Homicides Up But Crime Down Overall in Camden County

Crime in Camden County decreased by 5.5 percent from 2011-2012, according to statistics released last week by the Department of Law and Public Safety.

The 2012 Uniform Crime Report tracks seven categories of criminal incidents, including murder, rape, robbery, assault, larceny, burglary and motor vehicle theft, from Jan. 1, 2012 through Dec. 31, 2012. According to the State Office of the Attorney General, crime throughout the state dropped four percent from 2011-2012.

Camden County specific data reflects that of the state overall, as there were decreases in the number of robberies and assaults, but an increase in the number of murders. The number of rapes was down in the county, but up in the state.

The biggest change came in the number of homicides, which increased from 58 in 2011 to 71 in 2012, for a 22.4 percent change.

The state saw an overall increase to 387 in 2012 from 375 in 2011.

“While the latest crime data shows a decrease in the overall crime rate in New Jersey, there is still considerable room for improvement,” Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said in a prepared statement. “Reducing the number of shootings and murders in our urban areas continues to be a priority for the Attorney General’s Office and the New Jersey State Police.  The State Police will continue to support our cities in reducing senseless shootings and murders.”

In 2013, there was a record number of homicides in Camden alone, where 67 murders were reported.

Those homicides, which took place after statistics were collected for the most recent Uniform Crime Report, prompted the FBI to name Camden the most dangerous city in America. The previous record was set in 1995, when 58 murders were reported in the city.

Assault was down 4 percent in the county, while simple assault was down 6.5 percent. There was an 8.6 percent decrease in robberies and a 7.5 percent decrease in burglaries.

There was a 7.2 percent decrease in rape, down to 108 incidents from 119, but there were two more attempted rapes, up from six incidents in 2011 to eight in 2012.

The state saw a six percent decrease in robberies, and a four percent decrease in aggravated assault. There were 969 reported rapes, compared to 917 the previous year.