New ‘Major Discipline’ Report For Lawrence Police Released By NJAG Office

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ — The Lawrence Township Police Department had one "major discipline case" that was included in a new report from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.

On Monday, the state AG’s office released its annual Major Discipline Report, which lists details for hundreds of police officers in the state.

The report covers the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024.

“Major discipline” is defined as terminations, reductions in rank, or suspension of more than five days. Pending cases are excluded from the dataset.

The latest report lists one case for the Lawrence Township Police Department:

• During a shoplifting investigation, an officer failed to thoroughly search an arrestee who was later found to be concealing a loaded firearm on his person. The officer was suspended for six days.

According to statewide statistics, there were 644 major discipline actions taken by 172 police agencies against 543 officers in New Jersey last year. The most frequently occurring offenses were related to attendance, including lateness and call-outs too close to the start of a shift.

Attorney General Matthew Platkin said that the vast majority of New Jersey’s police officers risk their own safety to protect others and to serve their communities. These officers “conduct themselves with honor and courage,” he said.

“Publicly releasing this data about the handling of disciplinary matters helps maintain the public’s trust in those dedicated, hardworking men and women of law enforcement,” Platkin said.

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