MAYOR RAS J. BARAKA STATEMENT REGARDING ASHLEY MOORE DEATH INVESTIGATION

First, we express our condolences to Ms. Ashley Moore’s mother, Starlet Carbins, and the rest of her family and friends on her tragic, untimely passing.

As Mayor of a city that has undergone significant police reform, I am promising a full review and transparency in the Newark Police Division’s handling of the death of Ms. Moore, a transgender woman, whose body was discovered outside the Newark YMCA on April 1, 2020.

We believe the police followed all necessary policies and procedures around Ashley Moore’s death, but the handling of the case has raised concerns of her family and the LGBTQ community. We fully expect to inform them of our police actions and answer any lingering questions they may have about Ms. Moore’s death to the absolute best of our ability.

We also want to assure them that we have listened to LGBTQ activists and used their input to draw up the first police policy to treat the LGBTQ community with the respect and dignity all human beings and their families deserve. That policy was adopted by the N.J. State Attorney General and deemed a best practice throughout the state. Our officers participate in ongoing training to engage the LGBTQ community with sensitivity and common decency we expect from all their interactions with the public.

As Ms. Moore’s death was not ruled a homicide, I concur with Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose that it should be re-examined with the aid of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

The commitment to the health, safety and dignity of all residents despite race, gender, ethnic origin or sexual preference has been a benchmark of my administration. We live by those values and, once again, I want to assure the family of Ms. Moore they will be applied here.