Just in case anyone missed today’s Courier News, the paper has a huge article citing that serious, violent crimes are down in the City. Contrary to what my opponents Chris Christie, Bo Vastine, and Marty Marks say about crime going up and being out of control in Plainfield, the Courier News accurately cites the decrease in serious crimes within the City. Here is the article in case anyone missed it:
SERIOUS AND VIOLENT CRIME IN PLAINFIELD DIPS TO FIVE-YEAR LOW
PLAINFIELD — Serious and violent crime in the city has dipped to a five-year low, according to a midyear report compiled by the city's Police Division.
The report compared incidences of Part I crimes, which are tracked nationwide through the FBI's Uniform Crime Report and include murder, robbery, auto theft, burglary, rape, aggravated assault and larceny. The city had experienced 806 Part I crimes through July 6, the report said, constituting more than a 35 percent drop from a five-year high of 1,091 recorded through the same time in 2006 and about a 15 percent drop from last year's figure of 923.
"They're heartening," Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig said of the statistics at Monday evening's City Council meeting, during which details of the report were released to the public. "They're a reflection of what these men and women (police officers) do on a daily basis. They risk their lives."
Part I violent crimes also have dropped from a five-year high of 251 in 2006 to 190 during the first 27 weeks of the year, the report indicated. Part I property crimes have dropped from a five-year high of 840 in 2006 to 616.
The city experienced more than 2,000 Part I crimes in 2005 and 2006 before 1,774 occurred in 2007. The figure climbed to 1,891 thanks to a late-year crime surge in 2008, but the city is on pace for barely 1,500 this year.
The city's homicide rate, after climbing to an all-time high of 15 in 2005, dipped to four in 2007; just one homicide has been recorded this year, that of 18-year-old North Plainfield resident Christian Tigsi, who in February was gunned down on North Avenue near the city's downtown train station.
Hellwig on Monday attributed the improvements to a number of factors, including an influx of officers performing street patrols, increased usage of the division's mobile command unit and a renewed emphasis on community policing. He said the division currently is targeting repeat offenders who contribute to the city's crime rates, which remain higher than those of surrounding municipalities.
"I think we can do even better," Hellwig said, "if we get the individuals who are driving these numbers up off the streets."
Several council members praised the police division for its work, including Annie McWilliams, who said a recent request for assistance from West End residents complaining of drug activity and quality-of-life issues near the Liberty Village area resulted in the mobile command unit being parked there for a week with accompanying foot patrols. McWilliams said she received several phone calls from residents since, all thanking police for their efforts.
"The council appreciates this work," Council President Rashid Burney said. "It doesn't go unnoticed."
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