By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Burglaries and assaults decreased in Princeton as part of a drop in major crime categories for 2015, a year in which the department received more than 41,000 service calls, issued nearly 28,000 parking tickets and made more than 200 additional arrests.
“We continue to have a very safe community,” Mayor Liz Lempert said Tuesday by phone.
Assaults fell from 73 in 2014 to 55, and burglaries decreased from 52 to 42, according to police data. Also, robberies went from six to two, while motor vehicle thefts rose from three to six. But officials warned against reading into any crime trends given the overall low numbers.
The town had no homicides and one rape for 2015, the same amount as for 2014. In all, there were eight sexual assaults last year, compared to nine in 2014.
Other data points showed last year was a busy one for the department.
Police made 642 arrests, up from 412 in 2014, and received 41,727 service calls, up from 36,744. Officers also issued 7,166 summonses, up from 5,586.
Police Chief Nicholas K. Sutter on Tuesday attributed the increase in arrests and other categories to what he termed “proactive visibility” within the community.
With a fully staffed violations department, authorities issued 27,779 parking tickets last year, up from 19,089.
In other categories, the town had 902 motor vehicle accidents, an average of 75 per month. Officials want to lower that total.
Chief Sutter said the department is in the midst of compiling the top 10 accident areas, and then will marshal efforts both from the engineering and police departments to “decrease those numbers.” He said Nassau Street is likely going to be on the list.
That comes amid the town seeking to become more bike and pedestrian friendly through a series of planning steps that include creating a network of bike routes. The town has adopted a “complete streets” policy to make its streets safe for all users, not just motorists.
Mayor Lempert said the town wants to make its “infrastructure” safer for walkers, bikers and the disabled. “I think the question we need to be asking ourselves,” she said, “is how do we make streets safer and attractive for everybody.”
In 2015, there were 21 motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians and 14 involving bicyclists.
Mayor Lempert likes to ride her bike, although she said there are some parts of town in which she would not be comfortable riding.
“I think it depends where,” she said when asked if Princeton was safe to bike in.
“Bikes can definitely work,” said Councilwoman and police commissioner Heather H. Howard on Tuesday.
