The map is great, but one weakness is that it isn't adjusted for population adjusted.

Example: Montgomery Gardens has a lot of reported crimes, but it stands to reason that it would, because it's a big apartment complex, and it's crawling with security guards who know they have a legal obligation to report any serious crimes that they discover.

In this map, it looks terrible, but it seems to have a much lower crime rate than the housing project on Duncan.

I know from personal experience that walking past the projects by the MLK light rail stop, while walking past Montgomery Gardens during the day, at least, is about the same as walking along Jersey Avenue.

So, anyhow, if anyone from the Jersey Journal is here: I think it would be good if you could work with the JCPD to come up with a different chart that would compare the projects with the Newport complex, Portside, the Hague building, etc.

If Montgomery Gardens were compared with other large apartment/condo complexes, it might still appear to have a high crime rate, but it might not look like the hellhole it seems to be from the crime map that ran the other day.

I think that all parts of Jersey City ESPECIALLY the MLK corridor need more open space, more library branches, more community centers, after school centers, and recreation centers where children, families and teens can safely go to play, study and relax.

Many latch-key children have no properly supervised safe refuge until their parents get home from work. Very few parents can afford to stay at home with their children in this economy.

There, is a sad lack of amenities for families and youth who just want to lead normal, violent-free, crime-free lives.

If there's a police presence in Hamilton Park, they must all be undercover, because I don't see them. I would agree with those who say the only police presence around town is at construction sites (better than nothing, I guess). Maybe they're all working while I'm asleep.

CITY'S CENTER OF VIOLENCE
Area's high rate of violence pits locals against 'limited' police

Tuesday, October 16, 2007
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

SECOND OF A SERIES

The Martin Luther King Drive corridor, a dense mix of residential and commercial properties that cuts through the Bergen-Lafayette and Greenville neighborhoods of Jersey City, is the epicenter of violent crime in the city, a Jersey Journal analysis of 19 months of crime statistics shows.

From Jan. 1, 2006, until July 23 of this year, the neighborhoods in and around King Drive were home to the highest volume of the city's most serious crimes - assaults, robberies, shootings and homicides - according to a computer mapping of crime statistics conducted by The Star-Ledger in conjunction with the Journal.

In fact, the Journal analysis shows that three of the city's most crime-ridden intersections are located within this section of the city: Randolph and Carteret avenues, Oak Street and King Drive, and Myrtle Avenue and King Drive.

And it has been this way for years, raising serious questions about how to reverse this wicked cycle of violence that threatens to continue to suffocate a large portion of the city.

Police Chief Tom Comey says the police are only one part of the solution.

"We are working with the Prosecutor's Office, the school district, parents and community and religious leaders to stop the acceleration of violent crimes," Comey said in commenting on the statistics.

The neighborhood's kids currently pose the biggest problem, he said, prompting the department to create a list of juveniles with the most repeat and violent offenses as a way to help the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office keep these offenders behind bars.

In addition, Comey said, the number of "high-priority" calls in the area puts a strain on "limited" police resources. Each of the city's four districts is staffed equally, he said, so when police respond to these calls, it leaves other areas vulnerable and without a police presence.

Councilwoman Viola Richardson, who represents the area, said the high volume of violent crime shows these neighborhoods require special attention.

"These guys are out there and they operate with impunity. They stand on the corner like they have permission," she said. "Don't tell me about equal distribution of officers. There should be more officers in my district, since that's where these crimes are taking place."

Comey feels his hands are tied.

"I am sorry that the councilwoman feels that way, but I have a responsibility to all the residents of Jersey City," he said, adding that the King Drive corridor does indeed get extra attention from the department's specialized units, such as the gang and drug task forces.

"A good portion of our resources, the gang unit, our robbery units, spend a lot of time in this section of the city. The reality of it is that I have limited resources," Comey said.

The level and violent nature of the crimes committed there, combined with high levels of drug-related crimes, has taken a toll on the neighborhood and its residents.

Stores that once flourished are blighted and empty, and many of the ones that remain are fitted with metal gates.

In interviews for this series, residents in this predominately African-American section posited an array of reasons for the violence, illustrating the complex nature of the problem and the elusiveness of solutions.

