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Clevette Hill is seeking a spot on the city council along with her AP Out Front running mates.

An Asbury Park resident since 1982, Hill, 48, lives on Monroe Avenue. She has four children, ages 17 through 30.

She is a social worker and holds a bachelor’s degree and a masters degree in social work from Monmouth University. She grew up in Newark.

Hill currently works for the Visiting Nurse Association Health Group, aiding senior citizens in Middlesex and Monmouth counties. She has worked for other agencies aiding Asbury Park residents in the past, and still finds time to help some of her former local clients pro bono, she said.

“I wanted to represent the citizens of Asbury Park and to be that voice for the unheard, as well as communicate with the community and listen to what those needs are and play an active role in addressing those needs,” Hill said.

The “unheard” in Asbury Park are a diverse group of low-income, poverty-stricken residents, Hill said. Many of these residents were her clients when she worked in the city.

Her main concern in the city is ensuring that the children are cared for, she said.

“What we do and how we do it is a legacy we leave for our children,” she said.

If elected, Hill would advocate for a new recreation center for local youth, as well as more family activities on the oceanfront.

“Our children have nowhere to go,” she said. “Why should we have to take our children to other towns for activities when we could put the money back in our town?”

A recreation center would include collaboration with teachers, tutoring programs, and computers for teens to apply for jobs and scholarships and look for colleges, she said.

The center would also employ counselors and a safe environment for children whose parents work multiple jobs, Hill said.

The city could fund the center in part through tax dollars and also through donations, Hill said.

“People are always willing to help children make a positive change in their lives,” Hill said. “If we don’t do something about today’s children, what is going to become of our community?”

When Hill moved to Asbury Park with her family, “we thought we were in paradise,” she said, “We had the beach, a Palace with rides, the Haunted House, go-karts. The children had the time of their lives.”

Crime is also an important issue for Hill, who says she lives in the center of Asbury Park’s most crime-ridden area. She is frequently awoken by gunshots that she can hear in her bedroom, she said.

As a council member, she would try to bring more police back to the force.

“More officers need to be out patrolling the areas, especially those areas where you know crime happens all the time,” she said. “If police were always patrolling the area, less crime would happen … But if [criminals] hardly ever see the police, they’re going to feel as if they can keep creating these senseless shootings.”

Another issue, she said, is the fact that many residents do not want to give information to the police.  As a council member, she would try to implement an anonymous tip system and encourage residents to aid the police, she said.

Hill also would like to bridge the gap between law enforcement officials and city residents who complain about police harassment, she said. Although she notes that not all police officers abuse their power, Hill has heard many in the community talk about excessive police force, she said.

“I feel as though a lot of people don’t know their rights,” she said. “When you don’t know your rights, the cops are able to do anything they want.”

As a council member, Hill would try to inform citizens of their rights and also the ability they have to file internal affairs complaints with the police department when they believe foul play has occurred, she said.

“They don’t realize how much power we really have when it comes to that,” she said. “If that same officer keeps getting the same complaints, he’s going to end up being investigated.”

Hill would also like to implement employment and job training programs, she said, and re-entry programs for parolees and people who have recently gotten out of prison.

“I just talked to someone down the street who has his CDL [commercial driver’s license] and because he’s on parole, no one will hire him,” Hill said. “You can’t hold something like that against people forever. If they can’t support themselves or their families, what else do you think they’re going to do? They’re going to go right back to their old habits.”

An unemployment office in Neptune provides insurance to workers with criminal records, guaranteeing employers that they will be good workers. Bringing a resource like that to the city could benefit Asbury Park residents, she said.

Hill is happy to see revenue coming in due to redevelopment on the waterfront and Springwood Avenue, she said, but she would like to see more efforts to help the youth while keeping redevelopment on track.

Hill and her running mates believe they are the ticket that will “actually make a difference in our community,” she said. “We’re all passionate about making that change. We are proactive leaders.”

Hill and running mate Rosetta Johnson live on Monroe Avenue, which is “one of the busiest streets in the summers,” she said. “We’re in the heart of our city. That’s why we know so much about their concerns and their issues.”

If elected, Hill would ensure that city residents knew they could communicate with her about their issues, she said.

“They need a council member that will be visible at all times, not just at council meetings,” she said.

Hill is running with Johnson, Stephen Williams, Shonna Famularo and Dorvil Gillis on the AP Out Front ticket. The Asbury Park city council election is May 14 and 22 candidates are vying for five council seats. Terms last four years. The current council’s terms end on June 30, with new terms starting July 1.

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