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LATEST
CRIME DATA SHOW STATEWIDE CRIME RATE
DOWN 4 PERCENT OVERALL
- Violent Crime Down 2 Percent; Nonviolent Crime Down 4
Percent -
TRENTON - Attorney General Peter C. Harvey today
released the 2004 Uniform Crime Report (UCR) that indicates
that the overall crime rate in New Jersey dropped by 4 percent
compared with the previous year, and that the rate of violent
crime decreased by 2 percent.
"Today's statewide statistics show reductions in just about
all major categories of crime," said Acting Governor Richard
J. Codey. "They are testimony to the skill and dedication
of the men and women of our law enforcement community, who
will continue working hard to reduce the numbers even further."
"The new Uniform Crime Report tells us that New Jerseyans
continued to be safer in 2004," said Attorney General Harvey.
"The number of murders was down 3 percent, robberies and aggravated
assaults were down 2 percent each. The number of burglaries,
larcenies and motor vehicle thefts were also down as well.
"Although the fluctuations in crime and crime statistics
are complex and can be affected by many factors," the Attorney
General said, "we can unequivocally single out the dedicated
men and women of New Jersey's law enforcement community for
helping to make our state safer."
The annual UCR, prepared by the State Police Uniform Crime
Reporting Unit, measures offenses committed during the period
spanning January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2004. The report
contains data on the rate of reported Index Crimes - offenses
which fall into seven significant crime categories, including
the four violent index crimes of murder, rape, robbery and
aggravated assault, and the three nonviolent index crimes
of burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. The UCR also
contains separate statistical reports on bias crimes, carjacking,
and domestic violence.
According to the report, there were 242,444 index offenses
reported in New Jersey in 2004, a 4 percent drop when compared
with the 252,149 index offenses reported in 2003. The 2004
crime rate was 28.1 offenses per 1,000 inhabitants, also a
4 percent drop compared with the 2003 crime rate of 29.4 offenses
per 1,000 inhabitants. Of the index offenses committed in
2004, violent crimes accounted for 30,917 - a drop of 2 percent.
In addition, there were more than 9,000 fewer nonviolent crimes
in 2004.
There were 14 fewer murders in 2004 than in 2003 - a decrease
of 3 percent (392 murders in 2004 compared with 406 in 2003).
Harvey noted that one out of every five murder victims was
a young adult between the ages of 20 and 24 and that 44 percent
of murders occurred on highways or streets, constituting the
most heinous of street crimes.
Additionally, in 2004 there were 6,248 arrests reported in
New Jersey for weapons offenses, an increase of 4 percent
over the previous year. Of those arrested for weapons crimes,
90 percent were male, and 34 percent were juveniles. Law enforcement
agencies made 55,814 arrests for drug violations statewide
in 2004, an increase of 1 percent when compared with 2003.
Adults accounted for 88 percent of those arrested for drug
violations, while juveniles accounted for 12 percent. Thirty-three
percent of those arrested for drug violations were under the
age of 21, and arrests related to the possession, sale or
manufacturing of opium and cocaine and their derivatives accounted
for more than half of all drug arrests. There were 3,383 police
officers assaulted in the line of duty in 2004, an increase
of 6 percent compared to 2003, when 3,206 officers were assaulted.
Areas of Concern
The Attorney General expressed concern about a number of
the crime category trends found in the report. He noted, for
example, that the number of sexual assaults had increased
4 percent, from 1,283 in 2003 to 1,328 in 2004.
Another development of concern, Harvey said, was the 32 percent
rise in reported bias incident offenses, with 868 crimes reported
in 2004 compared with 660 in 2003. Racial bias accounted for
45 percent of all bias crimes reported.
On a slightly more positive note, the Attorney General indicated
that domestic violence offenses dipped 2 percent, from 77,567
in 2003 to 76,109 in 2004.
"Youth violence, sexual assaults, domestic violence and bias
crimes obviously remain serious concerns, and reducing community
violence remains a priority for our office and the 21 county
prosecutors," said Harvey. "Through a number of anti-gang
and other initiatives, we are continuing aggressive efforts
to reduce street violence. We are continuing to use education,
community liaison services and, where necessary, vigorous
enforcement to discourage bias crime. Finally, through awareness,
outreach and victim assistance programs, we are stepping up
efforts to combat sexual assaults and domestic violence, and
to assist its victims."
The Attorney General said that juvenile arrests for violent
and nonviolent crime decreased slightly in 2004. Arrests of
juveniles under 18 for violent crimes decreased 5 percent,
from 3,672 arrests in 2003 to 3,494 arrests in 2004. Juvenile
arrests for all categories of crime, index and otherwise,
decreased just 1 percent, from 62,668 arrests in 2003 to 61,907
arrests in 2004.
According to the new UCR data, the 2004 crime rate was down
in two of three demographic subsections - Urban, Suburban
and Rural - discussed in the report. The crime rate per 1,000
residents decreased by 5 percent in New Jersey's Urban areas,
decreased by 3 percent in Suburban areas, and rose 4 percent
in Rural areas. Statewide, August was the month in which the
most overall criminal offenses were reported (23,352). February
was the month in which the fewest overall criminal offenses
were reported (17,172). A complete copy of the 2004 Uniform
Crime Report is available on the State Police Web site at:
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