2011 Uniform Crime Report for Collingswood

The number of criminal incidents in Collingswood was up about 2 percent in 2011, but violent crime fell slightly overall in the borough, according to the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) released by the New Jersey State Police last month.

Accounting for the slight uptick was a 14 percent increase in larcenies (383 in 2011 versus 335 in 2010), the most commonly reported crime in Collingswood. Rape was the only other crime to increase in number in 2011, with three incidents reported versus two in 2010.

All other violent and nonviolent crimes either decreased or remained static from 2010 to 2011, according to the report. In 2011, the nonviolent crime rate per 1,000 people in the borough was 36.8, up 1 percentage point from 35.8 in 2010. The violent crime rate per 2,000 people fell from 2.7 in 2010 to 2.4 in 2011.

The UCR offers a handful of observations surrounding the increase in larcenies: 

• Shoplifting is a theft that police have little or no control over. Store security forces are under the control of the store administration, and their policies vary from strict enforcement, arrest and prosecution, to only a warning.
• Policy change has been directed toward prosecuting the offenders rather than warning them, causing to some extent an increase in the number of shoplifting offenses reported to the police.
• Certain types of property, such as CD players, radar detectors and radios are popular and present resale opportunities.
• Youth gang activity on the increase resulting in thefts from motor vehicles.

Camden County focus

In 2011, crime was up 6 percent overall in Camden County, according to the report, with 20,809 offenses reported, or 40.5 victims per every 1,000 permanent residents. 

Violent crimes were up 8 percent, and nonviolent crimes increased 6 percent from their 2010 levels as well. The total value of property stolen in the county was $27.7 million, a little more than $6 million of which was recovered.

Statewide crime stats

The UCR also described the number of crimes that occurred, statistically, in any given 24-hour period statewide in 2011 as:

• 1 murder
• 3 rapes
• 33 robberies
• 37 aggravated assaults
• 118 burglaries
• 354 larcenies
• 48 vehicle thefts
• 3 arsons

On average, a crime occurred every 2 minutes and 25 seconds in New Jersey. A violent crime occurred every 19 minutes and 21 seconds; a non-violent crime occurred every 2 minutes and 46 seconds.

New Jersey lagged behind the national average in terms of reducing its overall criminal activity in 2011. In a year when violent crime fell 4 percent and nonviolent crime fell 1 percent nationwide, New Jersey saw a nearly static level of violent crime and a 3 percent increase in nonviolent crime.