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 www.njsp.org/info/ucr2004/index.html.
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