Shootings, Murders Down in Newark, Thefts on the Rise

Nine fewer people have been killed in Newark in the past three months compared to the same time last year, according to police director Eugene Venable. He was appointed by Mayor Ras Baraka.

• Murders: down 10%
• Shootings: down 19%  
• Carjackings: down 50%
• Robberies: down 13%
• Burglaries: down 5%

"We don't want to judge our success by numbers alone," Venable said. "It's about how people feel in the community."

Thefts and theft from autos are on the rise "because people don't have jobs," he said. 

Cell phones are the number one item people are stealing, and there are pockets of Newark that have seen an increase in crime, like the neighborhood Stratford Place. The city is opening neighborhood centers there and increasing its police presence.