NEWARK, NJ — Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Newark Public Safety Director Brian A. O’Hara, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, and Newark Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery Director Lakeesha Eure addressed recent gun violence during the announcement on Tuesday, Aug. 31, of the construction of a state-of-the-art public safety training facility in Newark’s South Ward, being developed by Brandywine Financial Services Corp.
“We cannot tolerate arbitrary violence and wanton crime in our community,” Baraka said. “We have the opportunity to be the best in class at reducing violence and crime in our city. You will see police presence and police response to acts of destruction and chaos, like recent shootings involving children and grandmothers. We will not allow this city — as we have come such a long way — to deteriorate into a city of lawlessness. And the development of this new public safety training facility is a long-awaited project that will extend the safety footprint of the city of Newark.”
“Newark police officers, along with our federal, state and county law enforcement partners, are working extremely hard to address gun violence in our city,” O’Hara said. “So far this year, more than 500 illegal guns have been removed from the streets of Newark. Mayor Baraka is using every resource available to address the problem of gun violence. And thanks to him, we’re standing here today to ensure that our officers have access to the most extensive training available in a state-of-the-art police and fire training complex.”
“The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery is working to get to the root cause of the issues surrounding gun violence,” Eure said. “We are working directly with individuals through 16 community-based organizations, including Newark Community Street Team, Newark Anti-Violence Coalition, Newark Community Solutions, Newark Police Division, Brick City Peace Collective, Newark Public Schools and the HUBB, to address the trauma that produces violence.”
The new public safety training facility project will be used to train Newark police and fire personnel, revitalizing the site of the former William H. Brown Academy. The 100,000-square-foot facility will be equipped with computer labs, an auditorium, parking lots, modern classrooms, a running track, a community engagement room, a virtual training room and a scenario training room.
“Brandywine Financial is pleased to serve the city of Newark as developer of its new public safety training facility,” said Eric Moore, president of Brandywine Financial Services Corp. “Our goal is to ensure that the facility supports the needs of Newark police and firefighters, down to the most intricate detail. We will provide hands-on oversight of the building project and will maintain communication with the Department of Public Safety, to ensure that they are apprised of our progress throughout the construction process.”
In addition to providing Newark’s police officers and firefighters with a centralized facility, the building will also accommodate police–community town hall meetings and will host training programs for the city’s Citizens/Clergy Public Safety Academy, along with other public safety–related community groups.
Building of the new facility will begin by year’s end, with an anticipated completion date during the fourth quarter of 2023.
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