Mayors of 2 cities pushing New Jersey to hold juveniles accused of crimes more accountable
EDISON, N.J. -- The mayors of two New Jersey cities say they're fed up with kids committing crimes, So they're teaming up to call on the state to make major changes.
But CBS New York investigative reporter Tim McNicholas has learned the plan already had some vocal critics.
Security video from earlier this month shows three people attack a man in an Edison parking lot. Police say they tried to steal his car, but after he ran away with the keys, they took off in the opposite direction.
"Be a family man, not a criminal man," said Kaushik Patel, the carjacking victim's father.
Patel said his son was targeted right outside his grocery store.
"It's scary. Daylight, in public place," Patel said.
Police have now arrested three suspects, all of them teenagers under 18. Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said that is an example of why he feels the state of New Jersey needs to do more to hold juvenile criminals accountable.
"We're seeing there are more and more juveniles who realize they can get let off the hook the same exact week they commit the crime," Joshi said.
Joshi said he hopes the suspects will be tried as adults, which might happen because they strong-armed the driver out of the car. But the mayor said kids who steal cars when the drivers are not around should also be tried as adults. And he's urging state legislators to change the law to allow that.
Joshi and Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik want that same change for juveniles who break into homes.
"I think if the evidence shows they are coming in in an organized crime way, they should be charged as adults, yes," Hornik said.
However, the ACLU of New Jersey quickly pushed back on the plan, telling CBS New York, "The ACLU of New Jersey rejects fearmongering and the ineffectual 'tough-on-crime' policies that only further mass incarceration. We oppose Mayor Joshi's calls for increased criminal penalties for children. It is critical that we prioritize age-appropriate treatment and access to rehabilitation for juveniles who come into contact with the criminal legal system. Above all, New Jersey must invest far more in keeping kids out of prison than keeping them in."
"If someone is breaking into your home, it doesn't matter what their age is. They need to be tried so severely and that consequences need to be there," Joshi said.
The mayors said they're working with state lawmakers on a plan.
"It's organized crime," Patel said.
Patel said he hopes their plan works, quickly.
CBS New York reached out to the governor's office for thoughts on the proposal, and we're waiting to hear back.
