Mayor W. Reed Gusciora, Police Director Sheilah Coley, and Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri met this morning following a double homicide in South Trenton to plan the deployment of additional Mercer County law enforcement officers to areas of the city that have seen spikes in violent crime.
“Every homicide is one too many,” said Mayor Gusciora. “While Trenton is just one of several cities struggling with violent crime as COVID-19 erodes economic opportunity across the country, we’re not content to be just another statistic. Today’s plan will help put more law enforcement officers where they are needed the most.”
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office and the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department will both immediately deploy additional law enforcement officers throughout the city. In addition, Mercer County Prosecutor Onofri and Director Coley asked the N.J. State Police, which already patrols Trenton throughout the week, to increase their rounds after this morning’s homicides.
Director Coley also requested that Mercer County add an additional police academy session to double the number of new officers who can start with the Trenton Police Department later this year.
In order to help investigate and deter future violent crimes, the city’s FY2020 budget includes $4.5 million to establish a real-time crime and intelligence center. This partnership between the Trenton Police Department, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department and the N.J. State Police will assist Trenton police officers in gunfire detection, video surveillance, and gathering criminal intelligence. The project is expected to be completed within a year.
Residents who have any information on this morning’s homicides are asked to call (609) 989-6406. Information can also be emailed at [email protected].
