Uniform Crime Reports for 2012, just released, represent a tool in the battle against crime, authorities say.
BY MATTHEW BULTMAN AND SARAH M. WOJCIK
The Express-Times
Crime in both Warren and Hunterdon counties dropped in 2012, following a trend that saw crime rates fall by more than 4 percent across the state.
Preliminary statistics announced Friday by New Jersey State Police indicate Warren County had a 6.2 percent drop in total crimes in 2012 compared with 2011. Hunterdon County also saw a 5.1 percent decrease in the same time period, statistics show.
Authorities in both areas attributed the decrease, in part, to cooperation and communication among law enforcement and police departments. Warren County Prosecutor Richard Burke also pointed to increased vigilance by residents and community members.
"It's one of those things where I think people in Warren County should probably be happy that we're trending in the right direction," he said. "I think it speaks to the diligence of our law enforcement community and the awareness of the public in letting us know when they see something."
In the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Metropolitan Statistical Area, according to Pennsylvania State Police Uniform Crime Report data, total crimes dropped 1.9 percent from 2011 to 2012.
Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Vincent D'Angelo, criminal investigation section commander for Troop M in Bethlehem, said he believes falling crime rates have a lot to do with better intelligence that's more easily shared among jurisdictions.
"There is a focus now on intelligence-led policing," D'Angelo said.
He said the proactive approach has become the latest way to conduct law enforcement within the past decade. New technological tools provide departments with daily visual briefings about suspects or wanted persons, allowing officers well outside a jurisdiction to make an arrest.
"All police departments are into a more proactive form of
policing," D'Angelo said. "They're not just waiting for a guy to walk in and
confess.
"It's about getting in there before there's a problem."
Homicide record set
Northampton County in 2012 saw an increase in murders to 10, from four in 2011, in large part because of Easton's record six homicides.
Echoing D'Angelo, Easton police Chief Carl Scalzo, who was promoted to chief that summer, said the city took a more proactive philosophy that has continued since. He's confident it's working.
"We took an aggressive approach to drug dealers and gangs," he said. "I don't have all the numbers yet, but '13 has been a much better year as far as violent crimes."
Scalzo said the department works quickly when gathering information on warrants and doesn't wait to strike. The result is an environment that's not very conducive to drug or gang operations, which are at the root of most of Easton's violent crime, according to the chief.
"What we want the message to be to anyone who wants to start doing crime in the city is count on being caught," said Scalzo. "It's so important that Easton becomes known as an uncomfortable place for criminals."
Scalzo said the city conducted between 36 and 40 raids in 2013 after starting the more aggressive work in the summer of 2012. He notes that the practice has some critics, but he's seen results.
"I feel like we've been successful," he said. "And we don't plan on taking our foot off the gas."
Consistent approach seen
In New Jersey, the statistics released Friday as part of the Uniform Crime Report showed a 4.5 percent decrease in crime statewide. Robberies and aggravated assaults were down, statistics show, while the murder rate edged up slightly and rapes also increased.
In Warren County, violent crime dropped more than 21 percent, from 107 reported incidents in 2011 to 84 in 2012. Meanwhile, nonviolent crime increased just a fraction of a percent.Burke said his office was trying to be more consistent with sentencings for those who have been convicted, which he believed may act as a deterrent for more serious crimes.
"We want to be as consistent as possible with that so people out there understand the consequences of their actions," he said.
Hunterdon County also saw a large drop in violent crimes, from 76 in 2011 to 45 in 2012.
Increases in reported crimes were limited almost exclusively to the burglary category, up 23 percent from 216 to 266.
Heroin's spread cited
Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office Detective Frank Crisologo said that spike can likely be explained by the heroin epidemic that has spread into the county.
"That leads to those addicted trying to find means to get money to obtain the drugs," he said.
In both northwest New Jersey counties, larceny was the most reported crime but was largely similar in numbers to previous years. Meanwhile, Warren County had one murder in 2012, while Hunterdon County had three.
Crisologo noted that Hunterdon County also had a more than 80 percent clearing rate for violent crimes, including a 100 percent rate for murder and rape. He said that may discourage potential criminals.
"There is a good likelihood that if you commit a crime in Hunterdon County you're going to be caught," he said.
Burke said Warren County officials would likely delve deeper into the statistics and analyze the data.
"We certainly look for trends and that sort of thing," he said. "It helps us get an idea whether we are concentrating our efforts in the right areas."
But there is more to the state of crime in an area than just the stats, Crisologo said.
"It provides factual statistics that we use to know trending things going from year to year," he said. "It's a valuable tool but it's just that, a tool. It's not the be-all, end-all."