After four homicides in one week, Atlantic City officials are pleading for the public's help in addressing the recent rise in violent crime, especially as Governor Murphy and other state leaders tout record decreases in shootings and gun violence in several major cities.

In response, the city's police department says it will step up presence in neighborhoods at risk.

But as Raven Santana reports, the mayor and police union aren't on the same page about public safety.

Instead of criticizing.

Join the fight.

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small called on the community to help prevent violence during a Facebook Live press conference.

It was the first time Small addressed the recent rise in violence after there were four homicides in the first week of the New Year.

I'm the same person that can stand in front of that podium and others and talk about the violence is down and I'm going to be the same person to address my city.

Let them know that four murders in a week is not being tolerated.

In an effort to combat violence.

Small has enlisted the city's anti-violence division and says law enforcement has been given all the resources they need to combat crime.

And at the end of the day, it takes a collaborative approach.

Everybody working together, not pointing the finger at one individual.

His comments come after the city's police union president criticized the mayor for not hiring more police officers, saying, in light of these circumstance, as I appeal for additional resources to bolster our law enforcement efforts, the need for increased personnel has never been more critical.

We have grant funding for 30 additional officers and have ten budgeted backfill positions that have not been utilized.

The hiring of these positions needs to be expedited.

There hasn't been a study presented based on population and visitors since I've been in, which is 19 months, to show me what the accurate number of police officers should be.

So there are theories from everyone involved as to how many officers should Atlantic City have, how they should be deployed.

Atlantic County prosecutor William Reynolds highlights that there has been an overall decrease in homicides since 2012, despite this recent wave of crime.

In 2024.

2012, there was 19 homicides in the city of Atlantic City in 2017.

There was 13 homicides in the city of Atlantic City last year.

Our first year in office.

We reduced the homicides to just seven and then obviously there were four in the first week.

In Newtown, but trusted people, credible messengers.

You tell more people that live in the community, they had different life experiences that most working people have.

But the people that you're trying to stop crime from doing crime, we have the same experiences.

So the relationship and being able to relate to them is on a whole totally different level.

I spoke with two members of the One Neighborhood Evolution and Anti-Violence team in the city.

They each explain the critical role communication, not just policing plays.

When it comes to reducing violence.

You see something, know something.

You don't want to get the police involved.

Contact us.

We can help resolve it and then everybody is safe.

And then there's no danger by law enforcement because people don't feel comfortable.

Sometimes if they find a gun and they bedroom one, who do they call?

Do they call the police and get they sound locked up or do they call us to help resolve it?

The outcry from the recent murders has been so strong that the group now expects more than 500 people to participate in Saturday's peace walk that was originally scheduled before the violence happened.

We will be running transportation from the city of Atlantic City to City Hall down to O'Donnell Park.

We were originally looking at trying to reach about 200 people.

Right now, I'm going to give a number out that I can see way past 200.

I'm aiming at like 500 or more because that's how much it is traveling.

Small stresses that not one thing or one anti-violence effort will ever stop all crime, which is why he says collaboration is key when it comes to preventing more violence and murders in the city.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Raven Santana.