Fifth person shot in Neptune in 5 days

Fifth person shot in Neptune in 5 days (via NJ.com)

NEPTUNE – One person was shot on Milton Avenue late Thursday in the third night of gunfire in the township in less than a week, authorities said. The male victim suffered non-life threatening injuries, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman…

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Report: Gunfire wounds 2 in Neptune for second consecutive night

Report: Gunfire wounds 2 in Neptune for second consecutive night (via NJ.com)

NEPTUNE – One night after two Asbury Park men were shot in the township, two more people were reportedly shot here on Monday night. Lt. Scott Cox of the Neptune Township Police Department told the Asbury Park Press that the latest shooting occurred…

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Man caught with loaded handgun after chase in Asbury Park, police say

Man caught with loaded handgun after chase in Asbury Park, police say (via NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK – A Long Branch man was charged with possession of a weapon after he led police on a foot chase and tried to get rid of a handgun, authorities said. At around 3 p.m. on Saturday, the city’s Street Crimes Unit was on a proactive patrol…

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Baby girl, 2 adults shot in Asbury Park, police say

Baby girl, 2 adults shot in Asbury Park, police say (via NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK – Authorities are investigating a shooting that injured three people, including a baby girl, in the city on Monday evening. Shortly after 7:20 p.m. Monday, authorities responded to reports of multiple gunshots on the 700 Block of Comstock…

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Man robbed, shot in Asbury Park

Man robbed, shot in Asbury Park (via NJ.com)

ASBURY PARK – A 29-year-old city man was shot during the course of a robbery on Sunday night, police said. At approximately 10:15 p.m. on Sunday, two men with handguns approached a man, who was not identified, on the 1500 block of Bond Street at around…

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ASBURY PARK MAN CHARGED WITH AUGUST MURDER

NJ Department of Corrections photo

Bryan Burford, 21, of Asbury Park was arrested today and charged with the August 16 murder of Tyrell Howard, 20, also of Asbury Park, according to a statement from Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramicconi.

Burford was also charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose.  He is being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution. Judge Joseph Oxley set Burford’s bail at $1 million with 10% cash option.

Burford was convicted of Aggravated Assault in April of 2011.  He was released from the Albert C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility on May 23 of this year, according to the NJ Department of Corrections.

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Arnone: Asbury Park Leaders Must Work Together To Reduce Violence

Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone addressing the Asbury Park/Neptune NAACP on Saturday, September 29 at the Neptune Library

Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone told a meeting of the Asbury Park/Neptune NAACP on Saturday that the solution to violence in Asbury Park lies with the city’s leadership.

“The municipal government and the school board must come together to solve community problems, ” Arnone said, “The solution starts with leadership and there is a disconnect in Asbury Park.”

Arnone noted that Monmouth County already is making a significant investment in law enforcement in Asbury Park through the Sheriff’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office.  “If we have to increase the Sheriff’s Department’s presence, we will.”

“Money is not the problem, leadership is the problem,” Arnone said as he drew a contrast between Asbury Park and Neptune Township.  “In Neptune they are working together and they are reaching out to the county for support.”  Arnone specifically cited Neptune Mayor Eric Houghtaling, Committeeman Randy Bishop and School Superintendent David Mooij for their cooperation with each other and their ongoing communication with county officials. “I’m on the phone with those guys several times a month. There has not been a major dialogue with Asbury Park.”

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To Live and Die In Asbury Park (Part Two)

By Ernesto Cullari (originally published in triCityNews)

There have been seventeen victims of shootings this year in Asbury Park and five murders. According to some reports we are on track to match violence levels not seen in 20 years. People on both sides of the train tracks are scared.

I’ve read many opinions about how to stop the violence among our youth in Asbury Park and in other cities, where poverty is an issue and most of the solutions focus on more government and more police intervention.

It isn’t government intervention or the threat of jail time that makes a person stop in the moment of anger and refrain from pulling a trigger. Laws don’t prevent kids from joining gangs. Government programs won’t stop a 14-year-old boy from engaging in unprotected premarital sex with a young girl his age and the government certainly won’t raise their child; The government doesn’t teach our youth about the value of human life; but parents do, good role models do too and the Bible does, as well.

Did Martin Luther King, Jr. quote from some government handbook handed down from Valerie Jarrett and Kathleen Sebelius when he faced down both the rising influence of the Black Panthers and social oppressors or did he quote from scripture? If we’re going to rely simply on more government programs, more police and new political initiatives to fix the rising tide of violence in our communities then we’ve failed before we’ve begun. If Christianity, shared in the public square, changed the world then its message certainly can help change the course of our societal problems now. To think otherwise is to ignore the last 2013 years of Western history.

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Governor Christie and Gun Control

By Bader George Qarmout

In the aftermath of the Newtown, Connecticut school massacre in December of 2012, many politicians moved to give the appearance of doing something about gun control. My heart continues to brake for the families who will always feel an emptiness in their life. New Jersey politicians were not immune from the pressure of passing gun control bills. I was opposed to new laws and urged others to join me in opposition.  The thirteen bills passed by the New Jersey legislature that landed on Governor Christie’s desk did little to address the real issues and did nothing to prevent a similar massacre from reoccurring.

Last week Governor Christie addressed the last three of the thirteen bills. The first ten bills were signed into law by the republican governor. The National Rifle Association classified 2 of the 10 as a benefit to gun owners and two were opposed by NRA. I remain opposed to the signing of those 2 bills. The remaining six bills had a negligible impact on gun owners and were not opposed. This week Gov. Christie Vetoed and returned the remaining 3 of the 13 bills. Of all thirteen bills the three remaining bills were most intrusive and an offense to the Constitution and violated Liberty. My family and I are proud gun owners and members of the NRA and New Jersey Second Amendment Society (NJ2AS). I urge all good patriots who support the 2nd Amendment by joining either or both organizations.

I want to thank and applaud Governor Christie for vetoing the remaining gun control bills because I truly believe when you take guns away from law abiding citizens; you empower the criminals and embolden the government against the citizenry.  Thank you Governor for defending the 2nd amendment and standing with 1 million lawful gun owners in New Jersey who are law abiding citizens, because to punish the innocent along with the guilty is no justice at all.

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Christie Announces His Anti-Violence Program

Keeping New  Jersey SAFE

Building on New Jersey’s already strong guns laws that rank  among the toughest in the country, Governor Chris Christie has a  comprehensive and responsible action plan to help reduce gun violence.   The plan focuses on four distinct areas:

• Responsibly Expanding New Jersey’s  Already Stringent Gun Control Measures
• Making Mental Health Treatment And  Screening Mandatory For Those Who Need It Most, And Making It Easier For  Health Professionals To Order Treatment For Individuals In Crisis
• Addressing The Influence Of Violence  In Video Games On Today’s Youth By Requiring Parental Consent
• Bolstering Criminal Penalties For  Gun-Related Crimes And Reforming Bail Laws To Keep Our Most Violent Offenders  Out Of Our Communities

RESPONSIBLY  EXPANDING NEW JERSEY’S ALREADY STRINGENT GUN CONTROL MEASURES

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