Highland Park Police Department

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Highland Park Police Department

Proudly serving the Borough of Highland Park. Please call 732-572-3800 for assistance Any further questions please contact the Police Department.

This is the official page of the Borough of Highland Park Police Department. It has been created to facilitate the exchange of information with our residents and the community. We encourage and welcome your comments about any community issues in Highland Park. The Police Department reserves the right to regulate the content of, and where necessary delete completely, any objectionable entr

y that appears on this page. This includes advertisements of any kind; profane language or content; conduct implying, promoting, or encouraging illegal activity; comments that may be defamatory, threatening or hateful in nature; or information that may jeopardize an on-going investigation or may compromise the safety of the public.

09/01/2026

Thirty-one years. Every rank in the department.

Today, James E. Ryan becomes the seventh Chief of Police in the 90-year history of the South Brunswick Police Department, and the first to have worn every rank on the way there. Patrol officer. Detective. Sergeant. Lieutenant. Captain. Deputy Chief. Now Chief.

He raised his four children there with his wife. He did not simply work in South Brunswick for 31 years. He made it his community. That is what community policing actually looks like.

Our departments share a county line and a mutual aid agreement. His officers may answer a call in Highland Park, and ours may answer one in South Brunswick. That only works when the leaders on both sides know and trust each other. Chief Ryan has spent three decades earning that standing across Middlesex County, and he brings the FBI National Academy and NJSACOP Command and Leadership Academy with him.

Congratulations, Chief. When one agency in this county gets stronger, every one of us does.

Join us in congratulating Chief Ryan and the men and women of the South Brunswick Police Department. Leave a note below and we will make sure it reaches them.

Mcacop New Jersey

08/29/2026

🚨 POWER OUTAGE - NORTH SIDE OF THE BOROUGH

If your lights are out right now, you are not alone and you are not forgotten. A large portion of the north side of the borough lost power this evening, and we know that means a dark house, no air conditioning, and a lot of questions about when it comes back.

Here is what we know. PSE&G is aware, their crews are already on scene, and they are working to restore service as quickly as they safely can.

Our officers are patrolling the affected neighborhoods for as long as the power stays out. If you are driving through the area, slow down and stay alert for pedestrians. With streetlights and porch lights down, people walking are much harder to see tonight.

Thank you to our officers who went straight to the north side, and thank you to the Edison Police Department, the Edison Division of Fire, and the Highland Park Fire Department for stepping up alongside us. Thank you also to the PSE&G crews working the problem right now, and to our community members for the patience you always show us when things go sideways.

If you need us, call our non emergency number at 732-572-3800. For any emergency, dial 9-1-1.
🚔

HPFD Highland Park Fire Department Edison Township Police Department Edison, NJ Firefighters IAFF Local 1197 PSEG

08/25/2026

🚨 Some of the best things happening in Highland Park happen in a room where a teenager feels welcome. That is what the Zone 6 HP Teen Center has built here, and yesterday the state got to see it.

Zone 6 welcomed New Jersey Attorney General Davenport and her staff to Highland Park, and our officers were glad to be there in support.

Our partnership with Zone 6 works because it runs both directions. They give our officers a place to be known by young people outside of a call for service, and we bring resources, presence, and a phone number their staff can use anytime.

🚓 Thank you to Attorney General Davenport and her office for the visit. We look forward to working with her office to make Highland Park an even safer community. Thank you to Mayor Foster and Borough Council for joining us, and to CPO Mark Re**er, CPO Bryant Fitzgerald, and CPO Tyler Morris. Most of all, thank you to Zone 6 for hosting and for what you do every day for the young people of this borough.

Zone 6 always welcomes help. If you can give your time or donate food, reach out to them directly. And if you missed yesterday's giveaways, come see us Tuesday, September 1, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at the Highland Park Community Center for our Back to School Giveaway and Backpack Decorating event. The first 48 children receive a free backpack and school supplies.

New Jersey OAG Zone 6 HP Teen Center Highland Park, New Jersey Highland Park NJ Recreation Highland Park Department of Aging

08/24/2026

🚨 New backpack, sharpened pencils, everything inside it brand new and yours! Every kid deserves that feeling on the first day.

The Highland Park Police Department is hosting our Back to School Giveaway and Backpack Decorating event on Tuesday, September 1, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at the Highland Park Community Center. The first 48 children get a free backpack and school supplies. Use your giveaway bag or bring one from home and decorate it with us. Light refreshments will be served.

This is how we do the job here. Our officers spend time with the kids of our community long before anyone needs to call us. A child who knows an officer by name in September knows where to turn in March.

🚓 Thank you to our Community Policing Team for putting this together, and to the Highland Park Community Center for hosting us.

Come see us on September 1. Supplies go to the first 48 children, so come early. Questions to CPO Fitzgerald at [email protected].

Highland Park NJ Recreation Highland Park Department of Aging Highland Park, New Jersey

08/19/2026

🚨 The first time you get pulled over, your heart pounds. You are not sure where to put your hands, what to reach for, or what the officer is about to say.

We can fix that. Not with a lecture, but with a practice run.

🚓 Our New Driver Program starts in the classroom at the Highland Park Community Center, 220 S. 6th Avenue. Vehicle safety and the road tips that keep a routine drive routine.

