“I would like to congratulate Director of Public Safety Brian O’Hara, who has been elevated to a new role as Deputy Mayor of Strategic Initiatives for Police Services/Public Safety. Over the course of a year and a half, Deputy Mayor O’Hara has taken the department to higher levels by achieving and continuing to build on the city’s successful crime reduction strategies, increased community engagement support and outreach initiatives, and expanded its abilities to address crime, fire, and emergencies.

“In this new role, Deputy Mayor O’Hara will develop strategies around reimagining policing, with a focus on public safety. He will continue to work with community groups, such as the Newark Community Street Team, the Brick City Peace Collective, and the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, to devise and implement strategies that will reduce crime, while freeing police officers to address other matters that require their immediate attention. Deputy Mayor O’Hara will work with public and private agencies in and around Newark to address inter-agency issues, oversee the consent decree, develop strategic initiatives in collaboration with the Newark Alliance, work to increase grant funding, and liaise with other emergency response and public safety entities – county, state, and federal.

“Assistant Public Safety Director Raul Malave, who has served in this position since 2016, will step in as Interim Director of Public Safety. Interim Director Malave has close to 30 years’ experience in public safety and emergency response at all levels, balancing police and fire, and will provide the department with outstanding leadership until we appoint a permanent director.”

“These two appointments will help us continue the progress we have made and bring Newark’s Public Safety to an even higher level.”

-          NEWARK –

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