C. Roy Epps, President/CEO

Civic League of Greater New Brunswick

February 29, 2012

This is to acknowledge that my office has been working with other community-based, not-for-profit organizations and representatives of law enforcement agencies on an ad hoc basis to seek possible strategies to improve relations between the New Brunswick Police and the community. In a November 15, 2011 letter from my office to Mayor James Cahill I wrote on behalf of the Civic League stating, “We support the efforts of the Deloatch family and their advocates in reaching a just solution to the shooting death of the late Barry Deloatch. The League is advocating for a parallel strategic approach to possibly minimize the recurrence of this and other tragic killings involving New Brunswick police. In an attempt to be constructive in our approach, the League is recommending that your office and the City Council seriously consider the following:

1. The establishment of a Police Auxiliary unit, which would involve
community residents as volunteers (18 years of age and older) to
assist in patrol activities within neighborhoods and other duties as
traditionally assigned to these units.

2. The development of a community/police dialog process which
would be facilitated by an outside law consulting unit, assisting in
mediating perceptions of police roles by citizens and citizens’ roles
by police.

3. To encourage the expansion of crime watch groups, signage and
postings associated with crime watch activities and similar
activities.”

Over the past five months, four Ad Hoc meetings have been held with Police Director, Anthony Caputo; City Attorney, Charly Gayden; and Sgt. Scott Gould. The results to date are,

City ordinance adopted to re-establish a New Brunswick Auxiliary Police unit within the Police Department. Eleven (11) New Brunswick resident volunteers have been selected for the fourteen (14) week qualifying Police Academy training. What is needed: More volunteers should be recruited for the next training cycle in the spring of 2013.

• In a coordinated effort, crime watch signage is in the process of being installed throughout the city and other crime watch materials will be made available to the established crime watch groups. What is needed: Residents joining established crime watch groups or starting additional ones.

• The city’s Police Director reported recently that all New Brunswick police personnel have completed Cultural and Community Awareness Training to better understand law enforcement personnel roles in the neighborhood environment and behavior standards. Still to come; Feedback from group trainer concerning the training activity outcomes and results is due within the next month (report for internal use only).

Other recommendations included:

• Meet and greet with NBPD and Community Leaders and Stakeholders

• Engage the participation of NBPD officers at different community events and/or meetings sponsored by community-based organizations and/or faith-based groups

• Late night programming at community schools in neighborhoods with “hot spots” (i.e. Lord Stirling and Paul Robeson Schools) should be patrolled.

• Police Explorers program for youth ages 15-20

In addition, this office has offered suggestions to the Mayor’s office and Police Department to improve the city’s on-line Police Internal Affairs data reporting to include additional information for increase transparency.

Note: I am grateful to two state-based legal organizations: American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) and The Citizen’s Campaign for their consultations in these matters.

I am encouraging others to offer additional suggestions to the New Brunswick Mayor’s office and Police Department to assist in minimizing the possibility of any recurrence of these past tragedies. Please share the contents of this letter with those in your meeting.

Sincerely,

C. Roy Epps

President/CEO

City Resident

November 29, 2011

Christopher D. Cerf
Acting Commissioner
New Jersey Department of Education
100 River View Plaza
PO Box 500
Trenton, NJ   08625

Dear Commissioner Cerf:

This letter is being written, again, concerning the application of Tikun Olam Language Charter High School.  This is the fourth attempt to establish this particular school in the New Brunswick area, with three previous applications being denied. The Civic League of Greater New Brunswick, which has operated educational programs for the past 66 years in the city of New Brunswick, is responding to the application of the proposed charter high school.

In a review of this application, the organizers have modified the focus from Highland Park to more emphases on the city of New Brunswick.  This change in the application has increased the League’s concern in the development of this proposed educational program and its impact on the New Brunswick community.

In its March 22, 2010 application, the emphasis was basically on students from Highland Park and Edison.  This most recent application includes the municipalities of New Brunswick and Edison, recruiting students primarily from those communities. As with the previous applications, there has been no communication with this office concerning the charter school.  The Civic League conducts after school programs, serving more than two hundred and fifty (250) New Brunswick students and parents daily, which have been a resource for the proposed school.  It is obvious that the school organizers, from their operational behavior, are not interested in involving community residents and groups in the establishment of their charter school.  This raises the real questions of what will be  the process for including the heavy minority population in the school student body, where will the school be located, since Saint Mary’s facility is not available, and why this persistence to incumbent New Brunswick resources without clear demonstrated need?

