Statistics show Jersey City's crime-fighting plan is working, city officials say

By Patrick McGovern | The Jersey Journal
January 23, 2015 at 7:47 PM

JERSEY CITY -- Several major categories of crime, including shootings, saw ?major reductions? in Jersey City this past year, according to statistics released by the city.

Shootings were down 17.5 percent and reported crimes were down in a number of categories, including aggravated assaults, armed robberies, and sexual assaults, city officials said.

?For a city this size, we think we did fairly well,? Public Safety Director James Shea said. ?Both (Mayor Steve Fulop) and I are committed to the theory that one crime is one too many, so we?re never satisfied just knowing that the numbers are going down. We?re well aware that every one of those numbers is a victim.?

Shea spoke about the need to strategically place Jersey City police officers where they are needed most.

?We?re committed to getting the officers to where the crime is,? explained Shea. ?Historically that means that we should have the majority of our officers working the 3 (p.m.) to 11 (p.m.) tour, and then we should have the rest split semi-equally between the day tour and the midnight tour.?

Both Fulop and Shea stressed they are committed to attracting more minorities to the Jersey City police force.

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