160 Arrested, $70K Collected In Mercer County Child Support Sweep

Mercer County lead the state in the amount of money collected during a three-day child support sweep last week, Sheriff Jack Kemler announced on Wednesday. The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office collected $70,700 in total arrears money, to be distributed by the NJ Family Support Payment Center of Mercer County. A total of 160 people were arrested.

The statewide effort took place from about 5 a.m. on Tuesday, April 17, through the late evening on Thursday, April 19. The Mercer County initiative pursued the most egregious non-compliant parents or so-called "deadbeats" targeting 185 people, including 178 men and seven women.

The joint effort, led by the Sheriff’s Office included detectives and uniformed officers, in addition to members of the Mercer County Prosecutor s Office, the Mercer Vicinage Probation and Finance Divisions, the Trenton Police Department, and the New Jersey State Police.

“Nearly every person caught in the sweep intentionally dodged payment of their court-ordered child support, leaving their children without monies for adequate food, clothing or housing,” Kemler said.

For more information on how to file a child support complaint or resolve a child support warrant, contact Detective Stephen Mellick at the Mercer County Sheriff s Office at 609-989-6798.

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