E.B. crime takes a dive over last 15 years Reported larcenies and motor vehicle thefts are down

E.B. crime takes a dive over last 15 years
Reported larcenies
and motor vehicle thefts are down


East Brunswick bicycle patrols may have led to a decrease in crime along Route 18. East Brunswick bicycle patrols may have led to a decrease in crime along Route 18.

By nicole c. vaccaro

Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Whenever crime decreases in a community of more than 40,000 people, its residents should be happy. And when that decrease is significant in number, its residents should be impressed.

The new State Police Uniform Crime Report, which includes incidents from 1998-99, reflected a 38.8 percent decrease in reported motor vehicle thefts throughout the township.

More significant, however, is that this number has made the overall decrease during the last 15 years reach 71.52 percent.

Larceny in town has also decreased by 5.8 percent this year, averaging 27.5 percent over the last 15.

While it would be impossible to attribute this decrease to any one source, one can’t overlook the efforts of the police department. Most specifically, the Anti-Crime and Patrol 18 units.

Both divisions were started back in 1998 when Thomas W. Finn took over as the department’s director of public safety and police chief.

"Chief Finn resurrected the Anti-Crime Unit and it’s really paid off," said Sgt. Russ MacArthur.

"It seems to be more than coincidence that these crimes dropped almost 45 percent during the same period of time that the [Anti-Crime] unit was reborn."

The Anti-Crime Unit consists of four officers and a sergeant. All are dressed in plain clothes and ride in unmarked cars, heavily focusing on the area of Route 18.

"These officers make an impressive number of arrests," MacArthur said. "But more importantly is that they have been successful in keeping repeat offenders away."

But keeping Route 18 under close watch is no four-man job, especially with its being home to hundreds of retail, grocery stores and restaurants, all of which are key targets for criminals.

Perhaps that is where Project 18 comes into play.

The two-man operation started with the acquisition of a federal grant two years ago and is run by officers Chuck Garrett and Bob Witting.

"The group’s primary responsibility is community crime prevention and education," Garrett said. "Unlike the Anti-Crime Unit, Project 18 officers are highly visible. We ride bicycles and are dressed in a standard uniform.

"So far, this tactic has proven to be a fairly successful one in deterring crime. After all, a thief is less likely to commit a wrongful act if he or she can see we’re in the vicinity," Garrett added.

Unlike the Anti-Crime Unit’s ability to keep track of their arrests, Garrett said that it is nearly impossible to measure the success of Project 18’s crime prevention tactics.

"We’d like to think we played a part in the decrease in crime throughout town, but there is really no concrete way to prove it," Garrett said. "All we can do is continue to work together with all officers, including the patrol and Anti-Crime units, and hope for the best."

Project 18 holds regular meetings to discuss various aspects of and techniques for retail loss prevention.

The next one will be held on Sept. 20 at the East Brunswick Library and will focus on credit card theft. A representative from American Express will be on hand to educate and offer advice to store managers that attend.

This special patrol is also responsible for the institution of a neighborhood watch in the residential areas of town.

"Every one of our officers give 110 percent. The patrolmen are young and eager to excel," MacArthur said. "So I’m fairly confident that their hard work and determination has contributed to keeping criminals in check."