Last week, violence struck Metcalf Park yet again. A shooting that led to a car chase throughout Orange on the night of Sept. 12, and ended at the new Essex and Crane building near the Orange Train station, ultimately led to the death of 28-year-old DeAndre Smith. This isn’t the first time Metcalf Park has been the scene of a tragedy. In 2010, 16-year-old Swamaiya White was killed.
If nothing changes, it won’t be the last.
Residents are left asking the same questions we’ve asked in the past: When will our voices be heard? When will our park finally be safe?
Days ago, the City of Orange organized what they called a “community meeting” in response to the latest tragedy, but it became painfully clear that the meeting wasn’t about the community at all. No one from the community was given a chance to speak or ask questions. During the short virtual meeting, voices were muted, concerns were ignored, and critical questions went unanswered. When I asked Mayor Dwayne Warren about inadequate lighting – a problem the city has known about for over a year – and challenged the city’s claim that the park was being visited by police on foot patrol, I was silenced. The meeting abruptly ended. One frustrated participant voiced what many felt: that it was a “waste of time.”
How is this acceptable? How is it that the people who live, breathe, and raise their families in this community are continuously shut out of conversations that directly impact their safety? A community meeting where voices are muted is not community engagement at all.
Metcalf Park is a needed green space. It’s supposed to be a sanctuary for our children, families, and elders. But how can it be when it’s dark, unsafe, and left completely unattended? We deserve better. The city must take immediate action. We are demanding lighting, as the current state of the park after sunset invites danger.
Last winter, a lighting assessment was done by Orange city officials, the New Jersey Department of Public Works, and volunteers from Friends of Metcalf Park. We spent over an hour going through how we could illuminate the park thoughtfully and economically until more lighting is installed. Now, here we are with a fatality and still no lights? And, no answers?
Moreover, the community has called for increased police patrolling and preferably on foot —an approach that is currently being done in the neighboring South Orange. The police are friendly, they introduce themselves to the community and serve as a visible presence to deter unwanted troublemakers and a presence beyond the cars with tinted windows. Orange Police Chief Vincent Vitiello has since said he has accepted this idea and will work with the Valley community to implement this.
This isn’t just about violence, it’s about justice. It’s about ensuring that residents of Orange are given the same respect and care as those in neighboring communities. Our park shouldn’t be a no-go zone after dark. It should be a safe space where families feel free to gather, regardless of the time of day. And when violence happens in our community, our voices should be front and center in the discussions about how to stop it. Not muted. Not shut down. Not ignored.
We are not desensitized. We are not giving up. We are demanding change because this is a matter of life and death. Hear us. And, let light shine in our beautiful park.
Kweli Campbell
Friends of Metcalf Park