Then we move to Donaldson Park for the part that matters most: a simulated motor vehicle stop with our officers. Where to pull over. What to have ready. What happens next. When it happens for real, it will not be their first time.

Sunday, August 30, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Free for new drivers 18 and younger. A parent or guardian stays for the full program, and drivers bring a valid license or permit, vehicle registration, and insurance card.

Thank you to our Community Policing Team. Programs like this take real work to run right, and they never hesitate.

Space is limited to the first 10 registrants. Scan the QR code on the attached flyer, or email CPO Bryant Fitzgerald at [email protected].

08/15/2026

🚨 UPDATE - MR. GUTHA HAS BEEN FOUND SAFE 🚨

Highland Park, we have wonderful news! Mr. Laxminara Gutha, the 84-year-old man we have been searching for since Friday, has been found and is safe. He is back with his family, and we could not be more relieved to share this update with you.

This outcome happened because our community and its partners refused to give up. From the moment we asked for help, you responded. You shared the post, you checked your cameras, and you kept Mr. Gutha's photo moving across Highland Park and beyond.

We want to thank everyone who made this possible:

🚓 The Highland Park officers and detectives who worked this search with everything they had, led by Detective Brian O'Mara. Their persistence and dedication were instrumental.

🚓 Everyone from our community who shared the post and called in with information. Your eyes and your effort made the difference.

🚓 The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office for their support and assistance throughout the search.

🚓 Our partner law enforcement agencies who stepped in to help without hesitation.

🚓 And especially the Rutgers University Police Department - RUPD Drone Unit, whose aerial search capabilities were instrumental in bringing Mr. Gutha home safely.

This is what Highland Park does. When one of our own is in trouble, this community and our partners show up. We are grateful beyond words.

Thank you, Highland Park. Mr. Gutha is home, and that is because of all of you.

08/04/2026

🚨 Need last minute plans tonight?

Big Mac meal for one: over 10 dollars.
Four tickets to the new Spider-Man movie: about 60 dollars.
A night of free family fun with your Highland Park Police Department and our neighbors: priceless.

National Night Out is TONIGHT, Tuesday August 4, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the rear parking lot of Bartle School.

Emergency vehicles from HPPD, HPFD, and HPFAS
Bounce houses, obstacle course, and 9 hole mini golf
Music by the JPS DJ Club, face painting, and balloon animals with Rosie the Clown
Food trucks and Glatt 27
FREE raffle entry in our bicycle giveaway

🚓 Bring the kids, say hello, and ask us anything. We will be the ones in uniform hoping you show up.

07/28/2026

🚨 Help Us Identify These Individuals 🚨

Our community looks out for each other, and that's exactly what we're asking for with this post. We need your help identifying two individuals captured on surveillance video in connection with an incident of criminal mischief involving damage to private property.

If you recognize either person, or have any information that could assist this investigation, please reach out. You can call us directly at (732) 572-3800, send us a private message through this page, or contact Detective Brian O'Mara directly at 732-712-2019 or [email protected]. Please reference Case when providing information.

As always, we ask that you don't identify or accuse anyone in the comments. Let our detectives run down the leads, that's what protects everyone involved and keeps the investigation on solid ground.

Thank you, as always, for helping us keep Highland Park safe. It's this kind of partnership between our residents and our department that makes the biggest difference. 🚓

07/21/2026

Highland Park, our favorite night of the year is almost here!

Join the HPPD for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM in the rear parking lot of Bartle School. It's free, it's family friendly, and it's all about one thing: bringing our officers and our neighbors together.

Here's what's in store:

Tour emergency vehicles from HPPD, HPFD, and HPFAS
Music by the JPS DJ Club
Bounce houses, an obstacle course, and 9-hole mini golf
Rosie the Clown twisting balloon animals
Face painting
Food for purchase from local food trucks and Glatt 27
Borough organizations sharing what they do

Enter our bicycle giveaway raffle for free while you're there!

Come say hello, let the kids run around, and spend the evening with the people who serve our community every day. Nights like this are why we love doing what we do.

Questions? Contact CPO Bryant Fitzgerald at [email protected].

See you August 4!

🚓

07/20/2026

Our seniors helped build this community. They raised the families, ran the businesses, and looked out for their neighbors long before many of us arrived. Looking out for them now is the least we can do.

Last week, members of our Community Policing Team sat down with residents at Parker at Stonegate, a retirement and assisted living facility right here in Highland Park.

Much of our programming centers on our youth, and we are proud of that work. But community policing means every generation. Our seniors are among the most targeted by criminals, and they deserve the same attention and protection as anyone we serve.

Our officers shared practical tips to help residents spot and shut down the scams aimed at older adults, from urgent phone calls and fake emergencies to requests for gift cards and personal information. The conversation was warm and honest, and a good reminder that respect runs in both directions.

To the staff, thank you for opening your doors to us.

And to everyone reading this, reach out to the older people in your life this week. Ask if anyone has contacted them about money, prizes, or an emergency. One short conversation can stop a scam before it starts. 🚓

Parker at Stonegate

Officers in Photo from L-R: CPO Mark Re**er, CPO Tyler Morris, & CPO Oscar Cleaver. Not pictured but present was CPO Bryant Fitzgerald.

Address

222 South 5th Avenue
Highland Park, NJ
08904

Telephone

+17325723800

Website

http://hpboro.com/index.aspx?nid=143

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