Also at Blue Jersey
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Not too long ago, I wrote a post about how Governor Corzine undertook a number of efforts and initiatives with respect to protecting the people of New Jersey. At the same time, Chris Christie was talking about how our gun laws were good enough as is - this despite an ongoing effort between Corzine, Attorney General Anne Milgram and local law enforcement to fight violent crime, street gangs and illegal drug sales.
The most recent initiative that many may be aware of is the "one handgun per month" law that the Governor pushed for (while Christie was being funded heavily by the National Rifle Association). However, there was a recent announcement that puts the contrast between the fake crime fighter that Christie proves himself to be every day and the real crime fighter that Jon Corzine is.
At a time when violent crimes and homicides are up in many cities (including New York City), Corzine announced that there was a 24% DROP in homicides during the first 6 months of 2009 as compared to the same period of 2008. What makes this even more impressive is that this was the first time in a decade that the homicide rate dropped statewide for two consecutive years. According to a press release from earlier in the week:
The results announced today are the second phase of the statewide violence reduction initiative implemented under Governor Corzine's Strategy for Safe Streets and Neighborhoods. The initiative involves a collaborative effort across all levels of law enforcement in New Jersey to target the most violent street gangs and reduce the drug trafficking and gun violence that they inflict on our communities. Since January, county task forces, police departments and partnering agencies have arrested a total of 2,376 offenders under the initiative for crimes including murder, assault with a firearm, armed robbery, and drug and gun trafficking.
Those arrested include 606 suspected street gang members belonging to such gangs as the Bloods, CRIPS, Latin Kings, and others. Several hundred more of the arrested offenders were associated with drug gangs. About 1,047 or 44 percent of those arrested have violent criminal backgrounds.
More than 409 guns were seized, including 30 assault weapons. That is an increase of 152% from the first phase of the initiative, when 162 guns were seized. Drugs with a street value of $5.3 million were seized in the second phase, compared to $4 million in drugs in the first phase.
Putting together both phases, more than 4,220 arrests have been made since the initiative began last summer, including more than 1,136 suspected street gang members, and more than 1,647 offenders with violent criminal backgrounds. More than $3 million in cash has been seized.
As a result of operations during both phases, authorities were able to prevent 14 homicides. They solved 30 homicides.
Those are numbers that would make the folks on Law and Order and CSI jealous.
Meanwhile, Christie has received close to $100,000 from the NRA since December - funneled through the Republican Governor's Association - that same organization that already spent $3,000,000 on this race, was until recently run by disgraced Christie mentor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, and also calls stimulus rejecting anti-working family republicans such as Bobby Jindal, Haley Barbour, (the Governor formerly known as) Sarah Palin and secession-supporting Rick Perry of Texas.
Didn't we just rid ourselves of one fake cowboy in Washington DC? Can this state really afford another fake cowboy with the same loser policies?