Newark and the Future of Crime Fighting

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One of 109 newly installed surveillance cameras scan an intersection in the Ironbound section of Newark, N.J., and feeds images back to the Newark Police Dept.'s Surveillance Operations Center. Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

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Already though, the business community is beginning to throw its weight behind Booker's plan. In August, Newark scored a big win when London-based Standard Chartered Bank (STAN.L) opened a new office downtown that will hold more than 500 employees. Inspired by the mayor's vision, financial executives, such as New York hedge fund operator William Ackman, have financed some of the new technologies that the city can't afford because of its $180 million budget deficit. And the Newark offices of big companies such as Verizon Communications (VZ), AT&T (T), Cablevision Systems (CVC), Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG), and Continental Airlines (CAL) are beginning to hire more residents from the city.

Audible.com, a subsidiary of Amazon.com (AMZN), is one of the companies that has jumped on the Mayor's bandwagon. Last March the company moved its headquarters and 165 employees out of Wayne, N.J., and into a 50,000-square-foot office in downtown Newark. Don Katz, Audible.com's founder and CEO, says the space is 50% cheaper than Manhattan real estate. And even though Katz expected Newark's reputation to scare away some employees, not one worker has left since the move. "For a long time, I thought it would be great if we could serve our shareholders and be part of an urban renaissance," says Katz. "All in all, it's been a complete win."

Improved Police Strategy

Newark does appear to be getting safer, though many areas outside the downtown district remain dangerous. This year there have been 37 murders, down 40% from 62 in the same period a year ago. Shooting incidents are down 19%. Over the last year, 101 arrests were made based on live or recorded video evidence. Police officials say the surveillance technology has helped but also stress the effort is one part of the police department's overall strategy. The department, for instance, has created a narcotics squad and added 159 cops since 2006, bringing the total force to 1,324.

Booker is encouraged by the drop in crime but says the city has a long way to go before it can declare victory. He hopes crime rates will continue to fall as the city rolls out the gunshot detection technology. "When I came in, a big consultant a told me a 5% to 10% reduction [in crime] is something to celebrate," says Booker. "I want people to see a 50%, 60%, 70% reduction in violent crime."

On a warm day this May, Matt Klapper, a precocious 25-year-old senior adviser, darts into the mayor's office. Standing in front of photos of Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi that hang on the wall, Klapper unfurls a large map of the city on a table. The map is littered with red dots that mark the location of confirmed shootings. The vast majority of the dots, about 80%, are in the city's South Ward. His point: The city is not throwing cameras up everywhere but is placing them in a seven-square mile area where they can help the most. "This area will be saturated with cameras," says Klapper. "It's an area that has bled."

By taking a more targeted approach, Klapper and city officials believe, the surveillance network will reduce crime, while allaying concerns of privacy advocates. "The cost of pulling that trigger is about to go way up," he says.

To further limit the potential for privacy violations, Klapper and other officials have worked with the ACLU to develop a set of rules and standards. Among them: Cameras will not be allowed to peek inside homes, and the footage is only stored for 30 days. "There are a million ways this system could help if it's implemented intelligently," says Peter Lutz, Newark's director of Police Management Information Systems. "That's what's going to make the difference between us and other cities."