NJ Cities See Shifts In Crime As Police, Community Leaders Look Ahead To 2026

Crime trends in two of New Jersey’s largest cities appear to be holding steady, and in some categories declining, according to state and local officials, even as concerns about public safety remain front of mind for residents heading into 2026.

State officials say reductions in gun violence across New Jersey have contributed to improved safety in cities such as Paterson and Newark, where shootings and other serious violent crimes have not returned to levels seen in previous years.

Speaking at a Jan. 6 press conference highlighting statewide crime data, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said recent declines are the result of sustained coordination among law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations.

“These results that we’re here to highlight today don’t happen by accident,” Platkin said. “They happen because of a sustained commitment to treating gun violence like the public health crisis that it is.”

According to state officials, New Jersey has recorded fewer than 1,000 shooting victims statewide for three consecutive years, a milestone that had never previously been reached. Platkin said the state averaged more than 1,300 shooting victims annually for a decade before recent declines.

In Paterson, one of the state’s largest cities, officials cited a sharp reduction in shooting victims over the past several years. Platkin said Paterson recorded 42 shooting victims last year, down from 127 several years earlier.

“This is real progress,” Platkin said. “That candidly, even I probably, if you asked me four years ago,  wouldn’t have believed was possible.”

Officials attributed the reductions to intelligence-led policing, expanded data sharing and increased investment in violence prevention initiatives, alongside traditional enforcement efforts.

Lt. Col. Dave Sierotowicz, acting superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said those strategies rely on real-time coordination and analysis rather than reactive policing.

“Public safety in New Jersey is driven by three things: intelligence, coordination and results,” Sierotowicz said. “We are not just reacting to crime — we are identifying it, targeting it and preventing it.”

State Police and local departments have expanded the use of real-time crime centers, gunfire detection technology and automated license plate readers to track patterns in shootings, auto thefts and other offenses. Officials say the tools allow agencies to deploy resources more quickly and share information across jurisdictions.

Newark has also invested heavily in violence prevention strategies in recent years, including outreach teams that respond to shootings and work with individuals identified as being at heightened risk of involvement in violence. State officials say those efforts have helped prevent a return to earlier peaks in gun violence, though they caution that progress remains fragile.

Beyond gun violence, officials pointed to declines in other crime categories, including auto theft, which they said has been driven in part by intelligence-sharing partnerships with federal agencies and neighboring jurisdictions.

Statewide Uniform Crime Reporting data from the New Jersey State Police is most recently available through 2024, making local department and state-level reporting critical for understanding more recent trends. Criminal justice experts note that year-to-year fluctuations can be influenced by economic pressures, housing instability and access to social services.

Platkin said maintaining current trends into 2026 will require continued investment in prevention efforts and sustained collaboration across agencies.

“Consistent progress like this is only possible because of the outstanding collaboration among all of our law enforcement partners,” he said. “We have taken new and strategic approaches to public safety, and they have yielded positive results in making our residents safer.”

As New Jersey looks ahead to the coming year, officials and community leaders alike say preserving recent gains will depend on maintaining public trust and keeping prevention strategies at the center of public safety policy.