Barnegat Crime Reduction Unit Made 140 Arrests Last Year

BARNEGAT, NJ — The Barnegat Police Department's Crime Reduction Unit made more than 140 arrests in 2019, Barnegat PD announced Tuesday. The department created the CRU in 2018 to focus on drug distribution and gang-related matters.

The unit was launched "to proactively address drug and gang issues before they could take root and metastasize in the Barnegat community," Barnegat PD says.

The CRU made more than 140 arrests and seized over $70,000 in illegal drugs and contraband. Arrests included:

• 72 charges for distribution or intent to distribute drugs
• 58 charges for heroin possession
• 26 charges for cocaine possession

Other charges included possession of MDMA (Ecstasy/Molly), PCP, methamphetamine, a handgun and a prohibited weapon, as well as robbery and prostitution.

As a result, Barnegat continues to enjoy "historically low crime rates," the police department says.

In 2018, the CRU made 125 arrests — 79 involving drug distribution, Chief Keith A. Germain said. Read more: Barnegat's Crime Reduction Unit Shows Success, Chief Says

The unit in 2018 seized over $80,000 in contraband, including $15,000 in heroin, $8,000 in cocaine, $12,000 in US currency, and $40,000 worth of vehicles used in the commission of a crime.

Barnegat ranked 55th on the National Council For Home Safety And Security's list of the 2019 Safest Cities in New Jersey on alarms.org. The list includes FBI Uniform Crime Report data from 2016 and 2017.

The Township had eight violent crimes and 143 property crimes in that time span, giving the town a violent-crime rate of 0.353 and 6.313 property crimes per 1,000 people. Read more: Barnegat, Stafford Among 100 Safest New Jersey Cities

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