Crime on the Decline in East Brunswick

Crime in East Brunswick dropped in 2010 for the third year in a row, according to the state Uniform Crime Report.

The UCR is based on crime statistics submitted to the New Jersey Uniform Crime Reporting System by every state law enforcement agency. According to the report, both violent and non-violent crime dropped slightly from 2009 to 2010.

According to the report, there were 44 incidents of violent crime in 2010, compared with 52 in 2009. The year before that, there were 237 incidents.

In 2010, there were zero murders, four incidents of reported forcible rape, 15 incidents of robbery, and 25 incidents of aggravated assault.

Violent crimes in 2009 included one murder, six rapes, 21 robberies and 24 aggravated assaults. In 2008, the township saw one murder, six rapes, 83 robberies and 147 aggravated assaults.

According to the report, there were 833 incidents of reported property crime in 2010, including 89 burglaries, 721 reports of larceny or theft 23 motor vehicle thefts and four incidents of arson.

In 2009 there were 125 burglaries, 793 larcenies, 27 motor vehicle thefts, six reports of arson, 159 incidents of domestic violence and 16 incidents of bias crimes. In 2008, there were 448 burglaries, 1,593 larcenies, 171 motor vehicle thefts, five reports of arson, 306 cases of domestic violence and four bias crimes.

Bias domestic violence crimes were not listed in this year’s report.

Detective Sgt. Kevin Zebro attributed the drop in crime to a proactive police force, which is 80 members strong, and community awareness.

“The department continues to work to ensure the number of officers assigned to uniform patrol remains the same to ensure a constant, visible police presence and a quick response to calls for assistance,” he said.

When asked if community outreach programs to students and adults help, Detective Sgt. Zebro said yes.

“Yes, I believe community policing activities such as youth academy and various presentations/interactions with the schools have assisted in the decline,” he said. “Community outreach programs go far beyond the school level as well. We are involved in providing education to a variety of groups, such as senior citizens, to ensure we help everyone minimize their chances of being the victim of a crime. By keeping residents aware, we are working to keep them safe.”

The drop in crime locally comes despite an increaseinly small staff, a trend that can be found throughout the state, according to state PBA spokesman South Brunswick Police Sgt. Jim Ryan. In 2008, the East Brunswick Police Department force had 235 employees and in 2009, it had less than 100. This year there are 80 police officers on the force.

"We're seeing a lot of communities with reassessed priorities as far as what the police departments can and can't do anymore," Sgt. Ryan said. "When you look at the numbers, there are almost 3,800 less officers throughout the state than there were on Jan. 1, 2010. The loss of that many officers will obviously have an impact. The majority of those losses were in major cities like Newark, Camden, Atlantic City, Trenton and some others. They're all seeing a significant reduction in law enforcement officers and that will have an impact."