Crime & Safety
Latest FBI Crime Report: See Trends In New Jersey
Homicides and aggravated assaults decreased slightly in NJ. See the town-by-town numbers in the Garden State, ranked from top to bottom.
NEW JERSEY — Violent crimes decreased slightly in New Jersey in 2019 and the state remains well below the national average, according to data released by the FBI in its 2019 uniform crime report (see the town-by-town numbers, ranked top-to-bottom, below).
The FBI estimated crime statistics across the Garden State based on reports from all the 577 law enforcement agencies statewide.
The data shows a slight drop from 2018's record low for violent crimes in New Jersey. The rate was 208.6 per 100,000 people in 2018, and inched down to 206.9 in 2019. The national rate was 379.4.
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Among the violent crimes, homicides dropped slightly in the state to 2.9 per 100,000. The national rate plummeted from 6.1 to 5.2
Meanwhile, New Jersey aggravated assaults rose from 117.7 to 122.2 per 100,000 while the national rate remained steady. It was the first time aggravated assaults rose in the state since 2014.
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Rapes ticked up at both the national and state level, from 16 to 17.2 in New Jersey and 44 to 42.6 nationally.
Nationwide, the FBI reported a decrease in both violent and property crime from year to year. Violent crime went from a rate of 383.4 per 100,000 people in 2018 to 379.4 a year later, a decrease of about 0.5 percent. It's the third straight year violent crime decreased nationally, the FBI said.
Property crime numbers with the same control went from 2,209.8 to 2,109.9. There's been a downward trend nationwide in this category since 2009, with a decrease of 4.1 percent from 2018 to 2019. New Jersey has followed this trend down every year since 2011, dropping to 1335.7 in 2019.
The nationwide downward crime trends continued into 2020, according to an overview of numbers from the first half of the year the FBI released a few weeks ago. But two subcategories in particular, murder and arson, have seen a significant increase in the six months that include the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic.
Murder and non-negligent manslaughter cases reported to the FBI by the 16,554 agencies that submitted last year's data increased by 14.8 percent from the first half of 2019 to the same period in 2020. Arson increased by an even greater rate — 19.2 percent, the FBI said.
The FBI has issued a caution about the crime data coming in at the local levels.
Lists comparing cities and counties "do not provide insight into the numerous variables that shape crime in a given state, county, city, town, tribal area or region," the FBI said in a statement
"These rankings lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that can create misleading perceptions that adversely affect communities and their residents," the statement continued. "Only through careful study and analyses into the range of unique conditions affecting each local law enforcement jurisdiction can data users create valid assessments of crime."
Here are the town-by-town violent crime numbers in New Jersey per 10,000 people:
- Salem 155.2531
- Asbury Park 115.9552
- Trenton 112.2734
- Penns Grove 107.4589
- Bridgeton 91.6526
- Atlantic City 85.9203
- Brooklawn 84.2549
- Paterson 84.1467
- Elizabeth 71.9207
- Lindenwold 71.5241
- Orange City 62.1768
- Newark 61.8999
- Wildwood 58.4795
- Wildwood Crest 55.7194
- Passaic 52.9876
- South Hackensack Township 52.7383
- Jersey City 52.2686
- Irvington 51.8192
- Burlington City 51.6351
