Trenton mayoral candidate Austin Edwards is rejecting traditional tough-on-crime policies in favor of a public safety plan centered on preventing violence before it occurs, expanding mental health intervention and investing in housing and employment opportunities.
“We’re not going to make Trenton safer by being ‘tough’ on crime. We need to be smart on crime,” Edwards said. “I’ve spent my career working to stop crime before it starts, and I’m ready to bring that experience to City Hall.”
Edwards, a member of the Trenton Board of Education, is challenging two-term Mayor Reed Gusciora.
Drawing on his experience as a former deputy attorney general and his current role as senior policy counsel at Salvation and Social Justice, Edwards said his proposals are intended to address the underlying causes of crime before residents need to call 911.
A central piece of the plan is expanding ARRIVE Together, a statewide program that pairs law enforcement officers with trained mental health professionals when responding to certain emergency calls.
Edwards helped develop the initiative while serving in the Attorney General’s Office. ARRIVE Together now operates in all 21 counties, but Edwards said he wants to broaden its reach in Trenton so more residents experiencing mental health or behavioral crises can receive appropriate assistance.
His platform also seeks to encourage more Trenton police officers to live in the capital city by expanding their access to affordable housing.
“I want to open up affordable homes to our police officers so more of them can live in the neighborhoods they serve and have a real stake in Trenton,” Edwards said.
Edwards is also proposing to double the number of paid summer jobs available to Trenton teenagers while expanding year-round mentorship and youth programming. He described those investments as essential to reducing crime over the long term by giving young residents alternatives and stronger connections to their community.
“None of this works over the long term unless we invest in our young people, which is why I’ll double the number of youth summer jobs and give our kids real opportunities,” Edwards said.
The plan’s focus on prevention and intervention offers a contrast with conventional public safety platforms that emphasize increased enforcement and tougher penalties. Edwards is betting that his professional experience in criminal justice policy will help him make the case for a different approach as he seeks to unseat a two-term incumbent.
Edwards served as a New Jersey deputy attorney general from 2018 to 2022 before earning a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University. An attorney and Howard University alumnus, he previously served as president of the Trenton NAACP.
Gusciora, a former assemblyman, won re-election with 70% of the vote in 2022 after narrowly winning his first term by three points in 2018.
Something that could make the race confusing: there are two candidates named Edwards; Jasi Edwards, a first-term city councilwoman, is also running for mayor. Other candidates include Corey McNair, a Trenton police detective assigned to the community affairs unit, and Rolando Ramos, a retired Trenton police lieutenant.
The nonpartisan mayoral race is held in November.
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