Some say the nation's legacy of slavery has put African-Americans in an economic and social disadvantage, creating a trickle down effect that has an impact on every facet of life, from reducing the quality of urban education to fracturing families.

"People forget that it wasn't that long ago that we had separate schools and separate water fountains," said Ron Washington, 30, who says he turned his own life around after spending time in prison for dealing drugs on the streets of the neighborhood. "The legacy of slavery is still strong, and it's going to take time to reverse it."

Others point to the decline in family life and a lack of quality education.

As president of the Urban League of Hudson County, Elnora Watson was spearheading the selection process of the organization's new headquarters several years ago.

She was immediately drawn to a dilapidated piece of property on King Drive where she knew her organization was needed. The Urban League even called the construction of the new headquarters "Project Reclaim."

"We were determined to reclaim this neighborhood," Watson said. "And in some ways we have made strides, but this is not a problem that can be fixed by one group, or one building."

Watson's organization sees roughly 60 to 80 walk-ins a week, most looking for jobs, food or clothing, she said.

"The numbers are increasing for the numbers of youngsters coming in looking for clothing and food. They have children and they are looking for work," Watson said.

=====================================

Answer, some are certain, is Jesus

Tuesday, October 16, 2007
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Fred "Sluggo" Marshall, 70, a soft-spoken man whose silent eyes betray his strong sense of purpose, is a fixture on Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City.

Sitting in front of the convenience store he has owned for 40 years, Marshall receives a steady flow of "hellos" from people passing by.

"Hey, son, say hello to Mr. Marshall. He is a good man," a father told his son as he passed by the shop one recent day.

A self-proclaimed former hustler who loved shooting dice, Marshall was not always on the receiving end of such pleasantries. More than three decades ago he was shot in the head after a dispute with a fellow gambler over $500.

"I wasn't living right. I should have died," Marshall said. "After that, I gave my life over to God, and I have been happy ever since. I even performed the eulogy of my shooter."

Marshall's store sits in the most violent part of Jersey City, according to The Jersey Journal's analysis of crime statistics from Jan. 1, 2006, to July 23 of this year. The outside walls of his store are painted with startling images of the often brutal reality of life on the streets.

One painting shows a mother kneeling before a child's grave, while another shows a robber stabbing a cop. All of the images sit below a depiction of Jesus Christ with his arms spread out.

"These are what people are dealing with, and I want people to know that these are not the answers. Jesus is the answer," Marshall said.

Like many of his neighbors, Marshall has been touched by violence and drugs and found peace through spirituality and God - and now he wants to stop the neighborhood's young people from making the same mistakes.

The same goes for Ronnie Atkins, 48, and James Adison, 31, who can be found on any given day preaching for hours on the streets with a makeshift public address system.

"I was lost, but now I am found. Praise God," Atkins shouted, his body gyrating in spectacular fashion.

Atkins and Adison both said they had "troubled" pasts, and, like so many others, they are on a mission to encourage youngsters not to fall prey to the lure of the street.

"We got to try to save kids from the streets," Adison said. "We got to let people know that it's cool to embrace Jesus and say no to peer pressure. It's all right if you want to be an 18-year-old virgin."

Vermond Washington, a local barber with three children, says parents are the most to blame.

"If I find out my child is being a problem at school, then there will be a problem," Washington said. "Children learn from their parents, and parents don't know how to act, so how can we expect their children to act?"

Washington goes so far as to say that parents should be held legally accountable for their children's actions, a proposal that wasn't met with open arms among the crowd at the barber shop one recent day.

"How can we hold parents accountable? Kids today don't even listen to their parents," said a man younger than Washington who declined to give his name. "It's their peers applying the pressure, and they pay more attention to movies and hip-hop than their parents."

During the debate, a fight broke out among a group of teens across the street walking home from school. The brief exchange of punches was treated like common street noise by those passing by, most of whom offered a quick glance before walking on.

"Just look at that. Is it their parents' fault that these kids are fighting?" one man asked.

Nobody answered.

Or perhaps nobody had the answer.

jrenshaw@jjournal.com

Quote:

By making that comment, its hard to work out if the Capt. is suggesting that the neighborhood associations are helping the situation or their efforts just 'translate' to many reports.

