Greater Trenton DSA Condemn Brutality of Trenton Police; Demand Real Public Safety at Council Meeting

Trenton, NJ – Greater Trenton Democratic Socialists of America (GTDSA) members attended the Trenton City Council meeting last Thursday, in response to the Nov 21st Department of Justice (DOJ) Report, and to initial statements made by Mayor Guisciora and City Council.

GTDSA chapter leader Farahnaz Shemeem watched Trenton police murder Stephen Dolceamore in 2020, outside St. Francis Medical Center where she was employed. “No amount of sensitivity training can end the systemic injustice caused by police officers who run the streets with no accountability, contributing to for-profit prisons that capitalize on modern day slavery,” said Shemeem. “We do not want another George Floyd or Stephen Dolceamore.”

“We cannot feasibly reform an institution like this, where its purpose is not to provide real public safety, but to maintain compliance through violence” said GTDSA chapter leader Joe Marchica. GTDSA members proposed an alternative approach: increased funding for Community-based Violence Intervention (CVI), a diverse array of public safety experts aside from police, and institutions that directly treat the root causes of violence: poverty, as well as lack of housing and other basic needs.

The Trenton Community Street Teams were a focus. They were developed in-line with other CVI groups, including the CAHOOTS model that started back in 1988. Based in Eugene, OR, CAHOOTS has saved countless community members’ lives, has never had a worker hurt or killed, and has had its model echoed by cities across the US. By diverting 3-8% of police calls (data from 2022), CAHOOTS saves Eugene $2.2M a year in police salaries alone.

“Rather than focusing on expanding the police force, these funds could be better invested in addressing the root causes of crime and community challenges” said Taylor Davis, Trenton resident and GTDSA member. “Expanding access to mental health advocacy, hiring social workers, and increasing support for other public servants could create lasting positive change and help rebuild trust between residents and the systems meant to serve us,” she added.

Shemeem stated she believes Trenton would do greater justice to its people by allocating funds to create better resources for the community such as prioritizing the right to affordable housing, affordable healthcare, and better funding the community resources such as schools, libraries, museums and recreational facilities. “Let us change the narrative to move away from violence and towards collective liberation.”

See full text of GTDSA members’ comments here.

See video of Marchica’s comments here.

View GTDSA’s statement on the DOJ Report here.

Greater Trenton DSA is the local, Trenton-area branch of the Democratic Socialists of America. We believe that working people should run both the economy and society democratically to meet human needs, not to make profits for a few. For more on the Greater Trenton DSA, and our regional chapter, Central NJ DSA, visit our website.