The Wednesday night Asbury Park City Council meeting included recognitions for the municipal police department’s accreditation, Gun Violence Day, and Haitian Heritage Month.
First up was the Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense in America – Monmouth/Ocean County 
chapter for their recent works to help support the Asbury Park School District town hall meeting with US Congressman Frank Pallone Jr, March fundraising concert at The Asbury and local March For Our Lives rally along the waterfront.
“On average there are nearly 13,000 gun homicides every year,” Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said in reading from the proclamation. “Americans are 25 times more likely to be killed by guns than people in other developed countries. We renew our commitment to reduce gun violence and pledge to do all that we can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands and to encourage responsible gun ownership to help keep our kids safe.”
The recognition dedicated the first Friday in June as National Gun Violence Day.
“Last year we were a very new local group and we had three towns that did a proclamation,” Elizabeth Friedman of Mom Demand Action For Gun Sense in America Monmouth/Ocean County chapter. “Right now we are up to 27 in Monmouth County.”
“It’s a way to really honor fallen victims of gun violence,” Friedman said.
A community gathering and rally to honor victims of gun violence and aimed at working toward ending gun violence will be held from 12:30 to 3:30 pm June 2 at Springwood Avenue Park, located at the corner of Atkins Avenue.
Organizers behind the Haitian Heritage Celebration event held earlier this month were also given a proclamation for their annual event that helps to bring awareness and education.
“May is an important time for the Haitian community because it marks the anniversary of the 
birth of [François-Dominique] Toussaint Louverture, one of the leaders of the Haitian Revolution and the historic compass that united officials for the Haitian Independence War…,” Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton said in reading from the proclamation. “The Haitian American community contributes to tremendously to the vitality, rich culture, and diversity of the city.”
The recognition dedicated May to be the Haitian Heritage Month.
“This is a great honor for the Haitian American community,” organizer Kareen Delice-Kircher said. “We are glad that Haitian Americans have been part of the Jersey Shore and Asbury Park, in particular for 56 years and counting.”
At the top of the regular meeting, New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police [NJSACOP] Accreditation 
Program Director Harry Delgado presented the Asbury Park Deputy Chief David Kelso with the police department’s Certificate of Accreditation. The department received its accreditation on April 19.
Delgado credited the department for being one of the best in the state, in terms of its best practices vetting.
“There are over 578 agencies that would be eligible for accreditation,” he said. “Less than half of those have been able to achieve it because it is a very difficult and very laborious process that includes providing tangible proof of 105 best practices standards at both the state level and the national level.”
The accreditation, held by only 34 percent of eligible departments, is a standard that takes up to two years to achieve and is then vetted every three years. The certification is credited in helping police agencies achieve greater efficiency, as well as insurance premium discounts, accountability, decision making, and resource allocation.
Delgado credited the department for its leadership and for falling in the top one percent of agencies vetted.
In related news, new members of the Asbury the Asbury Park Police Department graduated Wednesday from the Monmouth County Police Academy. The ceremony was held at Brookdale Community College in Middletown.
They graduates include [at right: from left to right] Special Law Enforcement Class II Officers Michael Ballas, Christopher Sylvia, Stephanie Lehner, Michael Hand and Kelsey Frontera, who completed the 18-week academy training, and Patrolman Scott Ritter [far right], who completed a 22 week training.
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