Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and the Jersey City Police Department released official crime statistics that show a nearly 18 percent drop in crime citywide during the first half of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.
According to official crime statistics certified by the New Jersey State Police, through the first six months of 2009, Jersey City realized significant decreases in both violent and non-violent crime categories, with a 17.7 percent drop for six of the eight categories in crime overall for the first half of this year. Overall, violent crime dropped in the first half of 2009 by 18.9 percent, while non-violent crime dropped by 17.3 percent.
The most significant decrease in violent crime was in the category of robbery, which dropped 26.4 percent during the first six months of this year in comparison to last year at the same time. This steep drop was followed similarly in the aggravated assault category with an 11.3 percent decline during the first half of this year.
In the non-violent crime category, arsons dropped by 51 percent, car thefts and attempted car thefts saw a 23.4 percent drop, home and business burglaries declined 18.1 percent the first half of the year compared to the first half of 2008, and thefts dropped 14.5 percent compared to the first six months of 2008.
Howvever in the violent c rime category, there was no change in the homicide category, with 15 incidents for the first six months of both 2008 and 2009.
Tthere were a total of 26 sexual assaults in the first half of this year, three more during the same period in 2008.
The issue of the homicides was covered in a Jersey City Reporter article in August. CLICK HERE to read it.
But the crime decreases were impressive enough for Mayor Healy.
“Whenever you see crime, particularly violent crime, decrease, it is a positive measure of not only the effectiveness of police work, but also the success of the Police Department’s partnership with residents,” Healy said. – RK