The Trenton Times published the following article on January 3, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
Total crime dipped in Mercer County in 2012, state report says
By Brendan McGrath/The Times of Trenton
on January 04, 2014 at 6:30 AM, updated January 04, 2014 at 6:31 AMCrime in Mercer County and across the state dropped in 2012, a state report released yesterday said, and more recent numbers from local police departments indicate that 2013 saw further reductions in most types of crime.
Data released in a preliminary Uniform Crime Report from the state show that overall crime in Mercer County dropped by 1.1 percent from 2011 to 2012 compared to a 4.6 percent drop statewide.
Even with this drop, however, the number of homicides and rapes statewide in 2012 represented six-year highs, the report said.
The county’s overall crime rate dropped due to a 12.3 percent drop in simple assault and a 2.5 percent drop in all other types of assault, despite a 4 percent rise in homicide and rape rates, and increases in robbery, 10 percent; burglary, 6.1 percent; and motor vehicle theft, 5 percent.
While countywide data for 2013 is not yet available, town-by-town figures for January through November of last year indicates that the county’s final numbers are likely to show an overall reduction in crime from 2012 to 2013.