The comment can been seen as a derogative one!

nugnfutz, Wow, this is even better. I just realized how much stuff actually happens all around. So many roberies.

nugnfutz, Sure, we would all like more visibilty, but lets look at it fairly.

Downtown area is an okay area. I feel safe here most of the times. From what i hear from from people about other areas of Jersey City, its really bad.

Now those street cameras are a good posibility though.

Quote:

My agenda is pretty simple. I'd like the police to recognise there is a serious crime problem downtown and to increase their visibility on local streets.

Yes the JCPD work well with local neighborhood associations and yes I think that the local neighborhood associations do a great job. Encouraging improvement to street lighting and neighbors to be vigilent all round can and does help.

No better deterrent though than having cops on the beat.

I don't need to be an active member of any local vigilante group to report crimes if and when I see them. And I have reported crimes in progress leading to arrests.

As for parking tickets, nope, never got one. But the only time I see police patrolling my street is the little traffic buggy during street cleaning.

Join the police force to sort out the problem? No thanks. I pay enough in taxes for that, and I'd like my taxes spent well, so I have every right to "whine". Particularly when there continues to be serious crimes committed locally

For the stats, go to the NJ by the numbers site and type in any address.

As for being a "lamo" - behind the statistics there are real victims. Go tell that to the victims of the crimes including those listed below.

http://www.nj.com/news/bythenumbers/


Click on address to zoom:
(listed by proximity to 207 7TH ST)

207 7th St
Assault
2/17/2007 3:30:00 AM
208 6TH ST
Arson
5/28/2007
207 EIGHTH ST (8TH ST)
Larceny
7/7/2007 7:30:00 AM
207 EIGHTH ST (8TH ST)
Burglary
6/16/2007 7:30:00 AM
204 EIGHTH ST (8TH ST)
Assault
4/20/2007 8:13:00 PM
221 8TH ST 1
Burglary
5/21/2007 8:30:00 PM
214 8TH ST
Burglary
6/19/2007 4:00:00 AM
107 ERIE ST
Burglary
3/28/2007 11:00:00 AM
ERIE ST & 6TH ST
Burglary
5/26/2007 9:15:00 AM
5TH STREET & MANILA AVE
Assault
4/24/2007 2:00:00 AM
158 ERIE ST
Assault
6/25/2007 12:15:00 PM
158 ERIE ST
Assault
3/26/2007 3:45:00 PM
158 ERIE ST
Assault
3/15/2007 8:46:00 AM
160 5TH ST
Larceny
5/22/2007 9:30:00 AM
160 FIFTH ST (5TH ST)
Larceny
5/22/2007 9:30:00 AM
160 5TH ST
Burglary
3/28/2007 5:15:00 PM
160 FIFTH ST (5TH ST)
Burglary
1/19/2007
86 ERIE ST
Robbery
1/19/2007 5:00:00 PM
212 NINTH ST (9TH ST) U-1A
Larceny
6/20/2007 7:00:00 PM
212 9TH ST 1A
Burglary
6/20/2007 11:30:00 AM
212 NINTH ST (9TH ST)
Burglary
5/21/2007 6:00:00 PM
214 NINTH ST Floor: BSMT
Burglary
7/4/2007 12:00:00 PM
214 9th St
Burglary
2/3/2007 4:30:00 PM
Erie St, & Fifth St.
Robbery
4/9/2007 8:33:00 PM
FIFTH ST (5TH ST) & ERIE ST
Burglary
2/15/2007 9:50:00 PM
189 9TH ST
Assault
4/24/2007 3:00:00 PM
238 5TH ST Floor: 3
Assault
1/2/2007 7:30:00 PM
7TH ST & JERSEY AVE
Burglary
5/21/2007 12:00:00 PM
NINTH ST (9TH ST) & ERIE ST
Burglary
5/20/2007 10:00:00 AM
647 JERSEY AVE Floor: 4
Burglary
2/16/2007 6:45:00 PM
513 MANILA AVE
Larceny
3/23/2007 5:00:00 PM
third (3RD ST) & MANILA AVE
Assault
1/31/2007 8:30:00 PM
6TH ST & MARIN BLVD
Larceny
5/30/2007 9:50:00 AM
230 NINTH ST
Larceny
6/17/2007
FOURTH ST (4TH ST) & ERIE ST
Burglary
1/13/2007 1:30:00 PM
661 Jersey Ave
Larceny
1/18/2007 3:45:00 PM
180 4th St
Larceny
1/10/2007 2:05:00 PM
190 9th St
Assault
3/4/2007 12:10:00 AM
TENTH ST (10TH ST) & ERIE ST
Burglary
5/23/2007 6:15:00 AM
177 3RD ST
Assault
1/19/2007 6:46:00 PM
181 ERIE ST
Assault
5/12/2007 11:04:00 PM
618 JERSEY AVE
Burglary
5/28/2007 7:45:00 AM
427 MARIN BLVD
Larceny
5/18/2007 4:00:00 PM
180 9TH ST
Assault
6/17/2007 11:28:00 AM
180 9TH ST
Assault
5/18/2007 3:39:00 PM
180 9TH ST
Larceny
5/18/2007 3:30:00 PM
180 9TH ST
Larceny
5/18/2007 2:30:00 PM
180 9TH ST
Assault
5/15/2007 7:25:00 AM
180 9TH ST
Assault
4/3/2007 10:00:00 AM
369 Manila Ave APT 10A
Larceny
4/7/2007 6:00:00 PM

