Residents press Newark council for solutions on homelessness, police accountability and court responsiveness

A wide range of residents used the hearing‑of‑citizens portion of Newark’s Feb. 4 council meeting to press elected officials on homelessness, public safety, police accountability and municipal‑court responsiveness.

Alif Muhammad (Court Towers) described long‑standing concerns about corruption in city contracting and praised certain appointments and federal attention; his remarks included allegations about contract bidding practices and calls for accountability.

Anthony DeAngelo, a local property owner, described a dispute where a tenant changed an apartment lock and, he said, municipal staff and police would not file or process a summons he submitted on March 19, 2025. DeAngelo asked whether the city could press municipal court to reinstate the complaint and reiterated he had documentation of the interaction with municipal court and police.

Queen Danisha Claiborne, who owns businesses in the West Ward, urged the council to address what she called a crisis of homelessness and drug use affecting storefronts and customer safety at West Market; she said she had a proposed solution and invited council and staff to meet and collaborate on Feb. 20. Council members followed by offering to arrange meetings with the administration and the department that handles homelessness, and said they would work with ward council members on site assessments.

Fakira Bradley, identifying herself as a returning citizen, said in-council allegations of harassment and theft made against her in October were false, asked the council to correct the public record and said she faces municipal‑court dates in March 2026; she framed the matter as a civil‑rights concern and referenced 42 U.S.C. § 1983 as protective of rights against misuse of authority.

Council members and administration staff responded by offering follow‑up meetings, referring speakers to department directors where appropriate, and noting resources such as municipal hotlines and the city’s DPW list for snow removal. Several council members also pledged to work with the mayor’s office and department directors on the homelessness issues raised.

What’s next: Council members invited residents with addresses and written proposals to meet with director staff for assessments and asked the clerk/administration to follow up where court or municipal processes were reported to be unresponsive.