Across the country, prosecutors are recognizing the importance of changing their relationship with the communities they serve. In this new role, the justice system emerges as a partner with the community, asking how the justice system can help support community efforts, rather than dictating solutions to neighborhood crime and quality of life problems. A Community Justice Unit seeks to build these strong links with individual communities by seeking partnerships and problem solving. Passaic County’s Community Justice Unit was formed in June of 2000, with partial funding by a Community Justice Grant from the Attorney General’s Office.

The Community Justice Unit has five components: Community Justice Initiatives, the Violent Offender Removal Program (VORP), Community Prosecution, Bias and Hate Crime, and Gang Prevention and Intervention. The unit’s role includes tracking criminal activities in select neighborhoods; monitoring cases that are important to the community and local law enforcement; attending community meetings; providing training to local law enforcement, educators and students; and monitoring violent offenders.