In an InsiderNJ Zoom call, Irvington Mayor Tony Vauss considered the impact of today’s state expansion of COVID-19 eligibility to all residents 16 and over, in addition to Governor Phil Murphy’s gun violence prevention proposals and other issues in his Essex County community.

Significantly, Vauss had some things to say against the backdrop of closing arguments in the Derek Chauvin murder trial.

To what extent did the killing change police procedures and policies in Irvington?

“Irvington being predominantly a black town, a majority of our officers are black officers, so it’s a comparison of apples and oranges,” said Vauss. “We’re just waiting to see the ending. We’ve seen all of this before. We’re just waiting to see if there is justice for all. I don’t think the defense did anything to move the needle to make the case that this young man was not brutally murdered.

“We’re waiting to see if justice is really for us and is really for black people,” the mayor added. “Unfortunately, we don’t believe it until we see it.  It’s not a matter of skepticism, it’s a history of what happens. This is not the first time this has happened. Most of the time people get off, and they wonder why people say black lives are not valued. All we’re asking for is just justice – justice under the law. The defense didn’t prove their case. They did not prove this was not a brutal execution caught on tape.

“If the verdict is not guilty everyone is going to say, ‘We knew it, because we knew they didn’t value black life to begin with.'”

On the subject of vaccines:

“I think it’s terrific,” Vauss said of expansions. “We here in the township have been promoting everyone getting vaccinated. I myself took the Moderna shot. It’s very important that we all, when we have the opportunity, get vaccinated.”

The (FULL!) InsiderNJ interview with Mayor Vauss can be viewed below:

The following video highlights some of the work of Mayor Tony Vauss and Team Irvington Strong: