6 Towns In Somerset Hills Unite To Combat Crime With Stronger Laws

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Several northern Somerset County towns have joined forces to combat a rising number of motor vehicle thefts, burglaries and home invasions in the area.

The towns of Bedminster, Bernards Township, Bernardsville, Bridgewater, Far Hills and Peapack-Gladstone each recently passed an ordinance to protect residents and bolster existing laws. The goal is to provide authorities with additional tools to combat theft-related offenses, particularly in cases where officials say the New Jersey Attorney General has set a precedent for such crimes to not be prosecuted.

The ordinances specifically target car burglaries and make it illegal for a person to enter private property if they're not allowed or licensed to be there. The ordinances also target the use of electronic devices that aid in the theft of a vehicle, officials said.

The ordinances are modeled after similar ones introduced in Union County along the Interstate 78 corridor, according to officials.

“This ordinance provides an additional tool to combat car thefts, although it isn’t a silver bullet," Bedminster Mayor Larry Jacobs said in a statement.

Municipal leaders also hope the ordinances will send a message to state lawmakers to review laws and policies, establish a "hard line" on thefts, and reverse bail reform, officials said.

"We believe that they need to increase their efforts at combatting these crimes which impact a lot of municipalities," Bridgewater Mayor Matt Moench told NJ Advance Media in a statement.

For more information on the effort, contact the Somerset Hills Public Safety Committee through Peapack-Gladstone Mayor Mark Corigliano at mcorigliano@peapackgladstone.org.