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Residents bring domestic violence, tenant rights and policing concerns to Paterson council
Summary
During public comment at the Oct. 14 workshop, residents described long-running domestic-violence struggles, called for stronger tenant protections and criticized local police investigations of a suspicious death; several speakers urged quicker restraining-order processing and better shelter/legal services.
Paterson residents used the Oct. 14 workshop public-comment period to press the council on several urgent community issues.
Araya Aponte gave an emotional account of 800 days of ongoing domestic abuse and described repeated failures in courts and law enforcement response; she urged the council to adopt legislation and other measures to better protect survivors. "The system just looks away," she said, and called for affordable trauma care and legislative action.
Speakers representing the Cody family requested an independent review into the Dec. 30, 2023 death of Kaprow Cody, alleging unfinished investigative steps and missing evidence; Linda Cody said she has filed internal affairs complaints and is seeking transparency and accountability.
Ernest Rucker urged the council to strengthen the city's rent-leveling board and restore public access to its hearings, saying the current ordinance lacks enforcement power to protect tenants from alleged illegal evictions and other abuses.
Other public commenters raised concerns about delayed restraining-order hearings in Passaic County, neighborhood fires, vacant/burned properties, and illegal dumping. Several residents asked the council to move faster on ordinances regulating vape and smoke shops that they said target teenagers.
Council members acknowledged the gravity of the remarks, committed to following up with corporation counsel and relevant departments, and directed staff to assist residents who brought specific cases to the dais.