As with our last letter to your office concerning this application, it is our opinion that without a well thought out strategy for full transparency on the nature of the school, the recruitment procedures of students and the inclusion of New Brunswick minority students, that this particular charter school be, again, denied approval.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

C. Roy Epps
President/CEO

CRE/zad

November 15, 2011

Honorable Mayor James Cahill

City of New Brunswick

City Hall

78 Bayard Street

New Brunswick, NJ   08901

Dear Mayor Cahill:

The Civic League of Greater New Brunswick has patiently and painfully observed the legal process surrounding the Barry Deloatch tragic shooting.  We support the efforts of the Deloatch family and their advocates in reaching a just solution to the shooting.  The League is advocating for a parallel strategic approach to possibly minimize the reoccurrence of this and other tragic killings involving New Brunswick police over the past 20+ years.  The most recent shootings and stabbings in the Commercial and Throop Avenue corridors have increased the anxiety for action.  In an attempt to be constructive in our approach, the League is recommending that your office and the City Council seriously consider the following:

1. The establishment of a Police Auxiliary unit, which would
involve community residents as volunteers (18 years of age
and older) to assist in patrol activities within neighborhoods
and other duties as traditionally assigned to these units.

2. The development of a community/police dialog process
which would be facilitated by an outside law consulting unit,
assisting in mediating perceptions of police roles by citizens
and citizens’ roles by police.

3. To encourage the expansion of crime watch groups, signage
and postings associated with crime watch activities and
similar activities.

These are a few recommendations; there are possibly many, many more to be offered by other groups and residents.

The League is committed to helping in the implementation of these activities as we attempt to minimize the possibility of reoccurrence of these tragedies.

Sincerely,

C. ROY EPPS

C. Roy Epps

President/CEO

CRE/zad

Attachments

cc:  Anthony Caputo

Charly Gayden

Civic League Board of Directors

Date: November 2, 2011

Contact: C. Roy Epps

732.247.9066 ext. 12
____________________________________________________________________

New Brunswick High School Students Recover Credits through the Accelerator Project

NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey

As more and more students were failing classes and losing credits due to poor attendance or even sickness, the Civic League of Greater New Brunswick saw an opportunity to serve the New Brunswick High School community. In the winter of 2009, the Civic League partnered with New Brunswick Board of Education and the AT&T Aspire Program to address the aforementioned issues. Through a $391,910 AT&T Aspire High School grant to be dispersed over a period of four years, the Civic League has been able to address student failures on a small scale by offering services that were not previously available.

The initiative, called “The Accelerator Project,” was designed to reach approximately 400 students who had failed a core class needed to graduate. Initially, students who had failed coursework in Math, English, Science and History were targeted. However, as a growing trend of failing students became obvious, the Civic League decided to take a more proactive and preventative approach and expanded the scope of the program to also offer Intervention services to students who were in danger of failing a core class.

AT&T’s contribution has enabled hundreds of students at New Brunswick High School to gain assistance that they would not have been able to access previously. In addition, approximately 25 students were able to recover lost credits and, thus, were able to be placed in their proper grade, to move towards graduation and even to graduate on time or close to on time.

“As the Civic League of Greater New Brunswick just celebrated its 66^th year of serving the New Brunswick community, it continues to provide services increasing the number of high school students to graduate within the four year period. More specifically, the Accelerator Project expanded approach Intervention services utilizing certified subject teachers, has enable more students to pass needed subjects while increasing the number of New Brunswick High School Students to recover lost credits,” said Janelle Simmons, the Coordinator of High School Services at the Civic League of Greater New Brunswick.

Date: June 4th, 2011
Location: Pine Street Park, New Brunswick
Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm.

Our Mission:

The mission: Civic League of Greater New Brunswick is a not-for-profit community-based organization, operated to strengthen African American families and other minority family groups. This is accomplished by advocating, promoting and providing community-based services that empower families and improve their quality of life.

The League supports and conducts programs in the areas of education, training, health care, employment, housing and economic empowerment with the aim of enhancing the stability and growth of families within their communities. This aim is accomplished in conjunction with corporations, human service agencies, churches, community organizations, schools and volunteers.

Note: Expanded text of a post would go here.

It is believed “that we can only eat an elephant one bite at a time;” therefore, the League must be realistic in its efforts to address the issues of youth. Program efforts must be targeted and expand the program activities from there. A solid, successful approach to addressing the issues of African American youth becomes a model for a successful approach to addressing the issue as it affects other cultural groups. Remember, the good thing about this approach is that it doesn’t eliminate the League’s overall approach to addressing quality of life issues for all people in New Brunswick. The focus on youth could be an important addendum to the League’s mission.