Crime

08/23/2026 A Greenbush, NY resident was the victim of a theft in the area of Cedar Grove Ln. during the evening hours. The victim listed his iPad for sale on Facebook Marketplace and received interest from the suspect, “Sammuel Fofana.” They agreed to meet and once the iPad was in the hands of the suspect he fled on foot without …

SAFE REMOVAL – FTPD Officer Lisseth Villacis holds a e-foot-long ball python snake after it was safely removed from the grille of a township resident’s car on September 14. (Photo: FTPD). A 3-foot-long ball python was removed the grille of an Oakland Avenue resident’s car on September 14, Franklin Township Police reported.

A township man was scammed out of nearly $700,000 in July by a person using an online app, police said. Police said the unidentified man told them that on July 12, he was contacted about investing on the WhatsApp communications app by a person calling themself “Aria Blake.”

08/16/2026 A Newark business was the victim of a theft in the area of Davidson Ave. during the overnight hours. The unknown suspect(s) removed the tires and rims from the reporting person’s rental vehicle. The stolen property was valued at $1,600.

08/09/2026 An 18-year-old New Brunswick man was arrested for DWI during a motor vehicle crash investigation in the area of Hamilton St. He was processed and released with a pending court appearance.  A business located in the area of Veronica Ave. was the victim of a burglary during the overnight hours. An unknown male was captured on surveillance forcing entry …

The Franklin Reporter & Advocate recently spoke with Public Safety Director Lloyd Fredericks about the extent of official surveillance cameras located in the township and their capabilities. Following is the essence of that conversation: Franklin Township operates 27 Flock Safety license plate reader cameras and 17 additional surveillance cameras that cannot read plates at all, and the system does not …

08/02/2026 An Ellicott City, MD resident was the victim of porch piracy on 07/28/26 in the area Hamilton St. A female was observed on surveillance stealing the victim’s delivered package. The contents were valued at $128. Patrol identified the suspect as a 20-year-old Somerset woman. She was issued a summons for package theft, and the item was returned to the …

Two township residents were swindled out of about $9,000 each in separate incidents at the end of July, police said. In the first incident, which occurred on July 22 but was reported on July 27, the resident told police that he was told by an alleged Microsoft employee that his accounts had been compromised.

07/26/2026 A Somerset resident was the victim of a theft on 07/23/26 in the area of JFK Blvd. A female acquaintance failed to return the victim’s motor vehicle after she borrowed it. The vehicle was entered stolen into a national database. The vehicle was located several days later in an outside jurisdiction. The locating agency arrested two individuals who were …

TECHNOLOGICAL FLASHPOINT – Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers are the subject of controversy in the township. (Photo: Flock Safety). Some Franklin Township Council members are signaling a willingness to revisit the Township’s contract with Flock Safety, but stopped short of calling for its cancellation, a week after residents criticized the governing body at its Aug. 11 meeting for agreeing …