make the bold changes Trenton needs to succeed,” Harrison said, “But before we can make bold change, we need to improve public safety so that every Trentonian feels secure and comfortable in their home community. I have a plan to end gun violence and crime by hiring more police officers who are from Trenton, implementing the best crime-stopping technology, and building trust between officers and the communities they protect. At the same time, I will tackle the root causes of crime by bringing new jobs and better opportunities to Trenton, revamping our education system, and transforming our neighborhoods into vibrant communities everyone will be proud to call home.”