More on Ceasefire

The advent of Operation Ceasefire was publicized in December 2006.

In February, it was expected to start by mid-April.

Now it seems the recent announcement of its inception was unauthorized. The announcement was made on an online forum.

Whatever the issues are behind the scenes, can we please have an official start soon? I heard gunshots at 2:20 a.m. on July 8 and at 3:24 a.m. on July 22, both early Sunday mornings. The wanton Newark killings point up the fact that there are people to whom gun violence is just a way of life. The average citizen doesn't stand a chance in an encounter with such a person.

In the 2006 annual report of the Office of Attorney General, Operation Ceasefire is expected to be "fully operational" by mid-2007 in Newark/Irvington, Camden, Paterson, Trenton and Plainfield. It's a bit scary to be counted among that group of municipalities because many of us think of Plainfield as more of a small town than a city, a place where people know each other and take part in community activities. But then there are those who are behind the early-morning gunshots and even the daytime shootings that have taken place. The sooner Operation Ceasefire is up and running, the better.

--Bernice Paglia