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Likely Interim Newark Mayor Outlines Crime-Fighting Plans

NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Besides all the new development in Newark that left U.S. Senator-elect Cory Booker will leave behind, the city's crime problem will also be left for others to tackle.

As WCBS 880's Levon Putney reported, the murder rate in Newark is higher than it was at the same time last year. To help put a cap on the deadly violence lately, City Council President Luis Quintana has called for more police officers, and for the Public Service Enterprise Group power company to add lighting in high-crime areas.

Likely Interim Newark Mayor Outlines Crime-Fighting Plans

"Lights that are really lit up" are needed, Quintana said.

Quintana is in line to take over as interim mayor once Booker leaves. He said he wants to restart an old police partnership with neighboring towns.

"We would team up one Newark cop with an Irvington police officer, one with East Orange, one with Bloomfield, and we would guard the borders," Quintana said. "We can't police ourselves out of the problems, man, that's what we've got to understand."

Community activist Tyrone Barnes said he thought it would help to require local police officers to live in the city of Newark.

"There's a disassociation between the citizens and the police," Barnes said.

He said a lot of officers have no vested interest in respecting residents and fostering good relations.

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