Reacting to reports from the FBI and the State Police that indicate a significant rise in gang-related crime and recruiting in South Jersey, Assemblywoman Dawn Marie Addiego and Assemblyman Scott Rudder renewed their call to halt Gov. Corzine’s plan to close Riverfront State Prison in Camden.
“These unsettling reports show a dramatic increase in gang activity,” said Assemblyman Rudder. “The FBI and the State Police are telling us that gang crimes are up, and gang arrests are up. And the Governor is telling us we don’t need the prison anymore. It is mind-boggling.”
Local officials in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties confirm that gang activity has increased in recent years. There is an estimated 500 gang members in Burlington County, and 3, 000 or more in Camden County.
“Gangs are becoming a serious issue in this area. This isn’t somebody else’s problem anymore,” said Assemblywoman Addiego. “The police are doing an excellent job controlling the spread of gang violence, but to get these criminals off the street, we need prisons to hold them. Yet the Governor wants to knock down the walls of one of the most state-of-the-art prisons in the state.”
More than 250 suspected gang members were arrested in a recent sweep in South Jersey, including 50 rounded up in Burlington County. Three suspects charged with shooting two brothers – and killing one – at a hotel in Mount Laurel are connected with the Bloods and Latin Kings gangs.
“These are serious crimes that threaten our communities. It is time for the Governor to take off his rose-colored glasses and realize that his plan to close Riverfront State Prison is short-sighted and indefensible,” said Assemblyman Rudder.
“Recently, we learned that the Attorney General’s office had seen a 50 percent increase in criminal filings. Now we hear gang arrests have increased sharply, and in a down-economy, it is common to see an increase in crime,” said Assemblywoman Addiego. “This new information is further proof that closing Riverfront Prison is a terrible idea.”
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