With Cory Booker off to the the senate, Newark finds itself seeking a new mayor. The two leading candidates, Ras Baraka, principal of Central High School and son of the (anti-Semitic) Amiri Baraka (formerly Leroi Jones, whose fights with "Tough Tony" Imperiale, were legendary during the city's race riots) and Annibal Ramos, councilman for the North Ward, have two very different opinions on how to fight crime.
This comes during the revelation that Newark's homicide rate is its highest in over 20 years, 4 Newark men were arrested for an alleged carjacking murder at the Mall at Short Hills, and a 13 year old girl was killed while taking out the garbage, an honor student caught in the crossfire.

To quote Baraka: "death and prison are no longer deterrents to young people. That stuff doesn't work anymore." Newark police chief noted the unprecendeted callousness of  young black youth and that they don't expect to live past 25 anyway. Baraka has written to judges to mitigate their sentences. he did state the aim is not to avoid prosecution.

Ramos interprets this a weakness, to negotiate with any gang affiliates.

Two clear-cut differences. one thing is certain:The spanish- born Ramos would need a close to 100% turn-out in the North Ward to have a fighting chance.

Our new mayor will negotiate with gang-bangers.