Trenton, NJ | Police Blotter

What Trenton Makes, Burglars Often Take

“Trenton makes, the world takes,” is the official town motto of Trenton, NJ. Once this applied to the robust manufacturing industries in this city, the capital of New Jersey. Today, it is burglars and thieves who unfortunately do most of the taking.

Decrease in Manufacturing Tied to Increase in Crime

Trenton’s history dates to the George Washington days of the American Revolution. It is the site of Washington’s first military victory in 1776 and briefly served as the nation’s capital. But it was the Industrial Revolution a century later that put Trenton on the map. “Trenton was a major manufacturing center in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,” Wikipedia states.

But by the 1970s, the first wave of digital technology made it possible for factories to relocate to cheaper countries. Many factories all over the U.S., including those in Trenton, moved to places like Mexico and China. The factories took with them the jobs Americans had relied on to maintain middleclass standards of living. The 1970s saw shrinking tax bases and steep crime increases in many major American cities.

Fortunately for Trenton, its role as the state capital provides the city with an economic engine and many jobs. However, crime rates remain high. Especially for a city with a population that has declined from its 1950 peak of 128,009 to its current level of 84,913.Trenton’s diminished population and high crime rates raises the risk per citizen of being a victim of a crime.

Property Crime Remains Significant in Trenton

Although property crime rates have been dropping in Trenton, they remain high. Also, Trenton’s rate of violent crime keeps it in the top ten most dangerous cities in New Jersey. The data aggregating website city-data.com finds that Trenton’s rate of property crime decreased from a high of 1,513 burglaries in 2012 per 100,000 people to 1,056 per 100,000 people in 2016. But this is more than the double the US average of 469 burglaries per 100,000 people.

Here are some property crimes reported to the Trenton Police Department via the CrimeMapping site this past week:

Burglary Forcible Entry – Kingsbury Square, Feb 26, 2:49 pm

Robbery With Firearm – 900 Block S Broad Street, Feb 26, 9:34 am

Burglary Unlawful Entry – 1300 Block New York Ave, Feb 26, 8:50 am

Defiant Trespass – 200 Block W State St, Feb 25, 4:27 pm

Burglary, Forcible Entry – 300 Block S Olden Ave, Feb 25, 4:05 pm

Stolen Vehicle – 200 Block Hewitt St, Feb 25 1:49 am

Burglary Forcible Entry – 300 Block Chestnut Ave, Feb 24, 9:12 am

Stolen Vehicle – Wilkinson Place, Feb 24, 3:07 am

Robbery (strong arm ) – 900 Block Franklin St, Feb 24 12:28 am

Robbery (strong arm ) – Division St/Cummings Ave, Feb 24 12:05 am

Criminal trespass/ unlicensed entry – Dresden Ave, Feb 24 12:03 am

Stolen Vehicle – 800 Block Clinton Ave, Feb 24 11:21 pm

Robbery with Firearm – 800 Block S Broad St, Feb 24 3:45 pm

Theft – Furman St, Feb 24 10:57 pm

Robbery-With Firearm – 900 Block S Broad St, Feb 23, 3:34 pm

Stolen Vehicle – 200 Block S Broad St, Feb 23 2:16 pm

Theft – S Clinton Ave, Feb 23 2:05 pm

Theft – 500 Block Greenwood Ave, Feb 22 10:10 pm

Burglary-Forcible Entry – McKinley Ave, Feb 22 2:12 pm

Stolen Vehicle – 1200 Block Olden Ave, Feb 22 1:23 pm

Stolen Vehicle – 600 Block Olden Ave, Feb 22 12:32 pm

Theft – 400 Block Montgomery St, Feb 22 7:40 am

Stolen Vehicle – 1200 Block Olden Ave, Feb 22 12:32 pm

Theft – 400 Block Montgomery St, Feb 22 7:40 am

Burglary – Forcible Entry, 200 Block N Hermitage Ave, Feb 22 6:15 am

Theft – Commerce St, Feb 21, 4:10 pm

Burglary – Forced Entry – Kent St, Feb 20, 9:04 pm

Criminal Trespassing – 900 Block Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Feb 20, 1:40 pm