- Egg Harbor City 51.4076
- Millville 47.2246
- New Brunswick 46.7899
- Beverly 44.4265
- East Orange 42.8349
- Woodlynne 41.3650
- Seaside Heights 41.3508
- Avalon 40.4531
- Plainfield 37.9627
- Haledon 37.4532
- Linden 37.3310
- West Wildwood 36.1664
- Long Branch 35.9120
- Vineland 35.2489
- Netcong 34.9096
- Westampton Township 34.6180
- Neptune Township 34.4840
- Long Beach Township 32.6797
- Willingboro Township 31.9549
- Pleasantville 31.8815
- Pennsauken Township 31.2623
- Belvidere 31.2012
- Magnolia 30.6098
- Roselle 30.5894
- Maple Shade Township 29.2667
- Hillside Township 29.0592
- Pine Hill 28.7936
- Woodbury 28.6650
- Perth Amboy 28.3696
- Mount Holly Township 28.2191
- Union City 28.1921
- Eatontown 27.8346
- Pemberton Township 26.7003
- Clementon 26.4281
- Harrison 25.5796
- Stone Harbor 24.8756
- Englewood 24.7533
- Chesilhurst 24.7525
- West New York 24.0851
- Paulsboro 24.0220
- Guttenberg 23.9171
- Neptune City 23.7838
- Hi-Nella 23.3918
- Hackensack 23.1435
- Haddon Township 22.7759
- Pemberton Borough 22.7101
- Dover 22.4065
- Bayonne 22.2967
- Carney's Point Township 22.1816
- South River 21.9505
- North Plainfield 21.8869
- Somerdale 21.8500
- Westville 21.8023
- Flemington 21.7865
- Keansburg 21.7077
- Morristown 21.4066
- Belleville 21.3517
- Franklin 21.2811
- Phillipsburg 21.0852
- Oceanport 20.9096
- Lawnside 20.8768
- Elsinboro Township 20.6825
- Union Beach 20.3855
- Seaside Park 19.5059
- Dunellen 19.3263
- Secaucus 19.3241
- West Orange 19.2888
- Lower Township 19.2263
- Hamilton Township, Atlantic County 19.0907
- Fairview 18.9009
- Freehold Borough 18.7505
- Middle Township 18.6557
- South Toms River 18.5185
- Lakehurst 18.5117
- Edgewater Park Township 18.5099
- Lumberton Township 18.0891
- Riverside Township 17.9349
- Gloucester City 17.9083
- Hammonton 17.8533
- Newton 17.6857
- Winslow Township 17.4525
- Galloway Township 17.3121
- Keyport 17.0648
- Jamesburg 16.8606
- Surf City 16.7645
- Paramus 16.6289
- Ewing Township 16.5116
- Garfield 15.9935
- North Wildwood 15.9447
- Hazlet Township 15.7049
- Bound Brook 15.5991
- Wharton 15.5836
- Englishtown 15.4879
- Glassboro 15.4367
- Washington Township, Gloucester County 15.2782
- Ventnor City 15.0512
- Montclair 15.0162
- Clinton 14.9309
- Clayton 14.9271
- Sea Bright 14.7929
- Hoboken 14.7275
- North Bergen Township 14.6468
- North Brunswick Township 14.6262
- Pennsville Township 14.5808
- Shrewsbury 14.5560
- Weehawken Township 14.5551
- Stratford 14.4383
- Bradley Beach 14.4300
- Belmar 14.3833
- Lodi 14.2927
- Lakewood Township 14.0413
- Hamilton Township, Mercer County 14.0186
- Totowa 13.9483
- Lawrence Township, Mercer County 13.8825
- Mount Laurel Township 13.8656
- Teaneck Township 13.8159
- Little Falls Township 13.7807
- Burlington Township 13.7680
- Carteret 13.5335
- Florence Township 13.4996
- Boonton 13.4854
- Berlin 13.3156
- Deptford Township 13.2196
- Kearny 13.0706
- Newfield 13.0124
- Carlstadt 12.9660
- Oaklyn 12.7033
- Byram Township 12.6984
- South Plainfield 12.4409
- Elmwood Park 12.4353
- Washington 12.3973
- Egg Harbor Township 12.2425
- Kenilworth 12.1684
- North Arlington 12.0942
- Manasquan 11.9884
- Longport 11.7096
- Cape May 11.6686
- Stafford Township 11.5904
- Collingswood 11.5523
- Bellmawr 11.5105
- Hightstown 11.3982
- Waterford Township 11.2528
- Palmyra 11.2139
- Clifton 11.1737
- Woodbridge Township 11.0861
- Point Pleasant Beach 11.0717
- Woodland Park 11.0611
- Brick Township 10.9800
- Mount Ephraim 10.9481
- Merchantville 10.8489
- Red Bank 10.8189
- Somers Point 10.7590
- Laurel Springs 10.7527
- Rahway 10.6411
- Berkeley Township 10.5420
- Voorhees Township 10.3096
