Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Declaring Intent
Purpose: Recognizes that violence is a public health issue
Additional Information:
Sponsor: Baraka
body
Whereas, one of the goal of the City of Newark is to ensure that all residents live in a healthy environment and feel safe in the City with a specific strategic direction that "Guns, Gangs, Graffiti" be eliminated; and
Whereas, violence results in the tragic loss of life and serious injury, undermines families and neighborhoods, threatens the overall well-being of the City including the ability of children and adults to safely be outside their homes, and affects an overall sense of community connectedness and hope; and
Whereas, violence takes a disproportionate toll on people of color (especially African American males) and low-income neighborhoods; and
Whereas, violence exacts a financial burden by increasing health care and public safety costs, with the average public criminal justice costs for a single incident of homicide estimated at 3 million dollars, and the costs for one non-fatal paralyzing injury resulting from gun violence may total 2-5 million dollars over the victim's lifetime for health care, living expenses, and lost productivity; and
Whereas, the United States Surgeon General, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have all identified violence as a priority public health issue challenging local, national, and global communities by its negative influence on morbidity, mortality, and quality of life; and
Whereas, the risk for violence among youth is increased by their developmental stage which is characterized by impulsiveness and inability to anticipate long term consequences yet it is not an inevitable occurrence but is a learned behavior that is the result of preventable and controllable factors in the life of youth, such as poverty, family instability, domestic abuse, mental or physical illness, educational failure, a lack of engagement in productive and affirming activities, and diminished relationships with supportive adults; and
Whereas, the risk for youth violence can be reduced by increasing connectedness to family and other supportive adults and institutions; by increasing commitment to academic achievement, through connection to a positive value system; and by being able to contribute to community wellbeing; and
Whereas, the factors that contribute to or protect against youth violence can be measured, as can the effectiveness of interventions addressing those factors, and the racial and socioeconomic disparities that persist; and
Whereas, the City of Newark acknowledges that a public safety approach alone is insufficient and inadequate and that innovative, comprehensive solutions that engage government, community organizations, faith communities and businesses need to be sought.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
It recognizes that violence is a public heath problem and requires a strategic, long-term, and multi-faceted response.
The Council calls for a public health approach to the issue of violence because of its interdisciplinary and science-based methodology making it both innovative and responsive to a wide range of challenges.
The Council calls upon the Administration of Mayor Cory A. Booker to marshal the necessary resources to establish a public heath approach to the issue of violence within our community.