Even though New Jersey is called the “Garden State,” it has a lot of people living in it. A lot of towns in New Jersey are very safe, but the most dangerous places in the state can be very scary. Find out which towns in NJ are the safest by reading on.
You should know which NJ places are the safest and why before you choose where to live. You want to keep yourself and your family safe and happy, after all.
Camden Ranked At Top Crime Rated City in New Jersey
Camden is the most dangerous place in New Jersey because it has the highest rates of crime and murder. The city is often in the news for the wrong reasons, which is a shame. Some of the worst crime rates in the country have been found in Camden. Cuts to the local police force and the decline of cities have only made it worse.
There are 1,603 dangerous crimes for every 100,000 people in this city right now. Police have been working hard to restore some order, but the city is still dangerous because there are still a lot of murders and attacks. Camden is one of the worst places to live in NJ because it has such a high crime rate.
Camden, NJ Past Crime Chart
At first look, Camden, New Jersey doesn’t seem to have anything special about it. It looks like a normal waterfront town, though it’s actually a city with about 77,000 people living there. Big names like Campbell’s Soup and Rutgers University call it home. It has a view of Philadelphia across the Delaware River. But Camden has had a problem for years.
The Morgan Quitno Press ranks cities and states based on their health, schooling, and crime rates, among other things. CQ Press puts out books and articles about American politics and government. Between them, they’ve put together a scary timeline.
- 2002: Third Most Dangerous City in the U.S.
- 2004 and 2005: America’s Most Dangerous City
- 2006 and 2007, it was the fifth most dangerous city in the United States.
- 2008: The city had over 2,300 killings per 100,000 people in 2008, making it the most dangerous in the country. That is more than five times the national rate of 450 killings per 100,000 people.
- 2009: Once again, the most dangerous city in the United States.
- 2011: Once again, the USA’s top crime rate, with a 12 times higher murder rate than the rest of the country.
- 2012: The FBI named it as the city with the most violent crime among cities with more than 50,000 people in 2012. That makes Camden even worse than Detroit, Oakland, and Flint, which are all well-known for being bad places to live. Philadelphia, which is close by and has more than a million people, was only #23 on the list.
Cause of Crime in Camden, New Jersey
After a year of high crime, it might not happen again. But when you look at ten years of predictable, widespread, and deadly crime, it has to be a sign of a bigger problem. That disease, or at least one part of it, may be bad leadership, since Camden also has problems with crime and Philadelphia’s neighbor has problems with bribery in politics.
Milton Milan, who was mayor at the time, was found guilty of 14 counts of corruption in 2010. These included money laundering, insurance fraud, and taking bribes from the Mafia. Even worse, Milan wasn’t the first or even second Camden mayor to be fired after being found guilty of a crime; he was the third in just 20 years. Arnold Webster was found guilty of theft in 1998, and Angelo Errichetti was found guilty of bribery in 1981.
People have also said that Camden’s ongoing problems with violent crime are caused by the decline of the industry. When companies that used to be very successful shut down, they put thousands of people out of work, and those who could afford to leave the city. The husk that was left behind has never fully recovered. It is diseased and losing people and job prospects.
Conclusion
New Jersey, known as the “Garden State,” has a high crime rate, with Camden being the most dangerous place in the state. With 1,603 dangerous crimes for every 100,000 people, Camden has been ranked as the most dangerous city in the US for years. The city has faced issues with corruption, bribery, and the decline of industry, with former mayor Milton Milan being found guilty of 14 counts of corruption in 2010. The city’s high crime rate is a result of poor leadership and the decline of industries, making it one of the worst places to live in NJ.
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