Murder Rate Jumps 16 Percent In NJ

The number of murders in New Jersey spiked last year, but the latest FBI reports show that the overall violent crime rate is down, reflecting a national trend seen in a number of Monmouth and Ocean county towns. Murders rose 16 percent from 2009, a number inconsistent with the national decline of 4.2 percent, according to the FBI’s 2010 Uniform Crime Reports, a collection of crime statistics from across the country.

Nationally, violent crimes were down 6 percent, decreasing for the fourth consecutive year. Property crimes were down for the eighth consecutive year, falling 2.7 percent, the bureau said.

Most towns in Monmouth and Ocean mirror what criminologists say has been a slow but steady decline.

“Crime’s been going down since the 1990s,” said Mercer Sullivan, associate professor at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice in Newark. “It started to build back up in a few places around the country, but you would sort of expect that.”

Large cities and towns like Asbury Park, Long Branch, Middletown and Toms River have seen their crime rates from 2009 drop while smaller municipalities’ rates, such as that for Belmar and Plumsted, remained static.

Seaside Heights, a key resort destination in Ocean County, saw its violent crime rate increase nearly 24 percent in one year to 14.1 per 1,000 residents, according to the FBI. Police Chief Thomas Boyd said he has not seen the numbers and could not comment. More in APP.

This content, and any other content on TLS, may not be republished or reproduced without prior permission from TLS. Copying or reproducing our content is both against the law and against Halacha. To inquire about using our content, including videos or photos, email us at [email protected].

Stay up to date with our news alerts by following us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

**Click here to join over 20,000 receiving our Whatsapp Status updates!**

**Click here to join the official TLS WhatsApp Community!**

Got a news tip? Email us at [email protected], Text 415-857-2667, or WhatsApp 609-661-8668.

9 COMMENTS

  1. am i stupid–or have just not got it—the murder rate jumps–but the crime rate falls——this not a case of apples and oranges—this is double-speak at its most ridiculus

  2. to ss:
    i recommend you get off the computer and start reading a dictionary as your spelling its so atrocious, it’s frightening.
    “and what is Lakewood doing abt it abaslootly nothing”- that’s funny, i could have sworn the scoop just posting something about the LPD having to break up a large fight just the other day.. yeah that sounds like “abaslootly nothing” and that’s just one example.
    “at-least lcsw is patrolling so we can try to catch them”- and when and if the LCSW sees anything, they have to call the LPD- the REAL cops- to take care of it.
    sorry to educate your false prejudices against the police. try reading a book instead of posting nonsense.

  3. ss i think your correct
    lakewood never had 8 gangs !
    lcsw does a great job but they dont deal with gang activity
    l.p.d does but if they do someone please explain why before and after 317 got shot we still have 8 gangs in lakewood there should be now 1-2 at most !
    for the local police to say that the nj state police have a special gans related task force is not an answer as they arent doing the job either .
    now we know why more and more civlians are getting guns !

  4. heres something for your “brains”;
    maybe if people stopped leaving their cars and houses unlocked, stopped balancing baby car seats on top of shopping carts, stopped forgetting about their kids in their cars, stopped leaving their toys and junk scattered on the streets and in yards, and stopped renting to illegals and gang members, maybe THEN the police will be able to do their jobs and clean up this town. it’s the stupidity exhibited everyday that hamper the LPD’s efforts and keep them bogged down with nonsense.

Comments are closed.