Last night at our City Council meeting, the room filled with neighbors who came to mourn the loss of Damon Murray.
And to demand that we do better for our neighbors. Damon’s mom was in the back of the room, holding her youngest child. His uncle and close friends came to the podium in tears. Damon was 21 when he was shot and killed overnight Sunday. He was a role model and hero for many, recently becoming a teacher’s aide in our district schools. And yesterday he, joined by his best friend, would have had his interview with the Hoboken Fire Department to become a firefighter. His dreams were cut tragically short, leaving his family and friends reeling from the loss. Thankfully, his killer, a former Hoboken resident, was caught and taken into custody.
The words said last night were not just about grief but of fear too, fear of the call that no parent or friend should ever receive. Damon’s closest friends - “brothers by journey, not by blood” - came to the microphone, praising Damon, and asking the City Council members if any of us experienced having a friend murdered, or living in a building with mold, people sleeping in hallways, or rats so bad outdoors they have to flash lights to scare them away before they get out of the car. Our answer, although not said, was no.
If you didn’t watch the meeting, I implore you to do so. Hear the heartfelt pleas from our neighbors. The discussion begins at 4:45 with comments by 4th Ward CM Ramos whose ward encompasses the HHA, and who is very close with the Murray family.
It was a tough meeting. Not because we had to listen, but because our neighbors felt so strongly that we have let them down in such a way that their children are dying. Read that again. Several pointed to another tragedy that was just a year and a half ago - coincidentally, yesterday Chris Garcia would have been 30 years old, only he was shot and killed in 2022 at the HHA in another senseless incident.
We find ourselves at a crossroads. While we aren’t going to solve the national problem of gun violence in Hoboken, we can either maintain the status quo, or we can actively work to ensure Hoboken is a safe and supportive community for all our neighbors. Status quo is not an option.
There are measures that we can take as a community to make changes to improve the lives of all of our neighbors. Our schools and recreational programming have always tried to keep the playing field level for the economic and social differences between families within our community. The City works closely with the HHA to ensure they receive annual, federal CDBG grant funding (awarded locally) to make critical capital improvements – in the past, these have included security doors and cameras, elevator improvements and boilers. Community Lifestyle, which I have spoken to you about before and one that deserves your support, runs free programs, including a summer camp for youth in the HHA. But there is still room for us to do more.
The HHA, if you are unaware, is federal housing. It is home to over 1,000 families and has been here since the 50’s. Like many others built during this time, the buildings have exceeded their useful lives but unfortunately, federal funding for upkeep has fallen short. As I have mentioned before, there is a plan in place to fully redevelop the property in a way that allows families to stay in Hoboken. This is the single most important project in our community. One that continues to move forward, driven by HHA Executive Director Mark Recko and a few others, but one that will not happen overnight. And until this new housing is completed, we need to help improve the existing conditions our neighbors live in.
The conversation about safety is already turning into action. After the meeting, Council members and the administration discussed ideas about what we can do within our control to help make immediate, positive changes for our neighbors. In the past we had a police precinct at the HHA that was partially funded by HUD. HUD made a decision to end that funding (for all federal housing) and instead of Hoboken absorbing this additional cost, the decision was made to remove the precinct. A decision I and CM Ramos questioned in my first few months on, and Ruben's return to, the City Council in 2016. How could the area that has the most crime that has the most impact on our youth, not be deserving of sufficient police presence?
Last night we approved on 1st reading an expansion of our laws that allow police to enforce Hoboken's open container laws. Literally it was about a 5 word addition to our existing ordinance that added the HHA to public spaces. Apparently the HHA was never included in this law until now. What?!?!?! Alcohol has been identified as a root cause to many of the violent acts we are seeing and I am confident we will approve this unanimously at our next meeting and that Mayor Bhalla will sign this into law that day.
After the council meeting, we spoke with Police Chief Aguiar about the immediate implementation of a mobile precinct for HPD and he is starting on this this morning. CM Ramos has already followed up with the administation. This would not only serve the HHA, but potentially other locations citywide. Many cities have this. This is a good start to quickly bringing police presence back to the HHA.
While increasing police presence in the HHA might seem drastic, I can assure you that every resident who lives there that I’ve spoken to during my eight years on the City Council has expressed a strong desire for it. The community specifically requested the ordinance mentioned earlier. Additionally, many Hoboken police officers are eager to return to patrolling the HHA—not to seek out criminals, but to foster meaningful connections with the youth and families in that community and be a bigger and better presence to keep the crime from happening. A true win win.
Project Rocket was launched two years ago by our Interim, now retired, Police Chief Lobue and Captain Gino Jacobelli, who brought together a team of dedicated community leaders—including myself—to find better ways to support our neighbors in the HHA. The idea was simple yet powerful: to ignite positive change through initiatives like expanding youth programs, job opportunities and arranging pro-bono/discounted maintenance for those in substandard living conditions. Despite its promising start, the project unfortunately lost momentum. Last night, I voiced the need to revive this important work. Even though the 2nd Ward is the farthest from the HHA, I know my neighbors don’t want to be distant in our concern and action.
We also discussed briefly last night ways we could extend City services to supplement the HHA’s underfunding in the face of rising costs – easy examples include the city's summer jobs program that ended prior to COVID, grounds maintenance and rat abatement (the latter which is increasing dramatically this year). Funding from HUD has decreased significantly, so helping supplement with services that the city already provides in Hobokdn may be a way to help the HHA address its operating challenges. We are amidst the 2024 municipal budget process and you can bet we will all be looking for ways within our control to do more. .
To support Damon’s family in this unimaginable time, I encourage you to contribute to the Meal Train set up for the Murray family. Your support can provide some comfort as they navigate this profound loss.
It shouldn’t take a tragedy like the senseless death of a young hero for us to support our neighbors. But here we are. Again. In our mile square city, I have always said we all share the same backyard. Regardless of our differences, our shared Hoboken backyard is what brings us together and defines our incredibly strong sense of community that sets us apart. You have my word that we will not let this moment pass without doing more.
Tiffanie Fisher
Hoboken City Council, 2nd Ward
Engage. Inform. Advocate.
“More Voices are Better”
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