Newark police will start to use loudspeakers to move people off streets when they see residents violating a statewide stay-at-home order that was put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka in an announcement Wednesday stopped short of saying police would arrest residents who violate the city’s “shelter-in-place” order. But, he urged residents across the city, not just in three of Newark’s hotspots, to stay at home unless it was for an essential purpose.
“We have to take this situation very, very seriously,” Baraka said. “The majority of our residents understand this and are following the rules. But some are not and continue to congregate on the streets and not maintain proper social distance. Those people are putting their own health at risk, as well everyone they come into contact with. It’s dangerous and it has to stop.”