JERSEY CITY — The Jersey City Police Department has arrested 17 individuals for unlawful possession of a handgun so far in 2026, according to a March 4 press release issued by the city’s Department of Public Safety.
The arrests represent the first publicly released enforcement figure of the year related to illegal handgun possession in the city.
Officials did not release the identities of those arrested or provide incident-level details such as the specific dates, locations, or circumstances surrounding the arrests. The figure was announced as a year-to-date enforcement total covering the first two months of 2026.
City officials also reported that 32 firearms have been removed from circulation across Jersey City so far this year.
According to the announcement, nine firearms were recovered directly in connection with the 17 unlawful handgun possession arrests.
Among the weapons recovered was a ghost gun, a firearm assembled without a serial number and often built from parts kits that can be purchased online.
Because ghost guns typically lack identifying markings, they can be difficult for investigators to trace through traditional firearm tracking systems.
Officials also said investigators linked one recovered firearm to three separate criminal cases involving the same individual, though additional details about those cases were not disclosed in the press release.
Jersey City Mayor James S. Solomon, who was sworn in as the city’s 50th mayor on January 15, 2026, said removing illegal firearms from circulation remains a central part of the city’s public safety strategy.
“Every illegal firearm taken off the street represents a potential act of violence prevented,” Solomon said in the city’s announcement.
Acting Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said the department intends to continue enforcement efforts targeting unlawful handgun possession.
“Carrying an illegal firearm in Jersey City will result in arrest,” Ambrose said in the statement.
City officials also indicated that additional public safety changes are planned in the coming weeks.
According to the announcement, the administration is preparing a restructuring of police patrol operations and a reorganization of the city’s 911 dispatch system aimed at improving emergency response coordination.
Jersey City is one of New Jersey’s largest municipalities and serves as a major transportation hub with rail connections to both Manhattan and Newark.
The city’s police department employs more than 950 officers, according to municipal records.
The March 4 announcement provides a snapshot of enforcement activity during the first months of 2026, confirming that at least 17 illegal handgun possession arrests and 32 firearm recoveries have occurred citywide since the start of the year.
Sources
New Jersey State Police Uniform Crime Reports
U.S. Census Bureau – Jersey City QuickFacts
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