2 Largest Cities In NJ Are Seeing Big Drops In Murders, Shootings

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey’s two largest cities saw big drops in murders and shootings last year, authorities say.

Public safety officials in Newark, which has a population of 304,960, and Jersey City, which has 291,657 residents, recently released their 2024 crime statistics, including homicides and shootings. The numbers are down in both cities, officials reported.

Newark saw a 23 percent decrease in murders and a 9 percent decrease in non-fatal shootings last year. Meanwhile, Jersey City had a 40 percent drop in homicides and a 45 percent decrease in shootings.

The data wasn’t all good news. Newark’s overall violent crime rate – including robberies and aggravated assaults – ticked up 9 percent. In Jersey City, assaults were up 25 percent, rising from 789 to 986.

But according to officials in both cities, the recent drop in murders and shootings is an important sign of progress.

Last month, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and other officials said that the six homicides that the city had seen as of Dec. 5 was the lowest total in its history. Only 10 years ago, the municipality saw 24 homicides – a massive drop of 75 percent.

“While one homicide is still too many, our public safety initiatives are clearly making a difference,” Fulop said, crediting the lower numbers to community policing and recent investments in video surveillance cameras.

“We’ve put a lot of emphasis in changing the culture of our police department, and the driving force behind these historic crime decreases are the men and women in our police and fire departments, as well as our efforts to strengthen our partnerships with the state and federal prosecutorial agencies,” Public Safety Director James Shea said.

It’s not just a one-year gain for Jersey City, which has seen a steadily dropping homicide rate – partly due to an increase in staffing and a renewed focus on diversity, specialized training and strategic deployments. See Related: Jersey City Violent Crime Statistics Down In 2023, City Says

In Newark, officials have credited the turnaround to a new approach to policing, which views crime and violence as a “public health” issue that needs to be attacked in several ways – not simply making more arrests.

It’s working, officials say. Despite last year’s uptick in the overall violent crime rate, Newark is still seeing much less violence than it did in previous decades. See Related: Violent Crime Rises In Newark – But Is Still Lower Than Past Decades

This year’s results reflect a 61 percent decrease in murders and a 47 percent decrease in non-fatal shootings when compared to 2014, Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda Sr. said.

And when you go back further, the results are even more impressive, he said.

“This year’s crime stats reflect reductions in every crime category when compared to Newark’s crime stats from almost 60 years ago,” Miranda said.

“Our data shows that Newark experienced 84 murders in 1967,” he continued. “While one murder is one too many, that statistic has been reduced by 56 percent this year.”

Some pundits have pointed out that homicides only make up a small percentage of violent crime, which also includes assaults, rapes, robberies and other serious offenses. Meanwhile, other deadly crimes are committed without firearms, including multiple fatal stabbings that have taken place in Newark and Jersey City over the past few years.

FBI statistics show long-term reductions in overall violent crime for both cities during the past few decades, however.

The following graph from the FBI's crime data explorer shows the overall violent crime rate for Newark between January 1985 and December 2023, which includes homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults (article continues below).

Jersey City has also seen a long-term decrease in overall violent crime between January 1985 and December 2023, according to FBI data.

The homicide rate is also dropping nationwide, according to the FBI. Murders decreased by 22.7 percent across the U.S. between January and June as compared to the same time period in 2023. See Related: How Safe Are NJ Neighborhoods? Here’s What New FBI Crime Data Shows

There remains a lot of work to be done when it comes to fighting crime in New Jersey’s two largest cities. But despite what some critics allege, things are getting safer in Newark and Jersey City – and have been for some time now, officials claim.

“As one of the most densely populated cities in the U.S., what we have accomplished in Jersey City is a reflection of our strategic and community-focused approach to crime prevention that has redefined what’s possible for mid-sized cities across the state and nation,” Fulop said.

"It is amazing to see that through our innovative strategy of addressing violence as a public health issue – with Newark police daily collaborating and coordinating with the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery (OVPTR) – our 2024 crime report reflects decreases in every category when compared to stats dating as far back as the 1960s,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said.

“I applaud this incredibly effective public safety collaboration and encourage Newark police and OVPTR to continue working synergistically to ensure that the City of Newark keeps shining as a beacon of public safety hope throughout our great state and nation,” Baraka said.

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