Carteret, NJ – Mayor Dan Reiman joined with councilman Skippy Sitarz, Chairman of the Police Committee, to issue a statement on newly released numbers from the New Jersey State Police’s Uniform Crime Reporting Unit showing a marked reduction in crimes committed within the Borough1:
“While any crime is a concern, and there is always more to be done, I am very encouraged by this state police report showing a significant improvement. Our comprehensive approach to fighting and preventing crime has begun to show serious results, and we will continue to work tirelessly in these efforts,” said Reiman. “From putting more cops in uniform and on the street, to strengthening our Neighborhood Watch Program, and from increasing lighting and camera systems, to adding surveillance in high-risk areas, the police department will work with residents and any interested party to improve Carteret.”
The numbers compared the frequency of various types of criminal activity, including burglary, assault, and robbery, from January – September 2013 to the same time period in 2014. Some highlights from the report include the following:
- 21.7% reduction in robberies
- 11.1% reduction in assault
- 38.1% reduction in motor vehicle theft
- 18.9% reduction in forcible entry
- 18.6% reduction in larceny theft
In addition to the current reduction of 16.3% YTD, the borough saw a 3.1% reduction in crime from 2013 over 2012, and a 19.4% reduction from 2014 over 2012.
“The men and women of the Carteret Police Department work day and night to keep Carteret a safe place to call home, and for that, we are tremendously grateful,” remarked Reiman. “It is because of their continued dedication ‘to serve and protect’ that we are able to cheer today’s report.”
As part of the anti-crime initiative, the borough recently installed a CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) system that assists 9-1-1 operators by automatically dispatching emergency service personnel to the scene of incidents. The new system also allows supervisors and dispatchers to monitor all police vehicles via an on-board GPS to help identify the closest unit to a call. Additionally, every police car is equipped with a camera system and Mobile Data Terminal. The in-car computers give immediate access to the criminal database and Motor Vehicle Lookup, while also allowing the officer to remain on the road when entering reports into the system.
In the past two years alone, the borough has added 19 special law enforcement officers, including former military and retired police officers who can focus on routine patrol and motor vehicle enforcement, which allows the full-time officers to focus on crime prevention. By order of the mayor, the police department also significantly increased the minimum level of staffing to ensure adequate police presence 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“These numbers show a very favorable trend in the right direction. I have served on the council for a time in the 1970’s, 80’s, 90’s, and now consecutively since 2003. The crime rate today is nearly half of what is was in the 1980’s and 1990’s,” said Councilman Joseph Sitarz.2
“Certain statistics within the categories on crime will fluctuate – and the NJ State Police Crime Reporting Unit report shows this fluctuation – the fact remains, crime is down substantially, nearly 20% in total over the last two years,” Reiman added.
References
- “New Jersey State Police – UCR – Current Crime Data.”New Jersey State Police – UCR – Current Crime Data. New Jersey State Police, 5 Dec. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
- “New Jersey Crime Reports.”New Jersey Crime Results. Asbury Park Press, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2014.
