Message from Deputy Mayor Matt Adams – September 4, 2026

As your governing body's liaison to the Scotch Plains Police Department, I am pleased to share some very encouraging news about our community's public safety record. The FBI recently released its 2025 crime data through its online interactive portal, Crime Data Explorer. The numbers confirm what many of us feel every day: Scotch Plains is one of the safest communities in the state and the nation.

For years, our governing body, working collaboratively with our township’s law enforcement leaders, has prioritized smart, strategic investments in public safety — from supporting our police department's staffing and training needs, to funding proactive enforcement initiatives and modern patrol strategies.  

We have invested in technology that deters and helps solve crime, and are on the cutting edge when it comes to complying with new Attorney General’s directives surrounding critical incident response.  For instance, in just the last several weeks, the governing body has authorized the Police Department’s acquisition of public safety drone technology that will help officers more safely respond to critical incidents and aid in law enforcement activities in some of our township’s more remote areas. 

Those investments, collectively, are now reflected in the available FBI data.  According to the FBI, Scotch Plains recorded just eight total violent crimes in 2025 — encompassing murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault combined (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025). To put that in perspective, only four years in the past four decades have posted a lower number. Our five-year average for violent crime now stands at just nine incidents per year — the lowest five-year average of any period going back to 1986 (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2021–2025).

On the property crime side, the results are equally impressive. Burglaries in 2025 totaled just 13 — the lowest figure in 40 years (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025). Larcenies came in at 73, also a 40-year low (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025). Total property crime, which includes burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson, was 122 — again, the lowest in four decades of recordkeeping (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025).

These are not marginal improvements. They represent historic lows achieved through sustained commitment and deliberate action.

A Community That Earns Its Reputation

Scotch Plains has long been known as an attractive place to live, work, and raise a family — and the data bears that out. Based on FBI reporting, our township earns an "A" crime grade nationally, ranking safer than 93 percent of comparable U.S. cities (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025). Our violent crime rate of 31.6 per 100,000 residents is 84 percent below the New Jersey statewide average (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025).

We have not had a murder in our community in 12 years (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2013–2025). Robberies have held steady at just one per year in each of the last three years (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023–2025). Aggravated assaults in 2025, at six, stand at their lowest level since the COVID lockdown years when fewer people were interacting in public spaces (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025).

These statistics are more than numbers on a spreadsheet — they reflect a quality of life that makes Scotch Plains a community people are proud to call home. Whether you are walking our downtown, enjoying our parks, or sending your children to our schools, you can do so with confidence that your safety is a priority and that our efforts are working.

There will always be threats to public safety, and no community is immune from bad actors. But we have worked hard to position our law enforcement professionals to respond professionally, effectively, and decisively to any incident that might arise.  We have hired more police officers in Scotch Plains over the last several years than at any other time in recent history.  We have equipped and trained those officers with the best that money can buy, and invested long term in the leadership of our Police Department to make a lasting impact.

Addressing Auto Theft Head-On

I want to acknowledge the one area where we saw an increase in 2025. Motor vehicle thefts rose to 26, up from 22 the prior year, driven in part by a spate of 11 vehicles stolen during a single month last August (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025). This is a challenge that communities across the region and nation are confronting, fueled by organized theft rings using sophisticated electronic devices to target luxury vehicles.  

Communities like ours are a prime target for such criminal activity, and we continue to impress upon residents the need to take proactive steps to ensure that you do not become an auto theft victim.

However, even with this increase, our 2025 auto theft figure remains approximately 30% below the peak levels we experienced during the COVID era (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2020–2025). And our police department has responded to the auto theft threat aggressively — deploying undercover vehicles, adjusting patrol patterns, and implementing targeted enforcement strategies to combat what has become a chronic, technology-driven challenge. We will continue adapting our approach as this threat evolves. As your governing body, my colleagues and I will continue to ensure that our police have the tools they need to eliminate the threat.

Gratitude to Our Men and Women in Blue

None of these results would be possible without the extraordinary dedication, professionalism, and bravery of the men and women of the Scotch Plains Police Department. Every day, our officers go to work with one mission: keeping our residents safe. They patrol our streets, respond to emergencies, engage with our neighborhoods, leave their own families during natural disasters and other emergencies, and put themselves in harm's way so that the rest of us can enjoy the peaceful community we cherish.

To every officer, detective, communications operator, and support staff member who serves our township: thank you. Your commitment does not go unnoticed, and these historic safety numbers are a direct testament to your hard work.

A Personal Commitment

Serving as the governing body's liaison to our police department holds particular personal significance for me. My father is a retired police chief, and I grew up understanding the sacrifices that law enforcement families make and the profound responsibility that comes with keeping a community safe, from late-night calls into work to holidays missed because of an emergency. That upbringing informs the seriousness with which I approach this role every single day.  

Too often, the police are made into scapegoats by those accused of wrongdoing, when officers are merely doing their jobs without the discretion that exists once a case goes beyond the streets to a court of law. As a lawyer who works in the criminal legal system every day, I know that such criticism is frequently unwarranted and our police deserve better.

As we look to the future, I want our residents to know that we will not become complacent just because of record-low crime numbers. The numbers are encouraging, but public safety requires constant vigilance, continued investment, and evolving strategies to meet new challenges. I remain fully committed — as does our entire governing body — to ensuring that Scotch Plains continues to be the safe, vibrant, and welcoming community we all deserve.