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Essex County prosecutor says homicides steady as caseload rises, urges careful planning for grant uncertainty
Summary
At the Essex County budget hearing, the county prosecutor reported a flat homicide count (~58–59), rising case starts and progress clearing backlogs, while warning that temporary federal pauses on grants could pressure county services. He highlighted staffing gains and internship pipelines to recruit prosecutors.
Essex County Prosecutor Stevens told the Board of Commissioners that homicides remained roughly flat year‑over‑year at about "58 or 59," even as the office handled a higher overall caseload and worked to reduce backlogs.
"The homicide number has remained flat from last year to this year, essentially," Prosecutor Stevens said, noting the office started roughly 13,729 cases in 2024 compared with about 12,158 in 2023 and disposed more than 14,650 cases last year. "Our numbers are fairly predictable as things go, but I'd like to give just an overview in terms of where the county's money is going in terms of what the office has done in the past year." (Prosecutor Stevens)
Why it matters: rising case starts paired with increased court capacity meant the office must staff to meet volume while continuing to address expungements and other multi‑year backlogs. Stevens described a mix of administrative changes and recruitment strategies — including internship pipelines with Pace and Seton Hall — to maintain staffing and reduce bottlenecks.
On pay and retention: the prosecutor said starting pay for assistant prosecutors has risen to about $71,000, part of a broader effort to remain competitive and reduce attrition. "We've had a banner year in terms of interest in our office," he said, adding that second‑chair opportunities and other training incentives have helped recruit lateral and entry candidates.
Grant uncertainty: commissioners pressed Stevens about the possible impacts of a federal pause on some law‑enforcement and victim‑services grants. Stevens said federal victims' grants (VOCA) and certain law‑enforcement disbursements appeared to be under temporary review, but his office expects the hold to be short‑term. "It's our expectation that... it is a temporary suspension as they get a chance to look at everything," Stevens said, adding that the county plans to "capture as much of that money upfront as possible" and would use available surpluses or request adjustments if needed.
On operations and technology: Stevens credited expanded use of technology — license‑plate readers, cameras and body‑worn cameras — and said the office has improved disposals and reduced court backlogs as a result. He also highlighted an administrative effort to increase support staff and assistant prosecutors to address expungements and other high‑volume tasks.
What’s next: Stevens said the budget proposals include reserve planning for negotiated contracts and that commissioners would see related ordinances for contract changes and fee adjustments in coming weeks. The budget hearing continued with other departmental presentations after questioning concluded.
Attributions: Quotes and figures in this article are from Prosecutor Stevens' presentation and his answers during commissioner questioning at the Essex County budget hearing (transcript segments beginning SEG 411).
