How Trenton turned 2 years of record violence into 90-day stretch without homicide
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- After two years of record violence, Trenton went 90 days without a single homicide. Eyewitness News went to the capital city to get a closer look at what's working and what other cities may learn from the city's success.
When Mayor Reed Gusciora took office four years ago, Trenton was in a state of decline, and when the pandemic hit in 2020, so too did two record years of shootings and homicides. But this summer, something changed.
"It is an amazing difference between last year," Gusciora said.
From June 1 to Sept. 1, the capital city didn't record a single homicide and saw violent crimes fall by nearly 50%.
"Usually during the summer months, the hot summer months is when there is a lot of criminal activity," Gusciora said.
The mayor credits this marked improvement to both enforcement and engagement. Leveraging grant funding, he's spearheaded initiatives from knocking down abandoned buildings to putting up safety cameras.
"The old saying it takes a village to raise a kid, it also takes a village to raise up a community," Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson said.
In addition to staffing up high-risk areas and helping to prosecute deadly crimes, the 26-year veteran of the force has focused on community-based partnerships with churches and civic groups and created two street teams.
"You can't just have law enforcement going into communities saying, 'you can't do this,'" Wilson said. "You need people from the community that have lived that life."
"A lot of people need help and they are hurting," said Dr. Adele Ames, director of Health and Human Services.
Mental health counselors are a key part of a new rec center set to open later this year.
"I remember back in the 70s and 80s in Trenton, it was so different because of accountability," Ames said. "Your neighbors looked out for your children if you were not available or you were working."
While no solution is perfect, this team says with every step forward, there is so much hope.
"When the citizens have hope again, everyone does better," Wilson said, "everyone pitches in more."
Trenton saw its first homicide in more than 90 days last Friday, something the mayor says hurts to know that it could have been prevented. Still, he says he's motivated thinking of the work still to be done and the lives counting on him for it.