Mount Laurel Police Department accused of failing to protect residents from harassment

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (WPVI) -- The New Jersey Attorney General's Office says the Mount Laurel Police Department failed to protect some residents from being harassed by a neighbor.

The investigation stemmed from an incident in 2021, when a man's racist rant went viral.

Officials said Wednesday the police department received around 40 complaints accusing Edward Mathews of harassment.

RELATED: New Jersey man caught on racist tirade says he was drunk at the time

A Mount Laurel man was taken into custody as protesters gathered outside his home over a now-viral video that shows him nonchalantly hurling the n-word at his neighbors.

Investigators said in a Finding of Probable Cause that the department failed to adequately investigate the complaints.

The office of Attorney General Matthew Platkin said the parties involved will now have the opportunity to negotiate a voluntary resolution.

"If no voluntary resolution is reached, DCR will appoint a Deputy Attorney General to prosecute the case either in the Office of Administrative Law or in court," Platkin's office said in a news release.

In 2023, Mathews was sentenced to eight years in prison.