Gun Violence Is Plummeting In New Jersey – But More Work Remains

NEW JERSEY — Even one death due to gun violence is reason to despair. But some “historic” statistics may give a ray of hope to New Jersey residents who are sick and tired of tragedy, officials say.

On Thursday, several of the state’s top public safety officials announced that New Jersey has seen its lowest annual number of recorded shooting victims since comprehensive tracking began in 2009. (Watch a video from the press conference below)

The bottom line? It's getting even safer to live in the Garden State, officials said.

According to the data, 924 people were shot in New Jersey during 2023 – a number that is down 13 percent from 2022. The prior year saw an even larger drop, with the state seeing a 25 percent reduction in shootings between 2021 and 2022.

Officials said 191 people were killed due to gun violence in New Jersey last year, a decrease of 8 percent from 2022.

“Today we mark a great achievement for public safety in New Jersey, as we report the lowest number of shootings in nearly 15 years,” Gov. Phil Murphy said.

“Together, we have saved a historic number of lives from gun violence in New Jersey,” Murphy said.

According to state officials, shootings are down in many of New Jersey’s largest municipalities, including Trenton, Newark, Atlantic City and Paterson.

In Newark – the state’s most populated city – there were drops in almost every violent crime category last year. The city reported 47 homicides, its lowest number since 1960. Read More: Newark Is Becoming A Safer Place To Live, 2023 Crime Stats Show

In Paterson, where the attorney general recently took control of the police department, murders are down 39 percent and shooting victims are down 25 percent compared to 2022.

The statewide drop comes despite warnings about rising crime from some conservatives and Republicans, such as New Jersey Sen. Anthony Bucco, who alleged in 2022 that the Murphy Administration's decision to release hundreds of inmates from prison was “absolutely nuts and beyond tone-deaf.”

“Violent crime in some of our cities has gotten so bad under the Murphy Administration that many urban mayors who supported bail reform are demanding a new law that would keep dangerous criminals in jail until trial,” said Bucco (R-25).

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Officials have been careful to note that even a single life lost to tragedy is too many, and that gun violence has continued to wreak havoc on New Jersey families despite the recent gains.

The day prior to Thursday’s announcement, an imam was fatally shot outside a mosque in Newark, an outburst of violence that Mayor Ras Baraka called “heartbreaking.”

The shooting raised an outcry from local residents and community activists, who have been uniting to fight back against gun violence over the past few years – and winning, according to former president Barack Obama. Read More: Obama Praises Newark's Efforts To Stop Violence By Boosting Its Youth

“While celebrating this achievement, it is crucial to acknowledge that there is still more work to be done,” said Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.

“We recognize that challenges persist,” Callahan added.

• See Related: Montclair Man Arrested After Fatal Shooting In Bergen County
• See Related: Man, 19, Shot And Killed At New Brunswick Bar
• See Related: 3 Men Shot To Death Over 4 Days In NJ City, Including On Christmas

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Don’t believe the state’s statistics? A glance at the FBI’s most recent federal crime summary for New Jersey tells a similar tale.

Violent crime – which includes murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault – rose more than 10 percent in New Jersey in 2022, FBI stats show. The state’s violent crime rate was 202.9 per 100,000 people: up from 183.5 in 2021. It’s worth noting that New Jersey remained well below the national violent crime rate of 380.7 per 100,000 people.

However, a glance at the bigger picture shows a big drop in violent crime across New Jersey over the past few decades.

A recent study that cited FBI statistics declared that the Garden State is the “safest” place in the United States when it comes to violent crime. New Jersey ranked above states such as Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island (Florida wasn’t included in the analysis due to a lack of data).

The most dangerous state to live in? Nevada, researchers said. Read More: NJ Is 'Safest' State In Nation For Violent Crime, New Study Says

The study pointed to two big factors that seemed to help New Jersey score the top spot:

GUN CONTROL - “Besides California, New Jersey is stricter on gun control than any other state in the country, which more than likely contributes to it landing at the #1 spot on our list.”

POLICE REFORM - “New Jersey’s position at the top of our list could be partially due to the state’s ambitious police reform policy, a part of Attorney General Mathew Platkin’s ‘Excellence in Policing’ initiative. This initiative was developed to promote a culture of professionalism, accountability and transparency.”

The former – gun control – is a major reason why New Jersey has seen such a dramatic drop in shootings, state officials said Thursday.

According to a news release from Murphy’s office:

“A strict liability law holds gun traffickers criminally liable when their weapons are used in violence. The first-in-the-nation Statewide Affirmative Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Office holds irresponsible gun industry members accountable through civil lawsuits for putting guns in wrongdoers’ hands … New Jersey has [also recently] put tough anti-ghost gun and large capacity magazine laws on the books.”

Second Amendment advocates have pushed back against some of the state’s latest efforts to roll out stricter gun control, arguing that they are unconstitutional and won’t result in a safer community. See Related: Controversial NJ Gun Law Slapped Down In Court

It isn’t only gun control that is making a difference in New Jersey, however, officials say.

Another key to success? Addressing the root causes of violence.

New Jersey will have made more than $100 million in state and federal funds for violence interruption and prevention available since 2019 by the end of January – and the money has been making a big impact in the communities most affected by gun violence, officials say.

According to the governor’s office:

“The Attorney General’s community-based violence intervention program funds partners who use multiple strategies, including outreach teams led by credible messengers to de-escalate conflicts before violence occurs. Our hospital-based violence intervention program funds allow partners to reach victims early in their recovery after a violent crime to break cycles of violence. And our Trauma Recovery Center program funds trauma-informed services provided to victims of crime within the communities where they live.”

“By working together, we have made meaningful strides in protecting our communities,” Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.

“People are safer in New Jersey thanks to these efforts,” he declared.

Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way said that the record reduction in gun violence in New Jersey is “something to recognize and celebrate,” but that there is much more work to do.

“I look forward to continuing to build on New Jersey’s reputation as a model for gun safety,” Way added.

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