TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow today
released the 2010 Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
which shows the overall crime rate in New
Jersey increased one percent compared to the
previous year, while total violent crime edged
up less than one-half of one percent.
“Our
latest crime data shows a slight increase
in the overall crime rate in New Jersey,”
said Attorney General Dow. “We must
be aggressive and smart in fighting crime,
especially during this economic crisis facing
our state and nation.”
The
annual UCR, prepared by the State Police
Uniform Crime Reporting Unit, measures offenses
committed during the period spanning from
January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010.
The report contains data on the rate of
reported Index Crimes – offenses which
fall into seven crime categories, including
the four violent index crimes of murder,
rape, robbery and aggravated assault, and
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, firearms were used in 67
percent of the murders, knives or cutting
instruments in 14 percent, physical force
8 percent, and blunt objects in 5 percent.
Twenty-five percent of the offenders were
friends or acquaintances of the victim,
while 16 percent were strangers, and 7 percent
were relatives. In 52 percent of the murders,
the relationships could not be determined.
Felony murders accounted for 21 percent
of all murder circumstances. Robbery was
the motive in 52 percent of the 77 felony
murders. Thirty-eight domestic violence
murders were recorded in 2010. Drug-related
and or gang-related circumstances accounted
for 9 percent or 32 of the murders recorded.
A total of 259 persons were arrested for
murder in 2010, a 13 percent increase compared
to 2009.
There were 74,244 domestic violence offenses
reported by the police in 2010, a one percent
increase compared to the 73,709 reported
in 2009. The number of murders attributed
to domestic violence circumstances decreased
3 percent (38) compared to (39) the previous
year.
Bias-related
crimes reported to police increased 13 percent
in 2010, compared to 2009. There were 775
bias incident offenses reported, compared
to 683 the previous year. Harassment accounted
for 45 percent (351) of all bias offenses,
while criminal mischief and property damage
accounted for 38 percent (291). Racial bias
accounted for 42 percent (324) of all bias
incident crimes in 2010.
Nonviolent
Crime (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor
vehicle theft) increased two percent from
180,733 to 183,643. Burglary increased 5
percent, from 36,928 in 2009 to 38,794 in
2010. Larceny-theft increased one percent,
from 128,304 in 2009 to 129,294 a year later.
Motor vehicle thefts increased less than
one-half of one percent, from 15,501 offenses
in 2009 to 15,555 in 2010.
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