- National Park 10.2249
- Holmdel Township 10.2114
- Highland Park 10.1515
- Margate City 10.1488
- Audubon Park 10.0301
- West Cape May 9.9701
- Gloucester Township 9.9213
- Nutley Township 9.8647
- Freehold Township 9.8380
- Cinnaminson Township 9.7105
- Absecon 9.4832
- Mansfield Township, Burlington County 9.3897
- Washington Township, Warren County 9.3882
- Buena 9.2678
- Franklin Township, Gloucester County 9.2228
- Bordentown Township 9.1529
- Somerville 9.0179
- Moorestown Township 8.8639
- Caldwell 8.8128
- Blairstown Township 8.7673
- Franklin Township, Somerset County 8.7649
- Clark Township 8.7380
- Maplewood Township 8.6967
- Wall Township 8.5777
- Prospect Park 8.5749
- Lacey Township 8.5479
- Logan Township 8.5412
- Runnemede 8.4725
- Edison Township 8.3764
- Little Egg Harbor Township 8.3690
- Cherry Hill Township 8.3432
- Little Ferry 8.3380
- Hanover Township 8.3062
- Piscataway Township 8.2771
- Medford Township 8.1221
- Point Pleasant 8.0283
- Aberdeen Township 8.0214
- Harding Township 7.8844
- Wallington 7.7801
- South Orange Village 7.7658
- Elmer 7.6923
- Toms River Township 7.6730
- Palisades Park 7.6639
- West Deptford Township 7.6548
- Medford Lakes 7.6492
- Metuchen 7.6267
- Sayreville 7.6266
- North Caldwell 7.5245
- Raritan 7.5009
- Cranbury Township 7.4757
- Union Township 7.3209
- Pompton Lakes 7.3039
- Rochelle Park Township 7.1454
- Monroe Township, Gloucester County 7.0491
- Atlantic Highlands 6.9638
- Readington Township 6.9598
- Cliffside Park 6.8926
- Fort Lee 6.5682
- Washington Township, Morris County 6.5588
- Rutherford 6.5136
- Evesham Township 6.4446
- Ocean Township, Monmouth County 6.3819
- Bloomfield 6.3609
- Saddle River 6.2775
- Monmouth Beach 6.2073
- Maywood 6.2067
- Bloomingdale 6.1812
- Springfield Township, Burlington County 6.1501
- Lower Alloways Creek Township 6.0132
- Old Bridge Township 5.9398
- Lake Como 5.9347
- Howell Township 5.9339
- Manville 5.8795
- East Windsor Township 5.8516
- Plumsted Township 5.8514
- Closter 5.8398
- Audubon 5.8133
- Scotch Plains Township 5.7417
- Lyndhurst Township 5.7165
- Mine Hill Township 5.7127
- Hopatcong 5.6774
- Sea Girt 5.6689
- Avon-by-the-Sea 5.6625
- East Brunswick Township 5.6418
- Wayne Township 5.6307
- Ocean City 5.4735
- Bergenfield 5.4681
- Ridgefield Park 5.3917
- Alpine 5.3879
- Ridgefield 5.3381
- Berlin Township 5.3088
- Bordentown City 5.2826
- Glen Ridge 5.2812
- Ridgewood 5.1604
- Barnegat Township 5.1284
- Eastampton Township 5.0522
- Rockaway Township 5.0474
- West Milford Township 4.9454
- Ocean Gate 4.9383
- Northfield 4.9002
- Delran Township 4.8564
- Mount Olive Township 4.8234
- Cedar Grove Township 4.7969
- Lopatcong Township 4.7904
- Jefferson Township 4.7900
- Riverdale 4.7004
- Boonton Township 4.6740
- Pequannock Township 4.6527
- Pine Beach 4.6019
- Pitman 4.5929
- Tinton Falls 4.5699
- Manalapan Township 4.5383
- Wenonah 4.5372
- Barrington 4.5317
- Gibbsboro 4.5208
- Franklin Lakes 4.5009
- Delanco Township 4.4813
- Haddonfield 4.4401
- Beachwood 4.4346
- Parsippany-Troy Hills Township 4.4310
- Alpha 4.4209
- Middlesex Borough 4.3927
- Ocean Township, Ocean County 4.3792
- Jackson Township 4.3569
- Mountainside 4.3554
- Brielle 4.2708
- Highlands 4.2203
- Monroe Township, Middlesex County 4.1904
- Greenwich Township, Gloucester County 4.1867
- Oxford Township 4.1271
- Ringwood 4.1102
- Mansfield Township, Warren County 4.0833
- Demarest 4.0717
- East Rutherford 4.0688
- Colts Neck Township 4.0626
- Chesterfield Township 4.0139
- North Hanover Township 4.0128
- Haddon Heights 3.9920
- Holland Township 3.9362
- West Windsor Township 3.9249
