If It Bleeds, It Leads. Crimes in the News.

Mainstream media gets a bad rap sometimes. And sometimes they deserve the bad rap. There’s an old journalism axiom, “if it bleeds, it leads.” Anything “bloody,” or equally “juicy,” is often front-page fodder. We often see headlines touting murder, rape, and other felonious mayhem. This can be misleading because these crimes may not actually be statistically significant, but they sure do make a good headline.

So what are some of the most infamously popular crimes in New Jersey these days? By and large, the most popular crime is larceny, followed by burglary and auto theft.

The latest data available from New Jersey State Police Unified Crime Data (NJSP UCR) database is January – March of 2021. Larceny, by and large, is the most frequent offense with 15,414 offenses. Trailing behind in second place is auto theft with 2,415 offenses; burglary with 2,368; assault with 2,346; robbery with 910; rape with 328; and murder with. 63.

Larceny vs. Burglary vs. Robbery

Larceny is the theft of a person’s property, with or without the victim’s knowledge. In New Jersey, petty larceny involves property less than $250.00 in value. Grand larceny is the charge for goods or funds exceeding $250.00. Shoplifting is included in larceny. Robbery is the act of theft with the use of force or violence, or the threat of same, and may or may not include the use of a weapon. Burglary is the act of entering a building without consent, with the intent of committing further criminal acts. Burglary is not to be confused with trespassing, which we covered previously.

Larceny, burglary, robbery, and auto theft are all considered “property” crimes in New Jersey. In addition to fines, jail time, and other such penalties, defendants may also be responsible for paying restitution to their victims.

Personal Crimes

Assault, rape, and murder are considered personal crimes as the nature of the act is violent and involves harming the victim physically and/or emotionally/psychologically. Assault far outpaces rape and murder in New Jersey but when dealing with such egregious offenses, even one is too many.

If you or a loved one have been arrested, indicted, or otherwise accused of a crime, contact me today to discuss your case and see how we can help you.