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Interactive Map: Crime in New Jersey

Crime in New Jersey rose by 3 percent in 2011, according to the 2011 Uniform Crime Report recently released by state officials.

A total of 217,073 index crimes — seven offenses tracked by the police — were committed in the state last year, about 6,200 more than in 2010. That works out to a crime rate of almost 25 per 1,000 people. All of the increase was among nonviolent crimes — burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft — which numbered 189,900. There were 10 fewer violent crimes — murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault — in 2011 than in 2010.

“The latest crime data shows a slight increase in the overall crime rate in New Jersey,” said Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa in announcing the release of the data. He added that “the factors that influence crime trends are complex and interwoven” and said that law enforcement officials would continue to work to combat crime “during what remains a tough economic time for much of our state and our nation.”  Click here to continue reading this story.

Appeals upholds EPA authority over emissions

An appeals court on Thursday denied a request from industry groups to rehear a case in which the court upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate change regulations.

The industry challenge failed to win a majority vote by judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for an en banc (before the entire bench) rehearing of Coalition for Responsible Regulation v. EPA, which sought to challenge the EPA’s power to address greenhouse gas emissions.

In their dissenting opinions, Judges Brett Kavanaugh and Janice Rogers Brown attacked the majority decision with flourish, detailing grievances with this summer’s ruling. And like the original opinion, one judge again cited a Schoolhouse Rock song, this time turning to “Three Ring Government.”  Click here to continue reading this story.