| The fix is in, Santiago's failure results in a friend's hiring
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 The headline read, “Expert to Tackle Gang Problem.” After reading the headline, the naive readers of the Times of Trenton probably thought Joe Santiago was about to do something about the gang problem in Trenton. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Since his arrival Santiago has made repeated listless attempts to control the gang problem in the city. Up to now, the city administration has been more concerned with controlling the gang related media reports than actually addressing the problem. All this is about to change though. Mayor Palmer has hired gang expert Bartholomew “Call Me Barry” Colicelli.
Colicelli, a retired Newark Police Captain and reputed friend of Director Santiago, will arrive in Trenton fresh off his success in Newark. For those who might have missed the sarcasm, Colicelli arrives fresh off his success in Newark. As readers of the Star Ledger and viewers of NJN News can readily attest, the gang problem in Newark is spiraling out of control. But that doesn’t really matter. Most people in Trenton don’t pay attention to such matters. After all, what happens in Newark doesn’t affect Trenton. Unfortunately, all that is needed in Trenton is a little bit of political double-talk by the mayor and the
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endorsement of a subservient city council for the public to embrace the appointment.
Mayor Palmer, in his own political double-talk way, acknowledged that Colicelli is needed due to the failure of Santiago. During an October Trentonian interview, Mayor Palmer was quoted as saying, "I am not hiring a person to fix the gang situation. I am hiring a person to fix our strategy to deal with it.” Prior to the mayor's statement, Santiago was the person responsible for formulating the gang strategy. It is that same strategy which now requires fixing. The price tag for Santiago's implied failure is $85,000.
Like Santiago, Colicelli is a political appointee. For this reason the public, and press need to be watchful. What is best for the public isn’t always what is best for political careers. There are indications from sources in the Newark Police Department that Colicelli employed tactics designed to make a big splash in the media; while the overall impact on the gang problem was negligible. While politicians may be emboldened by such methods, the public is left wanting. The media and the residents need to determine if what they are being told coincides with what they know or are seeing.
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Council knows best, to hell with the people - Council has spoken
(continued from page 1)
Almost instantly the city administration tried to downplay the petition drive as a ploy by a small group of disgruntled officers. What they did not realize was the scope, and the speed, of the effort. In less than 18 days, 2,200 signatures were gathered from every ward in the city. The greatest difficulty during the petition drive, according to petitioners, was not getting the signature. That step was easy. After the people signed the petition most of them began to complain to the petitioners about the conditions in their neighborhoods. More time was spent hearing complaints than was getting the signature.
In predictable fashion, some council members made up stories of people being lied to about the petition and of blank forms being circulated. To listen to council and the mayor, you would think that 2,200 people
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were duped into signing the petition. It quickly became obvious just how wrong city council was about the public’s opinion toward Director Santiago, the mayor and council.
No matter what spin the city tries to put on it, the fact remains that a grassroots effort had great success in meeting the criteria needed to force a referendum. Their effort satisfied the standards of the statutes governing referendum petitions. So far it has merely been the ruling of a single judge that derailed the attempt. It would be a mistake for the administration to think they have thwarted the grassroots movement, or silenced forever the 2,200. The future may prove interesting. The voters are not happy.
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In Case You Blinked: Recap
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With the large number of crimes committed in Trenton, even the most diligent news readers have trouble keeping track. Below are headlines that were gleaned from the Internet. In the future we will take the headlines from the printed versions of the news.
All these incidents occurred in Trenton
- Homeless man stabbing city’s 20th homicide 2005/01/01 Trentonian
- City man, 32, is shot in leg, wrist 2005/01/01 Times
- City teen wounded in drive-by shooting 2004/12/31 Times
- Teenager wounded at high school 2004/12/30 Times (3 Teens shot during Basketball game)
- Teen cut by machete in robbery attempt 2004/12/29 Times
- Robbery tried on two local women 2004/12/26 Times
- Trenton plagued by robbery wave 2004/12/24 Times (9 robberies in 4 days)
- North Ward group seeks more police 2004/12/17 Times ("We're under siege on the North Ward. It's of epidemic proportions, something needs to be done.") Recall: Council has repeatedly claimed ALL residents in their wards were happy with Director Santiago.
- Road Runner gas station is robbed 2004/12/15 Times
- Princeton teen is shot in Trenton 2004/12/14 Times
- Ga. man killed in drive-by shooting 2004/12/13 Times
- Man cut in grab at robber's knife 2004/12/09 Times
- No one hurt in gunfire spray 2004/12/09 Times (11 Bullets fired)
- Suspect is held in rape, beating 2004/12/02 Times (News of this incident was withheld from the public for 9 days.)
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