'Time to stop coddling criminals', says Edison mayor following brazen attempted carjacking
EDISON – Police are searching for three suspects in an attempted carjacking Friday afternoon at the Patel Brothers grocery store.
And Mayor Sam Joshi has challenged his Democratic colleagues in the New Jersey Legislature to prioritize public safety "amidst rising juvenile crime rates."
Around 4:55 p.m., three men approached a Bentley SUV with the driver's door open at the grocery store at 1681 Oak Tree Road and dragged a man out of the vehicle, police said.
The suspects attempted to steal the SUV, but the victim was able to run away with the key fob, according to police.
The suspects fled on foot down Oak Tree Road toward Woodbridge, police said.
In a statement Monday, Joshi called for stricter criminal penalties and more accountability for juveniles who are convicted of serious crimes including home invasion, robbery and auto theft, adding he's "calling on the governor and state legislature to enact tougher laws, detain repeat offenders pending trial, greater discretion for bail sentencing, change the classification to increase the severity of these crimes and address the backlog that allows prosecutors to impose longer criminal sentences for juveniles."
“The rise in juvenile crimes demands our urgent attention. While our great police department is doing all it can to catch those responsible for committing crimes, too often the offenders end up being released without consequences,” Joshi said. “We have implemented a number of new public safety initiatives, but our police department and courts are being undermined and compromised by state policy and inaction.”
Those new public safety initiatives include increased police patrolling, the creation of a street crimes unit, and the hiring of 32 new police officers in the past 18 months.
“Public safety is a collective responsibility," the mayhor said. "It begins with supporting our police officers and empowering our communities, which is why it’s imperative that we demand legislative action to punish juvenile offenders more severely. It's time to stop coddling criminals and start protecting our communities.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Edison Police Detective Chris Paone at 732-248-7413.
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Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Edison Mayor Sam Joshi calls out fellow NJ Democrats on crime
