by Jessica Ercolino, Staff Writer
Most municipalities in The Messenger-Press coverage area saw an increase in crime during 2006, according to the Uniform Crime Report, compiled by the State Police and released last week
The annual report outlines crime totals for every New Jersey town. The report shows the number of incidents of violent crimes and nonviolent offenses.
The crime rate per 1,000 people increased in Allentown, Millstone, Plumsted and Upper Freehold last year. Washington was the only municipality in the coverage area to see a decline in that category.
Allentown
Allentown saw two additional violent crimes and a 33 percent increase in nonviolent crimes per 1,000 people, according to the report.
According to this and previous crime reports, Allentown had reported only one violent crime between 2003 and 2005; in 2006, there were three.
Police said Monday they had not yet viewed the report and could not comment.
Though the borough had the fewest crime incidents of the municipalities covered by The Messenger-Press (Millstone, Plumsted, Upper Freehold and Washington), its crime rate per 1,000 people rose from 8.5 to 12.9 between 2005 and 2006, a 52 percent increase.
Allentown’s 2005 population, according to the UCR, was 1,858 and has not noticeably changed since. Population density was 3,096.7 people per square mile.
The borough also saw a jump in nonviolent crime per 1,000 people, with a 66 percent and 18 percent increase in both burglary and larceny, respectively. There were three burglaries and 17 instances of larceny last year.
Motor vehicle crimes remained the same between 2005 and 2006, with one instance reported each year. The domestic violence rate slightly decreased from four reports in 2005 to three in last year.
Plumsted
Plumsted saw a 40 percent decrease in violent crime per 1,000 people between 2005 and 2006, but a 15 percent increase in nonviolent crime according to the annual report.
According to the UCR, the township experienced a sharp increase in motor vehicle thefts. The number of incidents remained almost the same from 2004 to 2005, but tripled from five in 2005 to 15 last year.
Police said Tuesday that the increase may have been caused by dirt bike or four-wheeled vehicle thefts being included in that number, but Lt. George Titko said he had not yet seen the 2006 UCR either.
Domestic violence reports significantly dropped from 49 to 11. Aggravated assault incidents also decreased from eight to three, according to the report.
”I think the decrease in crime says a lot for the department,” said Lt. Titko. “It’s a result of additional manpower and a proactive patrol with high visibility.”
The UCR reported two rapes and two arsons in Plumsted during 2006, while there were no reports of either crime the previous year.
Plumsted is 40.7 square miles, with a population of 8,047 in 2005. The population density was 197.7 people per square mile.
Upper Freehold
The overall number of crimes in Upper Freehold increased approximately 57 percent between 2005 and 2006, according to the UCR.
Reported larceny (theft) nearly doubled, from 25 reports in 2005 and 49 in 2006. Burglary and bias crime increased slightly, from nine to 10 and zero to one, respectively.
Domestic violence declined 46 percent, according to the report. There were 13 in 2005 and seven last year. Motor vehicle theft also slightly decreased, from four cases in 2005 to three in 2006.
There were four aggravated assault reports in both years, accounting for the only violent crimes in the township.
Upper Freehold’s 2006 population, according to the report, was 6,638. The population density was 139.9 people per square mile. The township is 47.45 square miles in area.
Millstone
Though the number of violent crimes in Millstone declined, the crime rate per 1,000 people increased 37 percent between 2005 and 2006, according to the UCR.
Like Plumsted, Millstone saw a sharp increase in motor vehicle theft last year. The report shows the number of car thefts increase from five to 12. In 2004, Millstone reported four car thefts.
Larceny also showed a significant change, climbing from 47 to 69, a 47 percent increase. Burglary increased almost 29 percent, with 21 cases in 2005 and 27 in 2006. There were also two burglaries and two arsons reported last year, one more reported case of each than in 2005.
Aggravated assault decreased from five cases to two, and domestic violence fell 58 percent in 2006. There were no rapes reported in 2006, down from one in 2005.
Millstone’s 2006 population was 10,123. The population density was 270.8 per square mile. The township is 37.38 square miles in area.
Washington
Washington saw a slight decrease in a majority of categories between 2005 and 2006, including an 6 percent drop in crime rate per 1,000 people, according to the UCR.
Violent crimes dropped from nine to eight, and nonviolent crimes decreased from 127 to 122.
The most significant changes were in burglary and domestic violence reports. There were 25 reported burglaries in 2005 and 18 in 2006, a 28 percent drop. Domestic violence dropped 17 percent, with 117 incidents being reported in 2005 and 97 last year.
There were five reports of aggravated assault in 2006, one less than the previous year. Robbery reports also dropped from three to two last year.
The only categories Washington Township saw an increase in were rape and larceny. There was one rape reported last year and zero in 2005. Larceny rose from 90 to 95 instances last year.
Police said Tuesday they had not yet seen the report and could not comment.
Washington Township is 20.70 square miles in area. Its population in 2005 was 11,619, according to the annual report. The population density was 561.3 per square mile.