- Hopewell Township 3.9207
- Plainsboro Township 3.9171
- Oakland 3.8485
- East Newark 3.7580
- South Brunswick Township 3.6926
- Independence Township 3.6900
- West Amwell Township 3.6670
- Morris Township 3.6232
- Denville Township 3.6166
- Raritan Township 3.6004
- North Haledon 3.5804
- Long Hill Township 3.5294
- Tewksbury Township 3.4692
- Little Silver 3.4524
- Roseland 3.4329
- Woodcliff Lake 3.4171
- Dumont 3.3996
- Wanaque 3.3979
- Mullica Township 3.3916
- Woodbury Heights 3.3910
- Morris Plains 3.3698
- Middletown Township 3.3659
- Leonia 3.3011
- Lebanon Township 3.2998
- Hillsborough Township 3.2653
- South Harrison Township 3.2031
- Hackettstown 3.1810
- Princeton 3.1636
- Randolph Township 3.1385
- Edgewater 3.1199
- Stanhope 3.0479
- Mahwah Township 3.0399
- Millburn Township 2.9873
- Linwood 2.9864
- Tuckerton 2.9674
- Berkeley Heights Township 2.9429
- Wyckoff Township 2.9360
- Haworth 2.9240
- High Bridge 2.9180
- Woodstown 2.9070
- Milltown 2.8490
- Manchester Township 2.7670
- Midland Park 2.7601
- Branchburg Township 2.7490
- East Hanover Township 2.7298
- Lambertville 2.6441
- Bernardsville 2.6076
- Fanwood 2.5913
- Hasbrouck Heights 2.4898
- Bedminster Township 2.4866
- Oradell 2.4447
- Upper Saddle River 2.4257
- Spotswood 2.4166
- Bogota 2.3801
- Garwood 2.2931
- Cresskill 2.2828
- Marlboro Township 2.2585
- South Amboy 2.2416
- Spring Lake Heights 2.2036
- South Bound Brook 2.1882
- Sparta Township 2.1584
- Montgomery Township 2.1400
- Fair Lawn 2.1171
- Mantua Township 2.0299
- Ramsey 2.0029
- Livingston Township 2.0001
- Lincoln Park 1.9681
- Waldwick 1.9531
- Hillsdale 1.9264
- Montville Township 1.8861
- Englewood Cliffs 1.8629
- West Caldwell Township 1.8450
- Greenwich Township, Warren County 1.8359
- Mendham Township 1.7544
- River Edge 1.7391
- Fair Haven 1.7289
- Norwood 1.7194
- Springfield Township, Union County 1.6987
- Watchung 1.6518
- Cranford Township 1.6494
- Rockaway 1.5810
- Bridgewater Township 1.5692
- Clinton Township 1.5624
- Woolwich Township 1.5296
- Roselle Park 1.4674
- Green Brook Township 1.4142
- Vernon Township 1.3691
- Robbinsville Township 1.3666
- Summit 1.3649
- Westfield 1.3473
- Roxbury Township 1.3184
- Butler 1.3135
- Emerson 1.3089
- Hardyston Township 1.2887
- New Hanover Township 1.2311
- Montvale 1.1551
- Brigantine 1.1515
- Park Ridge 1.1414
- Washington Township, Bergen County 1.0847
- Wood-Ridge 1.0720
- Kinnelon 1.0016
- Florham Park 0.8679
- Harrison Township 0.7619
- Verona 0.7488
- Saddle Brook Township 0.7196
- Tenafly 0.6856
- New Milford 0.6058
- Madison 0.6049
Here are towns that reported no violent crime:
- Allendale
- Allenhurst
- Allentown
- Andover Township
- Barnegat Light
- Bay Head
- Beach Haven
- Bernards Township
- Califon
- Cape May Point
- Chatham
- Chatham Township
- Chester
- Chester Township
- Deal
- Delaware Township
- East Greenwich Township
- Elk Township
- Essex Fells
- Fairfield Township, Essex County
- Far Hills
- Fieldsboro
- Franklin Township, Hunterdon County
- Frenchtown
- Glen Rock
- Hamburg
- Harrington Park
- Harvey Cedars
- Hawthorne
- Helmetta
- Ho-Ho-Kus
- Hopewell Borough
- Interlaken
- Island Heights
- Lavallette
- Loch Arbour
- Mantoloking
- Matawan
- Mendham
- Moonachie
- Mountain Lakes
- Mount Arlington
- New Providence
- Northvale
- Ogdensburg
- Old Tappan
- Peapack-Gladstone
- Pennington
- Pine Valley
- Pohatcong Township
- Riverton
- River Vale Township
- Rockleigh
- Rumson
- Sea Isle City
- Ship Bottom
- Spring Lake
- Swedesboro
- Tavistock
- Teterboro
- Warren Township
- West Long Branch
- Westwood
- Winfield Township
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