2016 FBI Crime Report: Violent Crimes Rose Slightly In Scotch Plains, Fanwood

SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD, NJ — Violent crimes in both Scotch Plains and Fanwood in 2016 rose slightly, 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 Scotch Plains — robberies, aggravated assault, rape, murder and manslaughter — rose slightly overall to nine total in 2016, according to the reports. That is up from five reported in 2015. In 2014 there were 19 reported.

In 2016, the violent crimes broke down to three rapes and six aggravated assault versus in 2015 with four robberies and one aggravated assault. In 2014 there was one murder, 11 robberies and seven aggravated assaults.

In Fanwood, violent crimes rose slightly with three reported in 2016 up from one in 2015 and zero in 2014. In 2016, the violent crimes broke down to three aggravated assaults versus in 2015 with one robbery.

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

As for property crimes, motor vehicle thefts went down slightly for Scotch Plains and Fanwood.

For Scotch Plains: There were 153 property crimes total reported in 2016, down from 197 in 2015. Thefts and larcenies, which make up the bulk of the property crimes, declined from 156 in 2015 to 119 in 2016. There were 177 thefts/larcenies reported in 2014, according to FBI data.

Burglaries, which had fallen slightly from 52 in 2014 to 33 in 2015 to 31 in 2016.

Motor vehicle thefts also declined slightly from five in 2014 to eight in 2015 to three in 2016, according to the data.

For Fanwood: There were 54 property crimes total reported in 2016, up from 40 in 2015. Thefts and larcenies, which make up the bulk of the property crimes, rose from 30 in 2015 to 41 in 2016. There were 48 thefts/larcenies reported in 2014, according to FBI data.

Burglaries rose slightly from seven in 2015 to 12 in 2016. There were 10 burglaries reported in 2014.

Motor vehicle thefts fell from three in 2015 to one in 2016, according to the data. There were zero reported in 2014.

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.

Scotch Plains' population for 2016 is listed at 24,144, according to the report, a decrease of 35 residents from 2015. While Fanwood's population for 2016 is 7,677, according to the report, a decrease of 50 of 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)

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