Quote:

wow, nugnfutz, McDonagh said nothing of the kind. way to completely mischaracterize a quote and insert your own agenda into it to create the subtext you want.

Quote:

Captain Brian McDonough. Are you seriously suggesting that the having neighborhood associations in the area make YOU look bad on the stats? The stats you publish to Compstat show rapes, muggings, burglaries and even homicides at similar level to other districts, and you have the nerve to blame neighborhood associations for the downtown stats??? Perhaps if you could publish the "correct" stats, we might get a better picture, but given previous history, I doubt JC is capable of compiling and publishing anything credible. The crime stats on Erie street alone, where you have the East district headquarters should be a source of shame for you and your dept.

JC is spending homeland security funds on licence plate readers to issue parking tickets, instead of trying to catch the muggers, burlglars, rapists and that roam the area at will.

Fulop - this isn't about better lighting and protecting cars from break-ins. Please go the the maps showing the types of crime and where they were committed. Then let's get our JCPD out patrolling those areas when and where the crimes are being committed, and not directing traffic at building sites.

Quote:

Seems wrong. However these aren't stats of crimes committed, but crimes reported.

Thats cool

Funny, Dickinson High School is on that list

Wow, the "creepy and dangerous" Pathmark didn't even make the top ten, while the Shop Rite is #6.

interesting....

Wow - what a great piece - thanks for the heads-up Grove. And don't you love the milk-toast quotes from our fearless leaders? Finally some numbers to back what real citizens have been observing and commenting on for years. And look how close we are to Newark's stats! Yikes.

Car 54, where are you?
by The Jersey Journal
Monday October 15, 2007, 4:00 AM

Computer-assisted reporting allowed The Jersey Journal's Jarrett Renshaw to distill from 19 months' worth of crime statistics the single addresses that police were called to over and over again.

Here's what he found:

From Jan. 1, 2006, to July 23, 2007, the time frame of available stats, the highest number of incidents was reported at the Newport Mall. Read on for the rest, and see today's main story for comments from representatives of many of the Top 10 addresses. Click here for a photo gallery.

(The West and North Police Districts, along with the city's municipal court building, would have been in the Top 10 but were excluded from the list because in the overwhelming majority of the cases the incident did not originate at those locations.)

