2016 FBI Crime Report: Violent Crimes Up Barely In New Providence, Berkeley Heights

NEW PROVIDENCE-BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — Crime in both New Providence and Berkeley Heights in 2016 stayed relatively the same, 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 New Providence — robberies, aggravated assault, rape, murder and manslaughter — rose slightly overall to one total in 2016, according to the reports. That is up from zero reported in 2015. The one total violent crime was from an aggravated assault.

In Berkeley Heights, violent crimes rose from zero in 2015 to one in 2016 for a rape.

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

Along with violent crimes, burglaries rose slightly in both New Providence and Berkeley Heights.

For New Providence: There were 56 property crimes total reported in 2016 and in 2015. Thefts and larcenies, which make up the bulk of the property crimes, rose slightly from 45 in 2015 to 46 in 2016, according to FBI data.

Burglaries, which had fallen to seven in 2016 from eight in 2015.

Motor vehicle thefts remained at three for both 2016 and 2015, according to the data.

For Berkeley Heights: There were 89 property crimes total reported in 2016, up from 59 in 2015. Thefts and larcenies, which make up the bulk of the property crimes, rose from 43 in 2015 to 73 in 2016, according to FBI data.

Burglaries fell from 13 in 2015 to eight in 2016.

Motor vehicle thefts rose from three in 2015 to eight 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.

New Providence's population for 2016 is listed at 12,461, according to the report, an increase of three residents from 2015. While Berkeley Heights' population for 2016 is 13,548, according to the report, a decrease of 54 residents from 2015.

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.

(Image via Shutterstock)

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.