Newark NJ Homicide LawyersNewark New Jersey is dealing with a crime wave, highlighted by the recent homicides of four men in a 24-hour span.

The recent murders come not long after Anthony Ambrose was appointed the new Public Safety Director of Newark in January. Ambrose formerly served as the police chief for the Newark Police Department, in addition to serving as the chief of detectives for Essex County.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka installed Ambrose as Newark’s public safety director as part of a pledge to consolidate key positions with the city’s police, fire, and emergency management operations. Baraka said that the hiring of Ambrose would help law enforcement to crack down on violent crime in Newark. This was particularly important after 2015, a year in which Newark saw a rise in homicides, shootings, and assaults.

The recent crime wave in Newark started with the tragic killing of a 36-year-old Irvington NJ man who was walking along the 900 block of Franklin Avenue. The victim suffered gunshot wounds and was treated at nearby University Hospital, but doctors at the hospital were unable to save him.

The second homicide happened only a few hours later. The 23-year-old homicide victim, a man from Newark NJ, was shot and killed inside an apartment building located on Irvine Turner Boulevard.

The third and fourth homicides were part of a double homicide. A 22-year-old male and a 23-year-old male were both shot and killed as they sat inside a gray Honda Accord that was parked on New Street in Newark, NJ.

Ambrose, the Newark public safety director, responded to the recent homicides by reiterating his commitment to clamping down on violence on Newark NJ streets. He said that Newark law enforcement would work with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office to reduce homicides in the city. Moreover, the Newark Police Department recently reassigned 30 police officers to street duty to discourage future violence.

For further information about these cases, see the NJ.com article, “4 Dead in 24 Hours: Newark Crime Surge Tests New Director.”