Summit recorded zero home burglaries and just two vehicle thefts through the first six months of 2026, Police Chief Ryan Peters told the Common Council on Tuesday, July 28, presenting numbers he said show significant improvement across nearly every category.

Both stolen vehicles, a 2022 and a 2023 Infiniti Q50, were taken overnight on June 22 from a local automobile dealership and reported stolen on June 24. Both were recovered that same day, according to a TAPinto report on the meeting. The investigation involved the New York State Police, the NYPD, and the Linden Police Department.

Nelson Clermont, 21, of Montclair, was charged in connection with the thefts and voluntarily surrendered to Summit Police on June 30. He was transported to Union County Jail pending his first court appearance, according to a Summit Police Department press release. Clermont is presumed innocent. The investigation remains active, and additional arrests or charges may follow.

"We're down to just two this year," Peters said of vehicle thefts, a category he said had once occurred almost weekly in Summit.

Motor vehicle break-ins showed the steepest decline. The city logged four through June 30, matching the same period in 2025 and down from 39 for all of 2023 and 14 in 2024. Overall burglaries stood at three, continuing a downward trend that began after spikes in 2021 and 2022.

The numbers arrive as neighboring departments grapple with the same problem. As we reported July 23, Chatham Police launched a "Lock It. Or Lose It." campaign citing a documented pattern of vehicle thefts and break-ins across the Summit area.

Arrests climbed to 72 through June 30, up from 44 in the same period in 2023 and 51 in 2024, though below last year's 79. Peters framed the increase as a sign of more effective enforcement even as crime falls.

Violent crime totaled eight incidents: zero homicides, one rape allegation, three attempted rapes, one robbery, and three aggravated assaults. Peters noted that New Jersey's classification system inflates aggravated assault figures because the category includes domestic violence and assaults on medical workers or police officers, not random public violence. He said violent crime is higher than in 2023 and 2024 but declining from a 2025 peak.

Larcenies stood at 41, slightly above last year. Peters said they range from significant thefts to minor incidents like someone taking change from a tip jar.

Peters also highlighted traffic safety work, including speed limit reductions on Orchard and Springfield avenues and mobile speed signs that flash warnings to drivers exceeding the limit. He said he has personally watched drivers slow down after seeing the signs.

The department has also been working with families to address juvenile issues, including groups riding bikes recklessly in traffic near Soldier's Memorial Field.