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Violent Crime Trends in Hammonton, NJ: A Decade of Fluctuations and Demographic Shifts
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
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Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Hammonton, located in New Jersey, has experienced notable fluctuations in its violent crime rates over the past decade. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of violent crimes increased by 120%, from 20 to 44 incidents. During this same period, the population remained relatively stable, with a slight increase of 0.53% from 14,654 to 14,732 residents.
The murder rate in the city has remained consistently low throughout the observed period. There were only three reported murders: one in 2010 and two in 2011. Since 2012, there have been no reported murders. This translates to a murder rate of 0.068 per 1,000 people in 2010 and 0.136 per 1,000 people in 2011, dropping to zero thereafter. The percentage of state murders attributed to the city was 0.36% in 2010 and 0.68% in 2011, indicating that even when murders occurred, they represented a very small fraction of the state's total.
Rape incidents in the city have been sporadic and infrequent. There were two reported cases in 2010, none in 2011 and 2012, two in 2015, one in 2016, none in 2017 and 2018, one in 2019, none in 2020, and one in 2022. The rape rate per 1,000 people fluctuated accordingly, with the highest being 0.136 in 2010 and 2015. The city's contribution to the state's rape cases has been minimal, ranging from 0% to 0.38% when incidents occurred.
Robbery trends show a general decline over the years. In 2010, there were 4 robberies (0.273 per 1,000 people), which peaked at 7 in 2011 (0.476 per 1,000 people). By 2022, the number had decreased to 4 (0.271 per 1,000 people). The city's share of state robberies has remained low, ranging from 0.01% to 0.17% over the period.
Aggravated assault has shown the most significant increase among violent crimes. In 2010, there were 13 cases (0.887 per 1,000 people), which rose to 39 cases in 2022 (2.647 per 1,000 people), a 200% increase. The city's contribution to state aggravated assaults has also risen substantially, from 0.15% in 2010 to 0.69% in 2022.
There appears to be a correlation between the rise in violent crimes, particularly aggravated assaults, and changes in demographic composition. The Hispanic population in the city increased from 18% in 2013 to 25% in 2022, while the white population decreased from 75% to 72% during the same period. This demographic shift coincides with the increase in violent crimes, though a direct causal relationship cannot be established without further research.
Applying predictive models based on the observed trends, it's projected that by 2029 (five years from now), the city may see a continued increase in violent crimes, primarily driven by aggravated assaults. The total number of violent crimes could potentially reach 60-65 incidents per year, with aggravated assaults possibly accounting for 50-55 of these cases. However, murder rates are likely to remain very low or at zero, while rape and robbery incidents may continue to fluctuate but remain relatively low.
In summary, Hammonton has experienced a significant increase in violent crimes over the past decade, primarily due to a rise in aggravated assaults. While murder rates have remained exceptionally low, and rape and robbery incidents have fluctuated but remained relatively infrequent, the substantial increase in aggravated assaults warrants attention. These trends, coupled with demographic changes, suggest a need for targeted crime prevention strategies and community engagement initiatives to address the rising violent crime rates in the city.