1. Newport Mall -- 595 reported incidents

2. A. Harry Moore Public Housing Complex -- 363 reported incidents

3. Corner of Carteret and Randolph avenues -- 215 reported incidents

4. Booker T. Washington Public Housing Complex -- 169 reported incidents

5. Corner of Oak Street and Martin Luther King Drive -- 159 reported incidents

6. Shop-Rite, 400 Marin Blvd. -- 155 reported incidents

7. Youth Shelter, 45 Clifton Place -- 154 reported incidents

8. Corner of Myrtle Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive -- 151 reported incidents

9. Dickinson High School -- 138 reported incidents

10. Montgomery Gardens Public Housing Complex -- 133 reported incidents

CLICK HERE
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http://www.nj.com/hudsoncountynow/index.ssf/mapping_out_crime/

Meanest streets: First of a Jersey Journal six-part special report
by The Jersey Journal
Monday October 15, 2007, 4:00 AM

The Jersey Journal begins a six-part series today mapping out crime in Jersey City using computer-assisted investigative journalism techniques.

Each day this week, investigative reporter Jarrett Renshaw will dissect the trends he found in poring over statistics he obtained from the Jersey City Police Department using the Open Public Records Act. In addition, we've given you access to information about crimes committed in Jersey City through an interactive map (look under "What's New?"). You plug in an address and a time frame and the 25 major crimes that were reported nearest to it will pop up on screen.

Download today's in-paper map, which shows the overall concentration of crime citywide.

Here's an overview of what to look for this week:

Today: The overall crime picture in Jersey City, with a list of where the highest number of incidents are, a list of the top types of crimes and an accompanying map that shows where the hot spots are.

Tomorrow: A look at the Martin Luther King Drive corridor, the area of the city with the most reported incidents of violent crime.

Wednesday: The increasing wealth concentrated in the Downtown section of Jersey City has made the area a prime target for burglars.

Thursday: Jersey City has at least three corners where drugs have been peddled continuously for years. How does this still happen when these corners are no secret to residents and police?

Friday: The city's Police Department believes the highly acclaimed COMSTAT program that was reestablished last year has already provided dividends. Is it really working?

Saturday: The city's top cop wants to retool the department to meet today's challenges. But the changes would require more money from the city's taxpayers, and it's unclear whether there is the political will to push them through.

------------------------------------------

Can you guess the most common crime in Jersey City?

The Jersey Journal
Monday October 15, 2007, 4:00 AM

As part of the six-day "Mapping Out Crime'' special report that begins today, The Jersey Journal analyzed roughly 19 months of crime statistics to determine what crimes occur most often.

Here's the Top 11, along with definitions where necessary:

1. Theft
The unlawful taking, carrying, leading or riding away of property from the possession of another, in which no force, violence, or fraud occurs.

2. Burglary
The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft.

3. Criminal Mischief
A crime against property; the willful damaging of the property of another.

4. Simple Assault
An assault limited to the use of physical force that results in little or no injury to the victim.

5. Drug Possession

6. Robbery
Taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care or custody of a person by force or threat of force or violence.

7. Aggravated Assault
An attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe injury.

8. Shoplifting

9. Possession of Weapons

10. Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer
An attack by one person upon a police officer for the purpose of inflicting severe injury.

11. Unlawful Possession of Firearms

----------------------------------------------
Map Crime by Adddress

Star Ledger
Rob Gebelof
http://blog.nj.com/statattack/2007/10/map_crime_by_adddress.html
October 15

The Jersey City crime rate for 2005 was about 50 crimes per 1,000 residents. In Newark, it was about 58 per 1,000.

Those numbers make for a good, statistically valid comparison. But what do they really tell you about crime in the state's largest cities.

Today, we're introducing a new feature on New Jersey by the Numbers that will make it easier to visualize how these crime statistics actually play out.

http://www.nj.com/news/bythenumbers/

On this site, you type in an address, or choose from dozens of landmarks, and get back a completely interactive map that starts with the 25 major crimes that occurred in closest proximity to the location you selected.

We provide you with a number of filtering options. You can add or decrease the number of crimes shown. You can choose to view only certain types of crime. And you can quickly jump to another spot by simply typing in another address or choosing another landmark.

We've choose as landmarks a variety of sites in all neighborhoods of each city, along with a list of public schools, since schools are so strongly linked to neighborhood identities.

Why are we doing this now?

The impetus came from the newsroom of The Jersey Journal. Reporters there wanted to look more closely at crime in Jersey City, and were able to obtain a database of criminal incidents via the state's open records law.

