Residents Rally for a Response to 8 Killings in Newark
Wednesday, December 22, 2004 at 08:25PM
TheSpook
Do Nothing Mayor Sharpe James is Doing Nothing
Two days after four young people were killed in separate
execution-style shootings, and three weeks after a similar slaughter,
residents of this hard-pressed city rallied on Thursday to demand a
response from Mayor Sharpe James, who they said was minimizing the
violence. About 30 people showed up for a hastily called rally on the
steps of City Hall to complain about the climbing murder rate and what
they said was cold indifference from city officials. So far, 85 people
have been killed here this year, police statistics show, compared with
83 in 2003 and 68 in 2002. Since Thanksgiving Day, there have been
eight murders, the police say, a per capita rate that outpaced New York
City during the same period. Members of the clergy, community leaders
and friends and relatives of the crime victims said Mr. James, who has
been mayor since 1986, had not done enough to address the violence.
Russell Yancey, 45, an unemployed computer technician who attended the
rally, said he had lost faith in the city's leader, after more than 15
years of support. "Sharpe James is more concerned with himself than
with his city," Mr. Yancey said. "He is out of touch with the people
who put him in office." [more]
Newark Booms, But City Image Tarnished By Murders [more]
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