Trenton Police Use-of-Force Incidents Rise Despite Claims of Reform

Trenton police use-of-force incidents in the first half of 2026 are trending upward, threatening to erase a reported 32% decline seen between 2024 and 2025.

The uptick in reported force complicates a narrative of progress maintained by city officials. While Trenton police director Steve Wilson has pointed to previous reductions as evidence that the city turned a corner following a federal civil-rights investigation, the latest data suggests the department may be returning to the higher rates seen two years ago.

“We have already made much of the recommendations that the DOJ has laid out for us,” Mayor Reed Gusciora told CBS News Philadelphia.

The discrepancy between the city’s touted reforms and the current trajectory leaves a central question unanswered: whether the department’s recent changes are actually working on the street or if the recent numbers represent a step backward.

CBS Philadelphia investigates why Trenton police use-of-force cases are climbing despite reforms — CBS Philadelphia

The city has spent the last two years implementing a series of structural changes intended to satisfy the U.S. Justice Department, which previously found a pattern of unconstitutional stops, searches, seizures, and excessive force in Trenton. According to a timeline of initiatives reported by Hoodline, the department reorganized its Internal Affairs unit into an expanded Internal Affairs Bureau in February 2024 to broaden its oversight.

This bureau is now tasked with reviewing every single use-of-force and vehicle-pursuit incident. The department also began an accreditation process in 2025 to verify that its policies meet professional law-enforcement standards. That effort resulted in the department receiving accreditation from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police in June 2026.

Despite these credentials, the data tells a conflicting story. The rate of force in the first six months of 2026 is currently on pace with 2024 levels, rather than continuing the downward trend established in 2025.

The human and financial costs of failing to manage these encounters are well-documented in recent city records. In September, the Trenton City Council approved a $2.05 million settlement with the family of 64-year-old Joseph Ahr Sr., who died in intensive care 18 days after being repeatedly pepper-sprayed by police outside his home in 2020. This followed a $1.9 million settlement in 2023 for the death of 29-year-old Stephen Dolceamore during a struggle with officers.

While the city has implemented new training, the effectiveness of these programs remains a point of contention among residents.

“People fear arrest rather than expect help when officers show up,” said Pete Lewis, a resident who said that many people stop speaking once police arrive on a scene.

Dontae Thomas, another local voice, suggested that while Trenton has shown some improvement, much work is still needed.

The tension in Trenton occurs as law enforcement in New Jersey faces increasing difficulties. The state overhauled its use-of-force rules in 2020, mandateing that force be used only as a last resort after attempting de-escalation. Despite these rules, the scale of force remains high across the state.

Metric	Data Point
Annual NJ force incidents	Over 10,000
Daily NJ force incidents	Average of 27
NJ officer-involved deaths since 2019	At least 73

The federal government’s role in these local issues has also shifted. While the Justice Department originally began its probe into Trenton following a 2023 community meeting, the investigation was dropped in 2025 after the Trump administration characterized such “pattern-or-practice” probes as a failed experiment.

It is unclear whether the recent rise in use-of-force incidents is a temporary fluctuation or a sign of systemic failure.

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