FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Updated January 20, 2026

Governor Murphy Declares NJ Among the Country’s Safest States and Acknowledges Role of CVI

Last week, Governor Phil Murphy proclaimed New Jersey to be the "safest state" in the country in one of his last press conferences of his administration.

"We are the safest state in America," he proudly proclaimed citing a steady three year decline of homicides.

Upon taking office, New Jersey averaged well over 1000 homicides a year. Those troubling numbers have been driven down to 559 or an overall reduction of 59%.

Unlike most gatherings like this, however, where elected officials are surrounded exclusively by top law enforcement personnel, this gathering saw Governor Murphy equally joined by community partners, especially a number of highly reputable Community based Violence Intervention programs, including Newark's groundbreaking Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, the Paterson Healing Collective, the AntiViolence Coalition Movement of Hudson County, the Trenton Restorative Street Team and the Newark Community Street Team, among others.

To that point the Governor said "It is also why our administration has made historic investments in community based violence prevention and intervention.

The State of New Jersey has invested some 55M in CBVI since 2021 key in driving the violence numbers down.

"These programs are working," outgoing Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a release from his office weeks ago. Platkin also participated in the press conference. 

"We are handing over to the incoming administration positive established trends, and I know this important work will continue," Murphy emphasized.

Just as the State has proclaimed a steady decline in homicide, so has the City of Newark, New Jersey's largest city. 

Newark had the third highest rate of homicides before it made its investments in community based violence intervention arriving nearly 120 homicides a year. This past year saw those numbers come down to only 31, its lowest since 1953.

At the heart of these declines reveals how that city developed a "model" community based violence intervention "ecosystem," one that has garnered attention around the country. Its core, and at the core of most of most fully developed strategies, are High Risk Intervention, Hospital Intervention, Safe Passage to schools and community outreach by 'Credible Messengers', trauma informed counseling and case management and mentorship.

"We are excited to see the numbers going down," said Lakeesha Eure, Newark's Deputy Mayor over Public Safety and leading figure in the strategy. 

The Paterson Healing Collective, a critically acclaimed Hospital Violence Intervention, has also made a real difference in that city. 

Paterson has seen a decline in homicides of 39% over the past several years. In 2022, the city faced 28 homicides. The following year those numbers went down to 17. 2024 saw those numbers go down to 11. 

"We don't do this work for recognition, but validation matters.

"This work is effective. It must be funded, supported and sustained," said their executive director Dr Liza Chowdhury.

Their field operations director Casey Melvin echoed that sentiment.

"This work is paying off in Paterson.

"Paterson made its mark three years in a row with reducing gun violence."

Newark based social justice veteran and anti-violence pioneer Zayid Muhammad had an eye to what remains undone with his observations.

"This gathering was an extra base hit," he said.

"If the incoming Governor and Attorney General were also here cosigning a full commitment to continue this strategy, including the release of the funding for the Seabrooks Washington bill, the bill mandating the creation of community led crisis intervention teams for people facing mental health challenges as an alternative to the police, it would have been a grand slam," he finished...

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