IRVINGTON, NJ — Irvington suffered its fourth homicide of the year Monday, Oct. 23, matching the total number of homicides in 2016, with two months still remaining in the year.
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino and Irvington Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers announced last week the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide-Major Crimes Task Force was investigating the fatal shooting of Israel L. Washington, 45, of Newark.
“Washington was shot and killed in front of 440 Myrtle Ave., Irvington,” said Laurino on Tuesday, Oct. 24. “The shooting occurred at approximately 8:37 p.m. He was transported to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead at 9:45 p.m. (on Monday, Oct. 23).”
According to Laurino, the investigation into Washington’s homicide is active and ongoing.
“No arrests have been made at this time,” he said.
Last year, township and county officials said Irvington only had four homicides, although it didn’t register its first homicide until May. The other three occurred in October.
Irvington suffered its first homicide of 2017 on Saturday, Feb. 25. The second homicide occurred on the 300 Block of Myrtle Avenue, where Dino Bermudez, 33, of Newark, was shot on Friday, May 12; he died from his wounds two days later.
In the third homicide on Saturday, May 27, Jawad R. Smith, 22, of Newark was the victim.
However, the township did experience its second consecutive summer season without a homicide; crime traditionally spikes in the summer.
“This is all thanks to the extraordinary job that Director Bowers and the Public Safety Division, including former police Director Joseph Santiago, have done,” said Mayor Tony Vauss on Tuesday, Oct. 17. “This was the second summer in a row that we’ve had zero homicides. Nobody has gotten killed during the summer. What it means is that we are doing the right things here in Irvington keeping our community safe. Last year, we had historic numbers.”
Bowers said the goal is to build on the public safety gains the township has made in the last few years and they’re expecting to get help from a new class of officers that are due to graduate from the Police Academy soon.
“Last year, we had a record low number of reported crime. Now we are up against our own success,” said Bowers on Tuesday, Sept. 12. “In November 2017 and January 2018, we are planning to add more police officers to the force to replace officers that have retired, as well as those officers who will be retiring in 2018 and 2019.”
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