SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law last week harsher penalties for home invasions and burglaries in New Jersey. Law enforcement agencies say they will begin “aggressively” prosecuting these crimes immediately.
Under the new law, home invasions are considered first-degree crimes with penalties of 10 to 20 years. Burglaries without weapons are second-degree offenses with five- to 10-year sentences. Both are subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires offenders to serve at least 85% of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole.
Atlantic County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Robinson said she’s long believed punishment for residential burglaries should be stronger.
“These violent crimes are terrifying for victims and leave long-lasting physical and emotional wounds,” she said in a statement. “Our home is a sacred place where we all deserve to feel safe and secure. These enhanced statutes will now give front-line prosecutors the ability to seek lengthy prison sentences for any offender who violates the sanctity of a victim’s residence.”
The law was signed days after a detective with the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office was shot and killed during a home invasion in her Bridgeton residence. The victim, Sgt. Monica Mosley, will be laid to rest Saturday morning after a service at Bridgeton High School.