Violent Crime Up In Newark For 2021, But Down Over 3-Year Period

NEWARK, NJ — Violent crime trended upward in Newark during 2021, according to the city’s annual policing summary. But the past three years have seen big overall gains for the city, too, officials say.

On Wednesday, Newark public safety officials announced the 2021 crime numbers for the city at an online news conference (watch the video below).

Newark hasn’t been without tragedy this year, including a night of “senseless violence” that left eight people wounded in November. And a day before the city’s news conference, a teen died after being shot in the city. But police and community members are fighting back against the violence – and they’re making headway, officials claimed.

“While we are not putting a victory flag in the ground, we are pleased with the job police are doing with the assistance of the community,” Mayor Ras Baraka said.

Highlights from this year’s report included:

• VIOLENT CRIME – Violent crime in Newark rose by 4 percent in 2021 vs. 2020, with homicides up by 6 percent in 2021 as compared to last year. Non-fatal shootings rose by 13 percent in 2021 vs. 2020.
• GUN RECOVERIES – Police recovered 758 illegal firearms in 2021, which is up 26 percent from last year. Recovery of “ghost guns” rose by 414 percent, with 37 recovered in 2021 vs. only 7 in 2020.
• PROPERTY CRIME – Auto thefts are up 18 percent this year, due largely to drivers leaving their vehicles running and unattended, police said. Other property crimes are down in every other category, with reductions in burglaries, thefts from auto and other thefts.

Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara said that during the last three years the city has seen the lowest number of murders in 60 years.

“You would have to go back to [John F. Kennedy], when he was president in the early 60’s, to get three similar years that compare to what we have seen here in this city over the last three years,” O’Hara said.

“Overall, our crime figures for 2021 show that crime has been cut in half since 2013, a year before Mayor Baraka was elected,” O’Hara said.

• See related article: Crime Is Dropping Big Time In Newark, Officials Say

POLICE FUNDING/SOCIAL WORKERS

This year, the city reallocated 5 percent of its police budget to create the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, which provides social services to residents in an effort to break the cycle of violence.

The Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery assists in crime reduction by coordinating the services of the Shani Baraka Women’s Resource Center; Brick City Peace Collective; Office of Wellbeing; Anti-Racism and Hate Crime Unit and Trauma Recovery Unit, a mental health hospital-based violence intervention program.

• See related article: Newark Will Take $12M From Police, Reinvest In Social Services

The city also graduated its first class of 10 social workers along with 67 Newark police recruits this year, and held an “earn to learn” summer program that provided people ages 14 and up with life skills and entrepreneurial skills.

“We cannot arrest our way out of violence and trauma,” Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery Director Lakeesha Eure said.

• See related article: Newark Police Recruits, Social Workers Graduate Side-By-Side

VIOLENCE REDUCTION INITIATIVE

On Wednesday, officials also gave an update on the Newark Police Violence Reduction Initiative, a three-part effort to reduce crime in the city.

As one part of the plan, new officers are being assigned to the city’s downtown area and to augment patrols in neighborhoods with a “high concentration of crime.” As far back as mid-August, O’Hara increased minimum staffing requirements for the precincts in areas with most calls for service. This move reduced community waiting time for police response by 32 percent, officials said.

The Newark Police Division also increased the number of Shooting Response Team and Criminal Intel personnel by 30 percent each. The police division has also increased its use of NPD-1, the Newark police helicopter, and a drone for crime deterrence, authorities said.

And as part of its effort to curb juvenile violence, youth involved in crime are being referred to social workers for assistance. Police are also collaborating with community partners through the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery to address juvenile crime through its relationships with the Brick City Peace Collective and HUB Arts & Trauma Center to keep juveniles engaged in positive activities.

Newark police are also collaborating with the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, Newark Community Street Team and Newark Street Academy, and other community stakeholders to “get ahead of retaliatory violence,” authorities said.

• See related article: Newark Taps Social Workers, Community To Slow Uptick In Violence

HIRING/TRAINING

The police division welcomed 113 recruits into the Essex County Police Academy on Dec. 14, 2021, bringing the current head count of Newark police officers to 1,036.

This year, Newark police participated in Arrest and Control Training for suspect and officer safety; Trauma to Trust Training; Supervisory Stop, Search and Arrest Training; and Community Policing.

As part of a federal consent decree, Newark police training undergoes an auditing process. The police division reports that it passed all audits with at least a score of 95 percent in 2021.

TECHNOLOGY

The Newark Police Division assigned a liaison to the Jersey City Police Department/Hudson Essex Advanced Technology (HEAT) Unit to aid in gun violence investigations. Each patrol officer is receiving a cell phone that offers access to ShotSpotter and the city’s surveillance cameras, officials said.

In 2021, Newark police also began integrating video surveillance systems from private businesses, public housing and police to assist detectives in efficiently conducting investigations. Police are also integrating a system that will send texts to individuals who call police for service to seek their feedback on their experience during the police interaction, officials said.

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