Newark cops ordered not to respond to Delaney Hall calls despite violence, riots: report

An internal police document has revealed that Newark police officers were instructed to avoid Delaney Hall despite violent disturbances that had shaken the detention center over the prior weekend, according to a report from the New York Post.

The memo, dated June 8, states, “No officers are to handle any call for service pertaining to Delaney Hall located at 451 Doremus Ave.” The Newark PD 3rd Precinct Memorandum had the statement under the subject heading "Delaney Hall Call for Service,” per the Post.

"If officers are dispatch[ed] to a call they are to immediately notified [sic] their field supervisor or the desk boss," according to the order which was made by 3rd Precinct Commander Capt. Maik Alexandre. The document noted that "the tenets of the memorandum" would be discussed at roll call throughout the week.

"It's all political theater here," one Newark cop told the Post, who blamed the decision to order local officers away from the facility on Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka.

"The mayor doesn't want anybody going to Delaney Hall because it's an ICE facility," the officer added.

After deploying the New Jersey state troopers on May 29, Democrat New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill reversed course under pressure from her political base and handed responsibility to Newark police. Reports suggested the federal government was considering a significant increase in personnel.

"There's no doubt in my mind that Newark and our state police — so that's our governor — have an obligation to defend fellow law enforcement from total abuse," GOP Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey said.

"I think they could do more. Someone's going to get hurt, then they're going to blame the ICE police officer for the mistreatment," he said.

Even as violent confrontations between protesters and law enforcement at Delaney Hall led to numerous arrests, Mayor Baraka pushed back against local police involvement.

"Last night, the Newark Police Division (NPD) responded to a call regarding provocateurs at Delaney Hall who were blocking the facility's entrance. It is my position that NPD should not have been called to intervene in this situation," Baraka said in a Monday statement.

Baraka has maintained that security obligations belong to private operator GEO, which holds a 15-year, $1 billion contract to run the facility.

"Asking Newark police officers to assume that role places an unnecessary burden," he said.