Nonviolent Crime Up in Ocean County; Violent Crime Down Slightly

Nonviolent crime in Ocean County jumped 8 percent from 2009 to 2010, state data released last week shows. During the same period, violent crime fell by 1 percent county wide.

State officials released the 2010 Uniform Crime Report last week, a 233-page document that serves as the state's analysis of crime in an immense number of categories, including county-by-county data.

In Ocean County, 1.2 of every 1,000 residents was a victim of a violent crime in 2010, while 19.9 out of every 1,000 residents was the victim of a nonviolent crime that year. Compared to neighboring counties, Ocean County's crime was relatively low; in Monmouth County, the violent crime rate was 2 per 1,000 residents and the nonviolent crime rate was 22.2 per 1,000 residents. In Atlantic County, the violent crime rate was 5.7 per 1,000 residents and the nonviolent rate was 36.7 per 1,000.

In all, there were 215 robberies, including eight bank robberies, 2,300 burglaries, and 8,881 larcenies – smaller thefts including pickpockets, purse snatchings, vehicle parts or bicycles – last year in Ocean County. There were twice as many daytime burglaries as night time burglaries, the data showed.

Altogether, Ocean County residents and business owners had $14,788,168 in property stolen last year, of which $2,185,859 was recovered.

Regarding major violent crimes in Ocean County, the report said that the number of murders increased from five in 2009 to 12 in 2010, while rapes decreased from 52 to 32 in the same time period. Burglaries increased by about 300; the number of aggravated assaults remained virtually the same. Of the county's 1,083 police officers, 104 were victims of an assault.

When all was said and done, 17,875 arrests were made in Ocean County, including 1,758 juveniles who found themselves in handcuffs.

When officials spoke to Toms River and Brick Patches earlier this year when local crime data was released, they said they blame drugs for spurring increased property crime in those towns.

“It doesn’t seem to be the economic situation that the country is in,” Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy . “There seems to be, from the arrests that we’re making, a direct correlation between property crime — the burglaries and thefts — and the abuse of prescription drugs and heroin.”

Statewide, the overall crime rate in New Jersey increased 1 percent compared to the previous year, while total violent crime edged up less than one-half of one percent.

“Our latest crime data shows a slight increase in the overall crime rate in New Jersey,” said Attorney General Paula Dow, in a statement. “We must be aggressive and smart in fighting crime, especially during this economic crisis facing our state and nation.”