Paterson Police Department Announces Significant Drop in Crime and Shooting Victims Between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 2023 Following Summer Strategy

PATERSON — Officer in Charge Isa Abbassi announced today that Paterson saw a significant decrease in crime over the summer months in response to the Summer Crime and Quality of Life Strategy. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, shooting incidents have declined 41.2% as compared to the same period last year. Paterson also saw the lowest number of shooting victims for that time period in the last five years.

CompStat crime data for the period can be found here.

With support from Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, along with state and local public safety partners, the strategy increases police presence and communication with the community to increase overall safety in the city.

During the period beginning May 29th and ending September 4th, Paterson saw a 60% decrease in murders compared to the same period in 2022. There were 14 fewer shooting victims in the city, accounting for a drop of 40.8%. Paterson also saw declines in other major violent crime categories in the period:

• Robbery decreased 37.9% (82 vs. 132).
• Aggravated assault decreased 10.4% (335 vs. 374).

The time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day of 2023 saw the lowest number of shooting victims in the past five years. There were 29 shooting victims in 2023 compared to 41 in 2019, 75 in 2020, and 49 in both 2021 and 2022. Comparing the time period between 2023 and 2020 there was a 61.3% reduction in shooting victims accounting for 46 fewer people victimized by gun violence.

“Our residents need to feel safe in their city,” said Officer in Charge Abbassi. “The summer crime data is a great indicator; however, we must continue to drive down fear and disorder in Paterson while remaining focused on accountability and excellence. The women and men of the PPD have risen to the challenge and Patersonians are seeing the results. I would like to thank Attorney General Platkin and the State of New Jersey for their continued support of the Paterson Police Department.”

Portions of the PPD’s Summer Strategy was made possible by Attorney General Platkin’s ongoing commitment to Paterson through the allocation of State resources, personnel, technology, and nearly $1 million dollars in additional summer funding. It was implemented Memorial Day and continued through Labor Day, the period in which most major cities see an increase in criminal activity. Highlights of the plan include a violence reduction initiative, in which Paterson Police Officers provide additional coverage to dedicated hot spots, and the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, in which police resources are positioned to reclaim and revitalize portions of the community that have been challenged by significant public safety and quality-of-life concerns.

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