New Jersey mayor told cops to keep Black people out of his town, according to lawsuit from the state

The state of New Jersey is suing Clark Township police officials and former mayor Salvatore “Sal” Bonaccorso for racial discrimination, alleging officials instructed officers to “keep Black people out of Clark” through targeted policing practices.

The lawsuit, filed by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, names Bonaccorso, suspended Police Chief Pedro Matos and current Police Director Patrick Grady, alleging that town leaders “systematically discriminated against and harassed Black and other non-white motorists.”

The lawsuit alleges that Clark police disproportionately targeted Black and Hispanic drivers, stopping Black motorists about 3.7 times and Hispanic motorists about 2.2 times more often than white drivers, violating New Jersey civil rights laws and the state constitution.

Officials claim the borough used traffic enforcement quotas, focused on areas near the Garden State Parkway and neighboring towns with larger minority populations, and used minor violations or even fabricated marijuana odor claims as a basis to search vehicles.

Evidence includes audio recordings from as early as 2019 in which Bonaccorso used racial slurs and instructed police officers to “keep chasing the spooks out of town,” a derogatory term aimed at Black people, and to focus enforcement on roads leading from neighboring communities with larger minority populations, according to the suit.

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Bonaccorso, a Republican who served as Clark’s mayor for about 25 years, resigned in January 2025 shortly after beginning his seventh term in office. He faced separate corruption charges, pleading guilty to using township resources to benefit his private business and forging signatures on permit applications.

In 2020, a police officer secretly recorded Bonaccorso, Matos and another official using racial slurs against Black people. The town later paid $400,000 to settle the matter out of court, though the allegations were eventually made public.

When NJ.com reporters asked Bonaccorso about the state’s lawsuit Thursday via text, he replied: “It’s bull****!!!!” and refused to comment further, the outlet reported.

Current Clark Mayor Angel Albanese, also a Republican, called the lawsuit “frivolous” and accused Platkin of “playing politics” as his term as attorney general nears its end, in a lengthy statement Thursday. Charles Sciarra, an attorney for Matos, similarly criticized the timing of the complaint, per the Associated Press.

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Matos has been on paid leave since July 2020, when the Union County Prosecutor’s Office took control of the department. He is suing the town to prevent his dismissal, and those disciplinary proceedings are still ongoing, although the prosecutor's oversight ended last March.

The Independent has contacted Bonaccorso, Matos and Grady for comment.

From 2020 to 2024, some racial disparities in Clark policing persisted, but data showed notable improvements coinciding with reduced discrimination, according to the attorney general’s office.

The state is seeking continued oversight of the police department, an end to discriminatory practices, and damages for individuals affected by the alleged harassment and systemic bias.