Negligent security is a civil claim against a property owner or business when an injury occurs due to criminal acts or foreseeable safety risks on their premises and the owner/business did not take reasonable precautions.
In Secaucus, these cases often involve situations like:
- Assaults or robberies near entrances, stairwells, or parking areas where lighting, access control, or supervision was inadequate
- Incidents around large pedestrian flow areas (including properties that serve commuters and visitors)
- Unsafe responses after threats—for example, when staff were notified of a prior problem but no meaningful security change was made
- Broken or bypassable access systems (doors that don’t lock properly, gates that don’t function, or cameras that don’t capture the relevant area)
A key point in New Jersey is that the law doesn’t require a property to guarantee safety. Instead, the question is whether the security steps taken were reasonable in light of what the owner knew (or should have known) about the risk.


