last year; car thefts down
By Alison Granito
Staff Writer
ABERDEEN — Crime in the township rose in nearly every category measured by the New Jersey Uniform Crime Report last year.
The total crime index in the township went up from 379 in 1999 to 420 in 2000, with violent crimes jumping from 21 in 1999 to 35 in 2000 and nonviolent crimes jumping from 358 to 385.
The crime rate increased from 21.3 to 24.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2000 with the violent crime rate up from 1.2 to 2 crimes per 1,000 residents and the nonviolent crime rate up from 20.2 to 22.1 per 1,000 residents in 2000.
As far as violent crimes go, the murder rate remained at zero from 1999-2000. Rapes increased from zero to two. Robbery dropped from seven to four in 2000, while aggravated assaults more than doubled from 14 in 1999 to 29 in 2000.
Nonviolent crimes were up in three of the four major categories with burglary increasing from 51 instances in 1999 to 61 in 2000, larceny rising from 284 to 311, and arsons going from four to five, while motor vehicle theft dropped from 23 in 1999 to 13 in 2000.
Bias crimes in the township also rose from two in 1999 to seven in 2000.
Aberdeen police officials did not return calls for comment on the Uniform Crime Report.