Fewer Assaults But More Car Thefts In Wall Last Year

Wall Township residents were less likely to have been punched in the mouth or have their houses broken into last year but were more likely to have had their cars stolen than they were in 2012, according to the latest crime statistics.

Overall, crime in town in 2013 dropped by 15 percent. Violent crime decreased by 50 percent and nonviolent crime decreased by just more than 12 percent, according to the State Police’s Uniform Crime Report, released this week.

In Wall, the state police tracked six categories of crime – robbery, assault, simple assault, burglary, larceny and vehicle theft. Only vehicle theft and strong arm robbery increased in town last year.

There were 15 cars stolen in town in 2013, up from 9 the previous year. There were three strong-arm robberies in town last year, up from 2 in 2012. Police have solved 7 of those cases, or 46.7 percent, the report says.

All other categories of crime were down, according to the report.

Incidents of assault were down 60 percent – from 20 in 2012 to eight last year. Simple assaults were down from 80 in 2012 to 64 last year, a decrease of 20 percent. Police have solved 7 of the assault cases, or 87.5 percent, and 60 simple assault cases, or 93.8 percent the report says.

Burglary was down 37 percent, from 83 incidents in 2012 to 52 incidents last year. However, police last year solved just 13 of those cases, or 25 percent, the report says.

Incidents of larceny edged downward – from 269 in 2012 to 250 last year, a decrease of 7 percent. Police have solved 145 of those cases, or 58 percent, the report says.

December 2013 was a particularly peaceful month in Wall, according to the report. There were no recorded crimes in any of the six tracked categories. That’s down 100 percent from 27 overall crimes from December 2012, it says.