(NEWARK, NJ) -- Mayor Ras J. Baraka announced that Results for America has named the City of Newark as a Silver Award recipient of the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification. This recognition lauds the city's establishment of exceptional data capabilities to inform policy, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate programs, and engage residents.
Noting Newark’s positive impact utilizing data across departments and initiatives, the achievement awards Newark’s efforts to reduce crime through data-based approaches and coalitions. As a first-time entry, the City achieved the Certification at the “Silver” level.
Since Mayor Baraka began his term in office 11 years ago, his administration has created a coalition of more than 50 organizations committed to using data-based approaches to address crime in the City. Working cooperatively and strategically, these organizations have promoted data-based informed decision-making by continuously improving the collection, sharing, and analysis of public safety data analytics. This data-driven approach to crime-prevention has resulted in a 25 percent decrease in homicides in 2024, a 36 percent cut in auto thefts, and 55 percent fewer “hotspots,” which are areas requiring additional public safety and other municipal interventions.
“Knowledge is power, and in Newark, that knowledge drives transformation and empowers people,” said Mayor Baraka. “Our use of data allows us to respond with targeted strategies, and has a massive impact on our quality of life, while using limited resources with precision and efficiency. We are proud to be recognized by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Results for America with this international certification, as further affirmation of the insight and execution of groundbreaking initiatives that have become models for other communities across the country and around the world.”
“At a time when people are questioning the role of government, and what good government looks like, governments must be better at using data to know what is and isn’t working – and that is what the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification stands for,” said Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director of the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification. “More than 100 cities are now showing what is possible by investing the time, energy, and political capital to shift the culture of how local government works.”
“The Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to improve how local governments use data to improve people’s lives,” said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “This work is helping reform-minded mayors across the Americas bring their organizations into the 21st century. Whether to stem housing shortages, reduce traffic fatalities, or improve resident service and responsiveness, these city halls are tapping data, digital, and artificial intelligence to rise to the challenge – and we are thrilled to support their progress.”
The What Works Cities Certification standard measures a city’s use of data based on 43 criteria. A city that achieves 51–67 percent of the 43 criteria is recognized at the Silver level of Certification; 68–84 percent is required to achieve Gold; and 85 percent or more is required to reach Platinum.
This year, Bloomberg certified 21 new cities in North and South America: eight in the United States (including Newark); four in Canada; four in Brazil; three in Argentina, and two in Chile. In addition, 12 cities on both continents that were certified in previous years either maintained their levels or gained higher certification.
“When we bring data into the conversation to understand where violence does and does not happen, we can start to move past misinformation, stereotypes and stigma, and redefine what Newark is and can be,” said Newark’s BCPC Director Jessiah Paul.
“Democratizing access to data and demystifying it empowers communities by helping people understand what works and doesn’t work. In Newark, it’s shifted the culture away from anecdotes and grievances toward solutions,” said Dr. Alejandro Gimenez Santana, Director of the NPSC and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University.
The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the first-of-its-kind standard of excellence for data-informed, well-managed local government. What Works Cities Certification recognizes and celebrates local governments for their exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs and engage residents. The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the international standard of data excellence in city governance. The program is open to any city in North, Central, or South America with a population of 30,000 or more.
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion.
