The Ruins of Trenton

What looks like more gang-related crime spilled over into one of Trenton’s success stories early Wednesday morning when houses and cars lining several Mill Hill neighborhood streets were spray-painted and vandalized.

Residents awoke to find many of their homes and cars marked with gang slogans, mentioning “Scandelous Bloods”, “T-Murda” and even the hateful “We’ll Kill You.”

Trenton Police Department officials, including Police Director Joseph Santiago were on scene Wednesday morning, speaking with residents and taking photographs of the damage.

Mercer and Jackson streets were blocked off by police vehicles as officers went door-to-door looking for clues about who would have perpetrated such an act.

One Jackson Street resident was surprised his Cadillac wasn’t vandalized, as many of the nicer vehicle parked along the north side of Jackson Street had been targeted, along with some homes.

Television stations and photographers from area newspapers had descended on the scene at around 11 a.m., giving the world a view of city under siege by impoverished gangbangers.

One Mill Hill resident with good contacts in the police force said he would be receiving a report from police later in the day outlining further details of the investigation.

Residents frequently see Trenton police cars patrolling the streets around the Broad and Market Street intersections at night, but it seems the fairly constant police presence was missing in the early morning of July 18.

Perhaps if the city hired more officers, instead of the current mandatory overtime costing the city millions of dollars, constant presence in an important area of the city near the Mercer County Courthouse and the Trenton Train Station could be afforded.