Global Navigation
Office of The Attorney General
The State of New Jersey Office of The Attorney General (Dept. of Law & Public Safety) The State of New Jersey NJ Home Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Home
OAG Contact
Back to News Releases
OAG Home Attorney General's Biography
Attorney General's Biography
spacer spacer spacer
 
spacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
For Immediate Release:  
For Further Information:
spacer spacer spacer
August 5, 2009  

Robert Corrales (Governor's Office)
609-777-2600
David Wald (OAG)
609-292-4791

Office of the Governor
- Jon S. Corzine, Governor
Office of The Attorney General
- Anne Milgram, Attorney General

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer

Governor Corzine Announces Dramatic Decline in Homicides in Camden City as Statewide Violence Reduction Initiative Nets More than 980 Arrests in 14 Months
Homicides in Camden this year down 46 percent

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
Click on charts above to download a PDF
spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer

CAMDEN - Governor Jon S. Corzine and Attorney General Anne Milgram today hailed a dramatic decline in homicides in the City of Camden, and noted the results of a statewide anti-violence initiative launched last summer that is targeted at street gangs and violent criminals has netted more than 980 arrests in the city.

"Uniform Crime Report statistics shows that we are winning important battles in the war against violent criminals and gangs, throughout New Jersey and in the City of Camden" said Governor Corzine. "Thanks to the efforts of Attorney General Milgram and the New Jersey law enforcement community, county task forces, police departments, and partner agencies, more than 4,200 offenders have been arrested for crimes including murder, assault with a firearm, armed robbery, and gun and drug trafficking. We know more work remains. Even one act of violence against a New Jersey citizen is one too many."

In Camden, there were 19 homicides in 2009 as of August 2, compared to 35 for the same period of time in 2008, which represents a 46 percent decline. Statewide, there were 158 reported homicides in New Jersey in the first six months of 2009, compared to 209 during the same time period in 2008 - a 24 percent drop.

Uniform Crime Report figures show that murders declined statewide in 2008, marking the first time since 1999 that New Jersey has seen a drop in murders for two consecutive years. Murders dropped 11 percent in 2007 to 381, the lowest number since 2002. They dropped to 376 in 2008.

The broader category of violent crime also declined statewide in each of the past two years. It declined 7 percent in 2007, and declined another .7 percent in 2008.

"The statistics demonstrate real progress in our fight against gangs and violent crime," said Attorney General Milgram. "We have taken a very direct approach under Governor Corzine's anti-crime plan, conducting intelligence-led, high-impact investigations targeting the command structures and the most violent members of the toughest street gangs. By removing hundreds of violent gangsters from our streets, we have made our communities safer."

Governor Corzine and Attorney General Milgram announced the results of the statewide violence reduction initiative implemented under Governor's Corzine's Strategy for Safe Streets and Neighborhoods on Tuesday in East Orange. They discussed today a series of initiatives specific to the City of Camden that were first launched last June to deal with an escalating drug war involving street gangs. A more than doubling of the incidents of murder in Camden in the first five months of 2008 was attributed to the gang activity.

Four separate task forces in the city from June 2008 through November 2008 resulted in the arrests of 306 suspects who were charged with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, assault with a firearm, armed robbery and drug and gun trafficking. Investigators solved or assisted in solving eight homicides. Those arrests included 107 with violent criminal backgrounds. Forty guns, including 13 assault weapons were seized. In addition, task forces seized a variety of drugs with a street value of approximately $183,000 and about $88,000 in cash.

In the second phase of the initiative, which began in January 2009 and continues today, 677 people have been arrested, including 221 with violent criminal backgrounds. Forty-five guns were removed from the streets and drugs with a street value of approximately $182,000 were confiscated. About $151,000 in cash was also seized. The second phase initiative has been aimed at reducing drug gang-related violence and pursuing violent drug gang members.

The statewide initiative involves a collaborative effort across all levels of law enforcement in New Jersey to target the most violent street gangs and reduce the drug trafficking and gun violence that they inflict on our communities. Since January, county task forces, police departments and partnering agencies have arrested a total of 2,376 offenders under the initiative for crimes including murder, assault with a firearm, armed robbery, and drug and gun trafficking.

Those arrested include 606 suspected street gang members belonging to such gangs as the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, and others. Several hundred more of the arrested offenders were associated with drug gangs. About 1,047 or 44 percent, of those arrested have violent criminal backgrounds.

More than 409 guns were seized, including 30 assault weapons. That is an increase of 152 percent from the first phase of the initiative, when 162 guns were seized. Drugs with a street value of $5.3 million were seized in the second phase, compared to $4 million in drugs in the first phase.

Putting together both phases, more than 4,220 arrests have been made since the initiative began last summer, including more than 1,136 suspected street gang members, and more than 1,647 offenders with violent criminal backgrounds. More than $3 million in cash has been seized.

As a result of operations during both phases, authorities were able to prevent 14 homicides. They solved 30 homicides.

For the first six months of 2009, the overall statewide homicide rate was down every month as compared to the same month in 2008. The sharp decline in murders during the past 12 months coincided with implementation of the first two phases of the statewide violence reduction initiative.

There were 209 murders in New Jersey during the first six months of 2008. In the second half of 2008, as the first phase of the statewide violence reduction initiative was implemented, there were 170 homicides in New Jersey, a 19 percent decline from the first six months of the year. During the first half of 2009, as the second phase was implemented, there were 158 homicides, an additional decline of 7 percent from the prior six months. New Jersey is on track to see a third straight year of declines in murders, Milgram said.

On Tuesday, Governor Corzine, Attorney General Milgram and State Police Superintendent Rick Fuentes announced a new program to assist law enforcement in tracking gangs. NJ CrimeTrack, which is being rolled out statewide beginning this month, is a statewide intelligence-sharing initiative spearheaded by the State Police that will provide a database for law enforcement agencies across the state to collect, store and share their criminal intelligence related to street gangs and their illegal activities.

During the pilot phase of this new program, more than 3,400 gang members have been identified, based on reports from the 16 law enforcement agencies participating in the pilot. That number is expected to grow as the program is rolled out with agencies throughout the state.

"Knowledge truly is power in the fight against crime," said Attorney General Milgram. "Just as we have enhanced our ability to investigate illegal gun trafficking in New Jersey through NJ Trace, our partnership with ATF to trace all guns recovered in connection with crime in New Jersey, we will now be able to better leverage our information on gangs."

# # #

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
 
 
Contact OAG About OAG
OAG News OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Library Employment
OAG Grants Proposed Rules
OAG History OAG Services A-Z
OAG Agencies / Programs / Units
Other News Pages Otras Noticias en Español Division of NJ State Police Division of Law News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Gaming Enforcement News
NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News

free PDF plugin

NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News
   
Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement
NJ Home Logo
Departmental: OAG Home | Contact OAG | About OAG | OAG News | OAG FAQs
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey
This page is maintained by OAG Communications. Comments/Questions: email or call 609-292-4925
OAG Home OAG Home NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News Seizures and Arrests - Phase I Phase II Operation Results - Camden