Crime

More than 150 awards were recently presented by the Franklin Township Police Department at its annual Awards Ceremony at Franklin Township Police Department proudly hosted its annual Awards Ceremony at The Imperia’s Cristal Banquet Room on Easton Avenue. The event honored the courage, leadership, and dedication of officers, dispatchers, civilian personnel and community partners whose efforts have made a lasting impact since …

06/01/2025 A Somerset resident was the victim of theft by deception on 05/31/25. The victim received an e-mail about security software and contacted the phone number provided. The unknown suspect requested $299 for the service which the victim sent. The suspect, however, charged the victim $29,999. The victim realized she was scammed and quickly contacted her bank. The bank was …

A 62-year-old Perth Amboy man faces charges including animal cruelty after he was allegedly seen kicking his dog and beating it with a saw in the township. At about 7:18 p.m. on June 7, Franklin Township Police Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting an incident of animal cruelty in the area of Somerset Street, according to a press release from …

05/25/2025 A Somerset resident was the victim of a robbery in the area of Home St. during the overnight hours. The victim was assaulted by four unknown Black males while walking home. The suspects took the victim’s ID, debit card and $680. They fled in a gray vehicle. A business located on Elizabeth Ave. was the victim of a burglary …

5/18/2025 A Somerset resident was the victim of a fraud. The victim invested $56,000 into a crypto currency app called Idea Pro. The victim attempted to withdraw almost $10,000,000 from the app, however, the funds never made it to his bank account. The victim contacted Idea Pro, and they requested $183,00,00 for technical assistance. At this point, the victim realized …

Submitted By The Franklin Township Police Department. Franklin Township and surrounding communities have seen a rise in bear sightings. While bears typically avoid humans, certain conditions can increase the risk of encounters. Residents are urged to take precautions to stay safe and help prevent attracting bears to their homes. Safety Tips to Reduce Unwanted Bear Encounters: Secure attractants – Keep garbage, …

05/11/2025 Patrol recovered a stolen motor vehicle from an outside jurisdiction in the area of Canal Rd. The vehicle was unoccupied. The suspect has been identified. The reporting agency was notified of the recovery. A Somerset resident was the victim of theft by deception on 04/29/25. The victim contacted the suspect via Facebook about the sale of a puppy. The …

05/04/2025 A 35-year-old North Brunswick man was arrested for DWI during a motor vehicle crash investigation in the area of Rt. 27. He was processed and released with a pending court appearance.  A Somerset resident was the victim of criminal mischief in the area of Plymouth Pl. during the overnight hours. The unknown suspect(s) punctured four balls that belonged to …

Township police said a Somerset resident was bilked out of $100,000 in March in a Bitcoin scam. The person, who was not identified, was contacted on March 30 via Facebook by a female suspect who identified herself as “Ashwini Raj,” police said. The woman preyed on the fact that the victim had been scammed before, and convinced the victim to …

04/27/2025 A business located on Rt. 27 was the victim of a shoplifting during the morning hours. An unknown Black male exited the store without paying for merchandise valued at $96. He was accompanied by an unknown Black female who used a distraction technique on an employee while the male suspect exited the store. They fled the area in a …