For the 12th consecutive year, there were no murders reported in Lawrence Township, but the number of car thefts jumped from 23 in 2012 to 36 last year
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
For the 12th consecutive year, there were no murders reported in Lawrence Township, but the number of car thefts jumped from 23 in 2012 to 36 last year, according to the Lawrence Township Police Department’s 2013 annual report.
The overall number of major crimes reported in Lawrence last year was virtually unchanged from 2012. Major crimes are defined as homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson. State law requires those crimes to be reported to the New Jersey State Police.
There were 982 major crimes reported in 2012, and 980 reported in 2013 — making 2013 the second safest year in 25 years, said Acting Chief of Police Mark Ubry. Only in 2009 were there fewer major crimes, when there were 974 crimes reported in Lawrence Township.
There have been no murders in Lawrence since 2001, according to the report. There were no rapes in 2013, although there were five reported in 2012. Assaults declined by 12 percent — from 169 to 148. Burglaries also declined slightly — from 95 in 2012 to 94 in 2013. There was one case of arson, compared to three in 2012.
But the number of other crimes increased, such as robbery. There were 28 robberies — theft that is accompanied by the threat or use of force — in Lawrence in 2013, but only 19 in 2012. That’s a 47 percent increase. Thefts increased by 1 percent, climbing from 668 to 673.
”(The increase in robberies) can be attributed to shoplifting offenses in which (physical) force was used by the accused against loss prevention personnel,” Chief Ubry said. There were fewer shoplifting incidents reported in 2013 as compared to 2012. There were 250 in 2012, but only 201 in 2013.
However, the number of car thefts jumped from 23 in 2012 to 36 last year. Chief Ubry attributed the increase in car thefts to residents’ leaving their cars unlocked — and with the key in it. He urged residents to remove the key from the car and to lock it. In 16 of the 36 car thefts, the key was left in the car.
The number of car thefts in Lawrence last year pales when compared to the 618 car thefts that occurred in 1991 — the peak year for car thefts. Likewise, the peak year for burglaries was 295 break-ins, also in 1991.
Of the 94 burglaries in 2013, 62 were residential burglaries — houses, garages and sheds. In many instances, burglars did not have to force their way into the house or garage or shed because a window or door was left open or unlocked. Force was more likely to have been used in the 32 burglaries that targeted businesses.
”The community could help us in the area of motor vehicle thefts (by removing the key and locking the car),” Chief Ubry said. Residents also could help reduce the number of burglaries by locking their doors and windows.
The Lawrence Township Police Department tries to identify issues in order to stop them before they become a problem, he said. That’s why police officers are assigned to a specific zone for a full year, allowing the officers to become familiar with a particular area of the township. It also enables them to become familiar with issues in that neighborhood and to work with the community to solve them.
The Police Department believes in the theory of pro-active policing — maintaining a visible presence in the community, Chief Ubry said. If a police officer stops a motorist for a violation, the officer seeks to find out if the driver is wanted on a warrant.
”The officers are looking beyond the ‘stop.’ They ask questions and as a result, they find people with outstanding warrants and drugs. Due to their pro-active efforts, narcotics arrests have increased and warrant arrests have increased,” Chief Ubry said.
Although these offenses are not included in the Uniform Crime Report statistics reported to the New Jersey State Police, the number of narcotic drug law offenses soared from 75 in 2012 to 143 in 2013. Warrant arrests, which take criminals off the streets, also increased — from 765 to 852.
”I am happy that crime stayed the same, but I would like to do better. Residents can help us by securing their cars and their homes. We can do better in 2014,” Chief Ubry said.

