By Ed Somers and Debra DeHaney-Howard
May 1, 2006

Under the leadership of Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, hundreds of New Jersey mayors gathered in Atlantic City April 19-21 for their 43rd Annual Conference, which focused on the issue of gang violence and youth development.

Palmer led the New Jersey Conference of Mayors as its President over the past year, and made the issue of gangs his top priority. Palmer is also Advisory Board Chair for The United States Conference of Mayors. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Ronald Sworen of the Frenchtown Borough was sworn in as President.

There are almost 17,000 gang members in New Jersey according to some estimates, and Palmer told his fellow mayors that regardless of the size of their community, gangs are either now or soon will be a major problem.

This point was echoed by mayors from across the state who spoke about growing gun violence and gang activity on their streets and in their shopping malls and schools.

Palmer urged his colleagues to learn the signs of gang activity, and work with regional and state task forces to help train officers to deal with the problem of gangs.

He stressed that “drugs, drugs and drugs” is what fuels gang activity in New Jersey, and when added to the problems of high concentrations of poverty and easily available illegal guns, the combination is often deadly to both gang members and innocent bystanders.

To provide specific help on the gang problem, the New Jersey Conference of Mayors is pushing state legislation to:

• require boards of education to offer elementary school students instruction in gang violence prevention;

• permit a municipality to enact ordinance to curb gang related loitering and criminal activity;

• make unlawful possession of an assault firearm a second degree crime;

• upgrade penalty for unlawfully transferring a firearm to an underage person; and

• establish a Gun Court Pilot Program in Essex and Mercer County.

Palmer also said that the state bail system must be reformed to allow prosecutors to require those seeking bail for violent crimes to demonstrate that the cash they are using for collateral comes from legitimate sources, or stay in jail while awaiting trial.

Finally, the mayors all agreed that a comprehensive prevention effort is needed to keep kids out of gangs and give them opportunities for after'school programs, training, and jobs.

Palmer was also named “Mayor of the Year” for the state by the New Jersey Conference of Mayors during the meeting.

Palmer was selected for his comprehensive approach to tackle the tough issues of public safety, youth development and jobs, and homeownership opportunities for working families.

Conference of Mayors Executive Director Tom Cochran provided several federal legislative updates for the New Jersey mayors.

Cochran praised Palmer for his leadership on gangs, and the New Jersey Conference of Mayors for their long partnership with The United States Conference of Mayors.

Cochran told the mayors that their help is needed on key priorities such as fighting cuts in the Community Development Block Grant, telecommunications bills that would limit local control and revenues, and proposed limits on the use of eminent domain by cities for economic development.

He also urged the mayors to attend the upcoming Mayors Summit on Energy/Environment in Chicago May 10-11, and the 74th Annual Conference of Mayors in Las Vegas June 2-6.