 Booker is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition , a bipartisan group with a stated goal of " making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets " . Booker was honored in October 2009 by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence with the Sarah Brady Visionary Award for his work in reducing gun violence . During his mayoralty , crime dropped significantly in Newark , which led the nation in violent crime reduction from 2006 to 2008 . March 2010 marked Newark 's first murder @-@ free month in over 44 years , although murder and overall crime rates began to rise again after 2008 . In addition to his crime @-@ lowering initiatives , Booker doubled the amount of affordable housing under development and quadrupled the amount under pre @-@ development , and reduced the city budget deficit from $ 180 million to $ 73 million . 
