Crime Report Shows Mixed Bag in 2009

Crime statistics released in the fall for 2009 show fluctuations in different categories of crime. Nonviolent crime decreased while violent crimes increased in both East Windsor and Cranbury, and both types of crime dropped in Hightstown.

According to a release from state Attorney General Paula T. Down, the annual Uniform Crime Report, prepared by the State Police Uniform Crime Reporting Unit, measures offenses committed during the period spanning from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2009. 

The report contains data on the rate of reported Index Crimes–offenses which fall into seven crime categories, including the four violent index crimes of murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, and the three nonviolent index crimes of burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.  The UCR also contains separate statistical reports on bias crimes, carjacking and domestic violence.

Cranbury

Cranbury saw a 14-percent nonviolent crime decrease in  2009, down to 47 from the 55 that were reported in 2008, according to the UCR. The largest decrease in that category in the township was in regards to burglary, with 21 incidents reported in 2008 and only 3 reported in 2009.

Chief Rickey Varga attributed that decrease in burglaries to the round-the-clock patrol of the Route 130 corridor.

"In the past, many of our burglaries have come from the various warehouses we have in the municipality, when thieves have the cover of darkness to carry out the thefts," he said.

Cranbury's police have responded by stepping up their patrol of this area and working with the owners of the properties in order to help and protect, he added.

Notable increases were seen in instances of larceny, up 25 percent from 2008. Domestic violence also increased from one reported incident in 2008 to 5 reported in 2009.

Violent crime saw a slight increase, bucking the statewide trend of an 8 percent drop in the 2009 UCR.

The report said that Cranbury, which is classified as a suburban/rural town with a population index of 3,927, saw three more reported aggravated assault instances in 2009, up from just one reported incident in 2008.

This rise, Varga noted, is not necessarily from arbitrary attacks committed on random residents, but more often a technical upgrade of an assault charge committed against an officer during an incident.

He also said that in smaller towns, one or two more or less incidents has the power to register as huge statistical jumps on the UCR. 

"When you're looking at percentages, two incidents or three incidents can mean to a 20 to 80 percent increase for us, where as in a larger urban area, you would be talking about [dozens] or hundreds of incidents," he said.

Honing in on crime trends in larger neighboring municipalities, such as Plainsboro and South Brunswick, and same-sized municipalities, like Hightstown and Allentown, also assists in keeping Cranbury police vigilant, the chief said.

The township police force currently has 17 officers. Chief Varga took over for former Chief Edward Kahler, who retired in April.

Chief Varga said that although the force is holding strong, he doesn't imagine they could operate with any fewer officers then they have now.

"We have a huge daytime population, between the Route 130 corridor, the warehouses, and the schools and government buildings," he added.

East Windsor

East Windsor's nonviolent crime saw a 16 percentage decrease, down to 270 instances from the 324 that were reported in 2009, according to the UCR.

Burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft saw the biggest statistical drops in the nonviolent crime category.

 In 2008, there were 48 reported burglaries within the township, and in 2009 there were 26 reported. There were five fewer motor vehicle thefts in 2009, bringing the total down to 10 reported incidents.

Although the Mercer County municipality saw an overall decrease in its crime total index, violent crime saw increases in aggravated assault, up four incidents to a total of 17 incidents in 2009.

Chief William Spain said the differences between the numbers in 2008 and 2009 were more or less routine.

"You can be almost a victim of low crime numbers," he said. "Overall we're pleased the overall total crime index went down nearly 16 percent.

"We did notice a slight uptick in what they refer to as violent crimes and they're really attributable to normal year-to-year fluctuation, and examining the incidents really doesn't lead to any type of conclusion other than that," he added.

Hightstown

In the nearby borough,  both nonviolent and violent crime saw overall decreases, bringing the 2009 UCR total crime index down from 91 to 77 reported instances in the 1.23 square mile municipality.

Violent crime saw a 38-percent decrease, with eight reported instances in 2009, down from 13 in 2008. The crime report showed a drop in the robbery category, down to one reported instance in 2009, compared to six instances reported in 2008.

According to the FBI listing, there were two reported rapes in 2009, and there were no rapes on record in 2008.

The borough, which has an estimated population index of 5, 295, saw a 38-percent increase in burglaries in the nonviolent category. Burglaries, categorized by the UCR as a violent crime, went down from 6 instances in 2008 to only one reported in 2009.

Bias crimes saw marked decreases of more than 50 percent in both East Windsor and Hightstown.

Chief James Eufemia did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Editor Geoffrey Wertime contributed to this report.