The Hoboken City Council heard a public outcry of outrage and distress over the murder of Damon Murray, 21, who was gunned down outside a housing authority building on Sunday night, at Wednesday’s meeting.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Given that dozens of people came to council chambers to speak about Murray’s killing, Council President Jen Giattino suspended the agenda to allow public comment to begin right away.
4th Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos asked for a moment of silence, as did Vanessa Falco, a former councilwoman who now serves as the director of the Division of Housing.
“Damon, to all of us who have black sons here, represents our son. That could have been my son. It’s a tremendous loss. At what one point are we going to prioritize this environment? It is time we all work together to make improvements!” she declared to applause.
“We need action, and we need it now. Have you ever heard gunshots from your windows? …. We’re coming here so we can work together. This does not happen overnight. We want people that look like us at the table, talking about solutions.”
She Falco also called for the HHA to partner with Hoboken Business Alliance to discuss creating jobs for teenagers and was also critical of HHA Executive Director Marc Recko not being in the scene in the immediate aftermath of the homicide.
“When I heard about the death of Nunu, I was sick and heartbroken. I feel like we’re family. Nunu’s death has crushed the city. He was someone the youth looked up to. How did this happen again? A year ago, there was another homicide in the Hoboken Housing Authority,” Vanetta Rivera stated, referring to the September 2022 slaying of Christopher Garcia.
“There are a lot of programs around town, but none we can afford. Our children have nothing in this town. We are continuously building parks around town. What is being built for teenagers and young adults? I’m tired of our community failing our kids.”
As Mayor Ravi Bhalla noted at a balloon rising vigil on Tuesday night, several speakers noted that Murray, who was a walk-on football player at Rutgers University, was scheduled to interview to become a firefighter on Wednesday and instead he’s gone forever.
Others also expressed disappoint with Recko’s handling of the situation and the HHA in general, to which he said he was in constant communication with all interested parties for about 48 hours after the incident. He also said he was in Washington, D.C. for work.
“Many of you know how hard we’re working there. When this tragic event happened, I had major meetings with HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) in Washington. My heart was breaking. I was completely engaged with everyone. We need to come together,” he explained.
HHA Chair Barbara Reyes defended Recko, seconding that he was very accessible in the immediate aftermath, as well as that she advised him that she was okay with him finishing up his business in Washington since there wasn’t much he could do at home.
“I take full responsibility. There was nothing more Director Recko could do. We have met with the Congressman. We have met with city officials. We met with the mayor in an impromptu meeting last night,” she said.
“We need more policing. This was a community loss. He was a mentor to many of our children. We are only the city that doesn’t have a summer program for our youth. I’m upset my mayor didn’t go down there until there was an impromptu meeting.”
Several high school and college age speakers approached the podium as well, including Alexander Dallara, the son of Board of Education Trustee Sheillah Dallara, who was one of several who called Murray a mentor and a friend.
“Nunu was a kind man and his life was taken over 30 bucks: Why? Where was the police that night? I’m tired of asking why: change needs to happen tonight! And it starts with you! No more lives lost! Enough is enough! Please keep us safe,” also telling Murray that he loves and misses him to applause.
During remarks from the council, Ramos whose ward includes the HHA, expressed serious frustration, apologizing for not doing better for his constituents while also taking the administration to task to a certain point.
“I’m sorry this happened to all of us. We work hard every single day to improve our city. We didn’t do good enough. I implore the mayor we need help. And sometimes we don’t get that help. They feel I go after or make comments that the HPD (Hoboken Police Department) could do more but I get resistance on those types of things,” he noted.
“They feel I go after or make comments that the HPD (Hoboken Police Department) could do more but I get resistance on those types of things. We want to sponsor a Southwest Festival like we did last year, and we want to have it again this year – I get resistance on picking a date, now we’re able to get a date for the fall. That doesn’t hurt me, it doesn’t hurt me when I say we need more policing on 3rd and Jackson, on 3rd and Harrison. It doesn’t hurt me, it hurts our neighborhood.”
Ramos was even more straightforward when talking about what the HHA residents want and deserve.
“When I speak, and they might not be at all the council meetings, that’s who I’m speaking for. That’s who I’m speaking for, not for a f***ing $500,000 art project that I don’t give a s*** about. They don’t care about that. $500,000 to a mobile police unit. Those are the things we gotta try to talk about.”
The council was slated to have public hearings on three separate pieces of art work, but those ended up being tabled.
Russo, who along with Ramos and 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher came out in favor of an HHA police precinct on Tuesday, elaborated on that concept a bit.
“We need to prioritize this community that’s never prioritized. It’s about the feeling of being ignored time and time and time again.They feel they’re moved to the back of the line. It has to stop,” he said, also proposing building a police station and a new HHA housing development near the PSE&G building.