Responding to a 12:40 a.m. call on Auburn Street near Godwin Avenue, Detective Sgt. Richard LaTrecchia and Detective Gilot Castor saw 22-year-old Max Rodriguez holding a bag with a weapon inside, Police Director Jerry Speziale said.
The gun turned out to be a silver .38-caliber revolver, he said.
Rodriguez was charged with weapons possession and sent to the Passaic County Jail pending a detention hearing.
“This was second firearm arrest made by personnel assigned to the Quality of Life detail since its inception just three weeks ago,” Speziale said.
Research shows that ignoring quality-of-life offenses – loitering, loud noise, broken windows and more – can create an atmosphere that breeds more serious trouble, including drug dealing, robberies and assaults, the director noted.
Devoting a portion of resources to the lesser crimes, as a result, can help make neighborhoods safer, he said.
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