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Glen Ridge mayor proclaims National Gun Violence Awareness Day; local advocate warns of rising permits and funding cuts
Summary
Mayor Debbie Mans proclaimed the first Friday in June as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Glen Ridge Borough. A local gun-violence-prevention advocate, John, praised the proclamation and warned of increases in concealed-carry permits, cuts to federal intervention funding, and a push for national reciprocity.
Mayor Debbie Mans read a proclamation at the Glen Ridge Borough Council meeting declaring the first Friday in June 2025 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in Glen Ridge Borough and urging residents to honor victims and support violence-prevention efforts.
The proclamation listed national and state statistics and named local and national victims, stating, in part, "I, Mayor Debbie Mans of the Glen Ridge Borough, declare [the first Friday in June] to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day," and encouraging residents to wear orange in tribute.
During the public comment period, John, a long-time local activist who identified himself as a chapter president of a gun-safety organization, thanked the council for the proclamation and highlighted three developments he said underscore the need for local action: an increase in concealed-carry permits following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision, a reported $35 million reduction in federal funding for New Jersey gun-violence intervention programs, and proposed federal reciprocity that John said could allow permitless carriers from other states to carry weapons in New Jersey. John summarized the permit change as: "the number of permits granted went up from 426 to 6,080" in Essex County in the period he cited.
Mayor Mans and council members thanked the commenter and community volunteers for local prevention efforts. The mayor closed the proclamation portion of the meeting and moved the agenda to business.
Why it matters: The proclamation formalizes local recognition of a national awareness day and signals council support for community-based violence-prevention activities; the public comment highlighted policy and funding risks advocates say could affect local programs.
What the council said and did: The proclamation was read during the meeting; it does not create a binding local policy but serves as a formal expression of the council's position and a call for community action. No formal vote was recorded for the proclamation itself. The public comment provided specific counts and funding figures as stated by the commenter; the council did not debate or verify those numbers during the meeting.
Next steps: The council moved from the proclamation and public comment into routine business and committee reports; no additional council action on gun-violence policy was taken at this session.
