New jersey ag says cops failed to handle "mount laurel racist" properly, investigation launched

New Jersey AG Says Cops Failed to Handle “Mount Laurel Racist” Properly, Investigation Launched

Posted by
1 min read
July 6, 2025

TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights has issued a Finding of Probable Cause against the Mount Laurel Police Department, alleging that officers failed to provide proper response services to Black residents who reported repeated race-based harassment.

According to the state’s investigation, the Mount Laurel Police Department (MLPD) received approximately 40 complaints from Black residents of the Essex Place Condominium Complex between 2020 and July 2021 concerning harassment by Edward Cagney Mathews. The complaints described verbal abuse, vandalism, racial slurs, and threats, yet officers allegedly failed to fully investigate the incidents or follow bias-incident protocols.

Two Black residents filed formal complaints with DCR, prompting a review of police reports, internal communications, and interviews with officers. Investigators concluded that MLPD was aware of Mathews’s actions months before his arrest and failed to intervene appropriately. In some cases, officers admitted avoiding contact with Mathews to prevent escalating tensions.

On July 2, 2021, Mathews confronted residents with racist language in an incident caught on video. Though charged that night, his arrest was delayed. He was taken into custody on July 5 amid widespread protest and later pleaded guilty to four counts of bias intimidation. He is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence.

“Bias incidents targeting residents based on race tear at the very fabric of our communities,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “It is deeply concerning to me that the Mount Laurel Police Department allegedly failed to recognize or respond appropriately to dozens of incidents.”

The DCR’s Finding of Probable Cause is not a final judgment, but it advances the case to a conciliation phase. If no agreement is reached, the matter may proceed to formal prosecution by the Attorney General’s Office.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Facebook

Breaking News

Don't Miss

Exit mobile version