East Orange police
crime prevention methods will be analyzed and new strategies will be
developed to better tackle violence and reduce neighborhood
lawlessness, the city's new civilian police director said yesterday.
Jose M. Cordero, a former New York City Police inspector and ex-
police chief in Newton, Mass., said he is going to spend the next
100 days developing a comprehensive and strategic plan to enable the
282-member force to better tackle criminal justice, quality of life
and gang issues in East Orange. "I assure you all that I will work
diligently to fulfill your expectations, and those of the community
at large, of safe streets and safe neighborhoods," Cordero, 47, told
a standing-room-only crowd in city council chambers yesterday
morning after being sworn in. "It's been said and proven, time
again, that safety is vital to the rebirth of great American
cities," Cordero said. East Orange is no exception, noted the
Bronx-born police veteran, whose three-year appointment carries a
$140,000 annual salary. East Orange not too long ago was threatened
with economic despair and insolvency, but the city today is a place
where ambitious community revitalization and redevelopment efforts
are under way, Cordero said. "Many have called it a difficult, if
not an impossible, task," Cordero said. "While I agree that it won't
be an easy one, that it may take time and resources, I obviously
don't agree that it is an impossible one. I am here because I
believe that we have an infrastructure that supports the attainment
of that goal."
January 11, 2005
East Orange police
director Jose M. Cordero plans to issue his first progress report
since he took the helm of the 286-member EOPD as the city’s first
civilian director on July 20th, 2004, at a City Hall news conference
to be held on Wednesday, January 12th at 2:30 p.m. In the report,
Cordero is expected to announce a dramatic reduction in East
Orange’s crime rate. Cordero, a decorated former NYPD Inspector and
Precinct Commander, was the architect of the NYPD’s anti-gang
initiative for all five boroughs and the former Police Chief of the
Newton, Massachusetts Police Department (recently selected as the
“safest city in America” as a result of Cordero’s leadership). Since
taking the helm at the EOPD, Cordero has implemented policies based
upon the highly successful Comp stat crime reduction law enforcement
model. Compstat approaches crime-fighting in a tactical,
comprehensive and strategic manner. The report also shows a major
reduction of quality of life violations. Cordero plans to
characterize the crime statistics as reaching “near 20-year lows,”
across-the-board. Cordero’s report signals a major policy shift and
a new resolve to raise morale and achieve a greater measure of
professionalism and accountability for East Orange’s finest.
CITY ACHIEVES
DISTINCTION AS “MOST IMPROVED”
February
22, 2007
EAST ORANGE
POLICE DIRECTOR JOSE CORDERO NEWS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING MAJOR
TAKEDOWN OF CRIMINALS AND REPORTS DRAMATIC CRIME REDUCTION STATS
SHOWING EAST ORANGE AS MOST IMPROVED IN NATION.
RECENT PUBLIC SAFETY GAINS DRIVEN BY POWERFUL STRATEGIC CRIME
REDUCTION TECHNOLOGIES PUTS CITY OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ON THE
CUTTING-EDGE NATIONALLY
Comprehensive information-led crime reduction strategies in
combination with powerful, cutting edge technologies are driving
public safety gains in the City of East Orange, New Jersey, to
dramatic, unprecedented levels of success statewide and nationally.
The City’s overall crime levels dropped an astonishing 56 percent.
Between 2003 and 2005 the crime rate dropped 37 percent. During
2006, the city added another 31 percent reduction in overall crime,
achieving distinction as most improved nationally. These gains are
occurring in contrast to a rising tide of crime across the region
and the nation. As a result, a new law enforcement model is emerging
that provides innovative, effective approaches to stem the growing
tide of domestic homeland terrorism.
A news conference was held on Thursday, February 22nd, 11:00 a.m. at
Police Headquarters located at 15 S. Munn Avenue. Police Director
Jose M. Cordero, reported on significant public safety gains and the
technologies attributing to a dramatic and steady decline in serious
criminal activity in New Jersey’s eighth largest city. Cordero also
announced the results of several continuing takedown operations and
outline a strategy to attain even greater success.
“We are on a mission and I am proud to report that the East Orange
Police Department has made tremendous strides in the reduction of
crime and criminal activity over the past three-years with the
implementation of strategic technologies and sustained on-going
operations that have removed a substantial portion of the criminal
element from our streets,” Police Director Jose M. Cordero stated.
Cordero commented that the current public safety gains have begun to
translate into an improved image and perception of safety among the
citizens and business community. Many are beginning to feel that the
City is truly becoming a lot safer as a result of more visible
police presence, and an improved response time.
“Our current street operations send a clear message to the criminal
element that it’s a very, very bad idea to commit crime in the City
of East Orange. Further, our success, aided by the use of
information and technologies provides the EOPD with powerful tools
to press ahead toward achieving even greater crime reduction
success. In fact, we attained double-digit reductions in every
category -- a dramatic turnaround that ranks our public safety
record as one of the most improved in the nation,” Cordero
continued.
