2016 FBI Crime Report: Robberies, Thefts Rise In Brick

BRICK, NJ — Robberies and property crimes — thefts and burglaries — were on the rise in Brick Township in 2016, joining a national trend, according to data released by the FBI on Monday.

The information comes from the FBI’s annual report Crime in the United States. The publication is a statistical compilation of offense, arrest, and police employee data reported by law enforcement agencies voluntarily participating in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program, according to the FBI.

Violent crimes in Brick — robberies, aggravated assault, rape, murder and manslaughter — decreased overall to 71 total in 2016, according to the reports. That is down from 76 reported in 2015 and is a 20 percent decrease from the 89 reported in 2014. But while the total decreased, thanks in part a 23.6 percent drop in aggravated assaults from 55 to 42, robberies rose, from 9 in 2015 to 18 in 2016.

Watch: Violent Crime In The US Increased For The 2nd Year In A Row Last Year

Thefts/larcenies and burglaries both rose for the first time in five years, as the township — along with towns throughout Ocean County and across the country — continue to grapple with the opioid epidemic.

There were 1,059 property crimes total reported in 2016, up from 930 in 2015. Thefts and larcenies, which make up the bulk of the property crimes, rose from 770 in 2015 to 860 in 2016, an 11 percent increase. There were 941 thefts/larcenies reported in 2014, according to FBI data.

Burglaries, which had fallen to 144 in 2015, rose to 180 in 2016, a 25 percent increase. There were 202 burglaries reported in 2014.

Motor vehicle thefts rose by 2, from 16 in 2015 to 18 in 2016, according to the data.

Nationally, the FBI said the 2016 statistics showed an increase in the estimated number of violent crimes, with a 4.1 percent rise when compared with 2015 data. Nationally, property crimes dropped 1.3 percent.

The 2016 statistics show the estimated rate of violent crime was 386.3 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants nationally, and the estimated rate of property crime was 2,450.7 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate rose 3.4 percent compared with the 2015 rate, and the property crime rate declined 2.0 percent.

Brick's population for 2016 is listed at 74,818, according to the report, a decrease of 1,279 residents from 2015. In Brick, the figures equate to 94.89 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and 1,411.4 property crimes per 100,000 residents, both well below the national averages.

The UCR Program report for 2016 included information from 16,782 agencies across the country, out of 18,481 city, county, university and college, state, tribal, and federal agencies eligible to participate, the FBI said.

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