Crime Bill Advocated By Edison Mayor Joshi Signed Into Law

Crime & Safety

Crime Bill Advocated By Edison Mayor Joshi Signed Into Law Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill into law in Edison on Friday. The law increases penalties for home invasions in New Jersey.

EDISON, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday signed a bill into law, that would increase penalties for home invasions and burglaries. The bill has been advocated by Edison Mayor Sam Joshi and signed into law by Murphy in Edison.

The legislation takes effect immediately and builds upon the commitment to reducing crime and bolstering public safety.

The legislation, S3006/A4299 , was sponsored by Senators Anthony Bucco, Brian Stack, and Vin Gopal, and Assemblymen Sterley Stanley, Robert Karabinchak, and Alexander "Avi" Schnall.

During the ceremony, Joshi said that the problem of home invasions and burglaries has gotten worse over time.

What I learned is that the law in the state of New Jersey was serving as a deterrent as it should. Before we reached out to the state we wanted to know what we could do in-house to address the crisis of home invasions and burglaries."

Joshi said the township increased the number of patrol officers to 196 in Edison, but it wasn't enough. The township also added 100 license plate readers throughout the town, added K-9 units and other measures. Yet, the problem persisted as juveniles who were arrested would get back on the street soon.

"The current laws sympathized with the perpetrator rather than provide justice for the victims," Joshi said. "But today we are turning a page in New Jersey's history because democracy works."

Joshi thanked the legislators who put the bill together and made it a reality.

Murphy said that the safety and well-being of New Jerseyans was the highest priority for his administration.

"Today's bipartisan legislation ensures that the penalties for burglary and home invasion reflect the severity of these crimes and deter individuals from entering a home illegally," Murphy said. "We are grateful to the Legislature, our law enforcement community, local mayors, and community members for supporting our shared goal of keeping New Jersey residents safe."

Murphy spoke about Sgt. Monica Mosley, who was shot and killed during a home invasion in Bridgeton. Mosley spent nearly two decades working for the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office.

"This is a national dilemma. We are neither unique at the same time we are neither exempt. There are a very few states in America that are taking the steps we are going to take today to push back on this,," Murphy said.

Under the new law, home invasion burglary is a crime in the first degree. A crime of the first degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of 10 to 20 years, a fine of up to $200,000, or both. Under the new law, residential burglary is a crime in the second degree.

A crime of the second degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of five to 10 years, a fine of up to $150,000, or both. Both classifications of burglary are subject to the "No Early Release Act," which requires the convicted person to serve at least 85 percent of their incarceration term before becoming eligible for parole.

The new law also allows teens 15 years and older to face prison sentences of up to 20 years.

Any person convicted of home invasion burglary or residential burglary may be denied a professional license from the Division of Consumer Affairs within the Department of Law and Public Safety.

However, organizations like the ACLU of NJ have criticized the law saying it would only promote mass incarcerations instead of providing systemic support to people who need it.

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