Robberies Up, Other Crimes Down in 2013, Latest Report Shows

The latest report on crime statistics for Bridgewater show most areas of violent crime and have dropped considerably in the first nine months of the year—except for robberies.

The UCR, which compiles figures from Bridgewater and other local police departments for FBI crime statistics, shows year-to-date figures, as well as month-over-month. The latest report, issued Oct. 18, includes the tallies for September and the year's total for January to September, with comparisons to the same time period for 2012.

The figure show an increase in robberies—however, the increase is from a total of three incidents between January and September 2012—to five incidents.

Totals for all other categories—burglaries, assault, larceny, motor vehicle theft—are either the same or down from the same time period last year. With a total of 459 incidents for 2013, the township  has experienced a 25.8 percent decline in crime from 2012. Violent crime is down 20 percent (eight incidents in 2013 vs. 10 in 2012); and non-violent crime has dropped 29.6 percent (with 375 incidents compared to 533).

Figures reported include:

• Rape: four reported in 2012; none in 2013;
• Robbery: three "strong-arm" robberies reported in 2012; four in 2013, plus one incident involving a firearm;
• Assault: three aggravated assault incidents in 2012; one in 2012, plus two incidents involving "other dangerous weapons" (knives, etc.);
• Simple assault: 76 reported in 2012; unchanged so far for 2013;
• Burglary: 59 reported in 2012 (44 forcible entry, 12 unlawful entry, three attempted); 50 in 2013 (29 forcible entry; 17 unlawful entry, four attempted);
• Theft: 461 incidents reported in 2012; 312 in 2013;
• Motor vehicle thefts: nine autos, four other vehicles in 2012; 12 autos, one other in 2013.