The Mount Laurel Police Department is facing heat from the state Attorney General’s Office.

An investigation revealed that police knew about the harassment that residents at the Essex Condominium complex experienced and failed to help them.

In 2021, those residents were repeatedly being racially harassed by neighbor Edward Mathews. In July 2021, there were protests outside the front door of Edward Mathews’ Mount Laurel home. They followed the viral video of one of his racist rants against neighbors who are Black.

An investigation by the state Division of Criminal Justice found that before that rant, Mathews had slashed his victim's tires and left threatening notes and dog feces on their porch, as part of 42 reported incidents.

Mathews was sent to prison to serve an eight-year sentence after pleading guilty to bias intimidation. Once he was sentenced, two of his targets filed a civil rights complaint.

Now, four years later, the Division of Civil Rights has found police knew about his behavior, months before his arrest and those dozens of incidents.

The investigation revealed police did nothing to help those who were targeted by Mathews.

MORE: Large protest forms outside home of man accused of harassing neighbors in racist tirade

That brought about Thursday's announcement of a finding of probable cause by the Division of Criminal Justice.

The findings by the Department of Criminal Justice revealed “that MLPD’s conduct had the effect of denying critical services to Essex Place’s Black residents based on race.”

State Attorney General Matthew Platkin calls it deeply concerning.

“Bias incidents targeting residents based on race tear at the very fabric of our communities," he said in a statement.

“Taking corrective action begins with identifying breakdowns in conduct. Today’s finding of probable cause offers a blueprint for the Mount Laurel Police Department to begin that journey," said Yolanda Melville, director of the Division of Civil Rights.

What this means is that the two people who filed the complaint can have a third party help to work out a resolution with the police department.

News 12 New Jersey reached out to the police chief and mayor in Mount Laurel, but has yet to receive a response.