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Violent Crime Trends in Wildwood, NJ: A Decade of Fluctuations
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Wildwood, located in New Jersey, presents an intriguing case study in violent crime trends over the past decade. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of violent crimes fluctuated significantly, with a notable overall decrease of 5.17% from 58 incidents in 2010 to 55 in 2022. This trend occurred against a backdrop of relatively stable population figures, with a slight decrease of 2.9% from 5,318 in 2010 to 5,164 in 2022.
Examining murder rates, Wildwood has maintained an impressively low incidence, with zero reported cases in most years from 2010 to 2022. The only exception was in 2011 when a single murder was recorded, representing 0.34% of the state's total that year. This translates to a rate of 0.19 murders per 1,000 people in 2011, dropping back to zero in subsequent years. The consistent absence of murders in most years speaks to the city's relative safety in this regard.
Rape incidents in the city have shown variability over the years. In 2010, there were 2 reported cases (0.38% of state total), which increased to 6 cases in 2011 (1.22% of state total). The rate fluctuated in subsequent years, with notable peaks of 6 cases in 2016 (0.89% of state total) and lows of zero cases in 2019. In 2022, no rapes were reported. The rape rate per 1,000 people ranged from 0 to 1.16 during this period, showing a general downward trend in recent years.
Robbery trends in Wildwood have shown a significant decrease over time. In 2010, there were 21 robberies (0.25% of state total), which peaked at 47 cases in 2011 (0.54% of state total). Since then, there has been a consistent downward trend, reaching 7 cases in 2022 (0.29% of state total). The robbery rate per 1,000 people decreased from 3.95 in 2010 to 1.36 in 2022, indicating a substantial improvement in public safety regarding this crime category.
Aggravated assault cases have fluctuated but show an overall increase from 2010 to 2022. In 2010, there were 35 cases (0.41% of state total), which increased to 48 cases in 2022 (0.85% of state total). The rate per 1,000 people rose from 6.58 in 2010 to 9.29 in 2022. This increase in both absolute numbers and as a percentage of state total suggests that aggravated assault remains a persistent challenge for the city.
Examining correlations, there appears to be a relationship between population density and violent crime rates. As population density decreased from 3,451 per square mile in 2010 to 3,351 in 2022, there was a corresponding decrease in overall violent crime. Additionally, changes in racial distribution seem to correlate with crime trends. For instance, the Hispanic population percentage increased from 18% in 2015 to 25% in 2022, coinciding with some fluctuations in violent crime rates.
Applying predictive models based on these trends, it's projected that by 2029, Wildwood may see a slight increase in aggravated assaults, potentially reaching around 55-60 cases annually. Robbery rates are expected to stabilize at around 5-7 cases per year. Rape incidents may continue to fluctuate but are likely to remain below 5 cases annually. The murder rate is predicted to remain at or very close to zero.
In summary, Wildwood has shown mixed trends in violent crime over the past decade. While murders have remained exceptionally low and robbery rates have significantly improved, aggravated assaults have seen an increase. The city's changing demographics and population density appear to have some influence on these trends. Moving forward, focused efforts on reducing aggravated assaults while maintaining the positive trends in other crime categories could further enhance public safety in Wildwood.
