Harrison Township saw a 17 percent decrease in overall crime from 2015 to 2016, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report
According to the recently released FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics for 2016, Harrison Township reported a 17 percent decrease in overall offenses compared to 2015.
According to Chief of Police Thomas Mills, the decrease is attributed to the hard work of the department’s patrol officers and their partnership with the community.
“The community’s engagement and their willingness to become involved have allowed us to solve more crimes and remove the criminals from the community,” Mills said. “When we work together to accomplish this task it truly does make a difference.”
Most significantly, the crime report showed an 80 percent decrease in robbery, both firearm and strong arm, with five offenses in 2015, and one in 2016. As well, burglary decreased 19 percent, going down from 42 to 34, while larceny, the theft of personal property, decreased 39 percent, from 92 in 2015 to 56 in 2016.
The majority of Harrison Township’s burglaries, Mills said, were to unlocked motor vehicles. Once residents began to lock their vehicles and remove their valuables, the incidents began to drop as well, according to Mills.
Mills said to combat these crimes over the past year, the police department has also made a “conscious effort” to increase its presence on social media, notifying residents when, and in what areas, crimes were being committed. Also, he said, patrols were adjusted to have more of a presence in the affected areas.
“The majority of the credit should go to our residents who kept themselves informed and used the information to prevent themselves from being a victim,” Mills said.
Mills said additional tips for residents to further prevent these types of crimes would be to make sure outside lights are operating properly, as well as parking under street lights if necessary. Also, always contact the police department for anything that may seem suspicious.
“It’s difficult, but sometimes being a good witness is the best option,” Mills said. “Look out for your neighbors and maintain an understanding of your surroundings and what seems normal and what is different. Sometimes the littlest things are the most important.”
For crimes such as simple assault, which saw a 15 percent increase from 53 to 61 in 2016, Mills said there does not seem to be one factor that triggered the rise in offenses. Mills said incidents calling for mandatory arrests, as well as one or two additional fights through the year, had an effect on the overall number of reports.
To prevent further altercations, Mills hopes the partnerships and relationships the department has built, and continues to grow, with the community will encourage residents to contact the police before incidents can escalate to physical harm.
To continue to promote community safety and outreach, Mills said the department participates in Operation Take Back twice a year, where residents are invited to dispose of unused and leftover medications safely and securely. As well, the department plans to participate in several traffic initiatives throughout the year, such as Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Click It or Ticket and Aggressive Driving Enforcement.
Additionally, police officers administer Law Enforcement Against Drugs within the Harrison Township school districts, as well as work in conjunction with school administrators to address and mediate concerns within the schools. Mills said the department also receives great support from the Township Committee to continue providing public safety and services.
“The men and women of the Harrison Township Police Department are some of the hardest-working people around,” Mills said. “It is always nice to have their hard work validated by data. It’s even better to hear a heartfelt ‘thank you’ from our residents when we see them throughout our shifts.”