Reporter Jarrett Renshaw's series of articles began today.

We subsequently obtained a similar database from the Newark PD.

One of the things we did with Jarrett's data is run something called a "Kernel Density Analysis" -- a complex set of mathematical calculations that measures crime intensity for any given spot on the map. (We were graciously assisted by Donald Ijams, a retired crime analyst for the Tuscon, Az. police who is kind enough to help news reporters.)

But we also felt we wanted to share our data with the public. Thus we built the interactive maps at New Jersey by the Numbers.

We'd love your feedback -- you can post a comment here, or e-mail me directly

You can reach Rob at rgebeloff@starledger.com.

CLICK HERE
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BY THE NUMBERS
Crime statistics tell story for Jersey City

Monday, October 15, 2007
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

FIRST OF A SERIES

On the streets of Jersey City, a violent crime is reported, on average, every three hours.

Once every three hours someone's property is burglarized.

Once every four hours a drug crime is reported.

Once every eight hours a person is assaulted and severely injured.

Once a day, an incident involving a gun is reported.

More than once a month, someone dies at the hands of another.

These are among the findings of a Jersey Journal analysis of 19 months of crime statistics provided by the Jersey City Police Department under the Open Public Records Act. The numbers provide a unique glimpse into the levels and nature of reported crime in the city.

"We are the second biggest city in the state, and, unfortunately, crime is a part of our city," Jersey City Police Chief Tom Comey said in an interview to discuss the stats.

From Jan 1, 2006, until July 23 of this year, 64,858 incidents of crime were reported throughout the city, or roughly 116 a day, the Journal analysis shows. It's important to note, though, that in many cases, multiple charges were involved and each charge is reflected as a separate incident.

The statistics reflect the equivalent of a police blotter, showing the date, location and potential charges. They include a range of more than 350 types and degrees of offenses, from possession of fireworks to more serious offenses like possession of firearms.

TOP CRIMES

The most common reported crime in the city is theft, with more than 7,700 reported incidents, or roughly 14 a day. Theft involves the unlawful taking of property without the use of force, such as stealing a bike or a radio from a car.

Robbery - the taking of property by force - tops the list of reported violent crimes, with 2,365 incidents during the time period, a crime committed at a clip of roughly four a day.

CONCENTRATIONS

Crime extends to all parts of the city, the Journal analysis finds. However, a computer mapping of reported incidents conducted by The Star-Ledger in conjunction with the Journal shows three large pockets where the volume of police calls outpaces that in other parts of the city.

The largest of these pockets is the Martin Luther King Drive corridor, a large area that extends into the Bergen-Lafayette and Greenville neighborhoods. The neighborhoods in and around this once-mighty commercial thoroughfare have been besieged with drugs and violent crime.

"I am not in an ivory tower, the problem is bad," said Elnora Watson, president of the Urban League of Hudson County, whose headquarters are located on King Drive. "A lot of it is connected to lack of opportunity and jobs. They want work, and they don't want to sell drugs to earn a living."

The second biggest area of crime concentration is in the Central Avenue corridor in the Heights - roughly between Manhattan Avenue in the south and Poplar Avenue to the north - the Journal analysis shows.

"I think the crime is directly related to drug use," Heights Councilman Bill Gaughan said. "Drug use appears to be growing, and that means more robberies and burglaries."

Gaughan said he plans to ask the Police Department to provide more foot patrols on the streets to put people at ease.

"We need more of a presence," he said.

Behind that is Downtown, centered just off busy Newark and Jersey avenues.

That bustling activity - transportation and stores, for example - explains some of the high volume of cop calls, Capt. Brian McDonough, commander of the East District, said, noting, too, that the active neighborhood associations in the area also translate to many reports of suspicious activity.

The Newark Avenue strip, Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop said, can still be a dangerous place to walk at night, something he wants to change.

"We're trying to make Newark Avenue a place where people can feel comfortable walking all hours of the day. Today it is not," he said, noting that car break-ins are a particular problem his constituents have complained to him about.

He has pushed for a redevelopment plan for the area that would allow taller buildings to be built, which he believes would bring in higher real estate investment, and for streetscape funding to improve lighting, for example.

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