"Obviously I'm very pleased with this report," said Mayor David Roberts from his office Thursday. "I'm very proud of Chief [Carmen] LaBruno and the entire Hoboken Police Department. These numbers show that they are effectively doing their job. We have a safe community and we need to protect that as our most important dynamic."
Roberts added that there are several reasons that Hoboken has a low crime rate. "I have always said that Hoboken is a safe community because, first and foremost, we have an active, visible and well-trained police department," Roberts said, "and secondly, because the citizens of Hoboken respect the city's laws, each other and authority of the police."
When the numbers are broken down, they show that crime is down across the board in the mile-square city. Rape is down 100 percent (because there was one at this time last year and none so far this year), robbery 30.8 percent, and aggravated assault 6.7 percent. Non-violent property related crimes also have fallen. Burglary is down 23.2 percent, larceny has dropped 6.1 percent and motor vehicle theft has decreased by 15.9 percent.
Police Chief LaBruno said Thursday that one reason for the lower numbers is the mayor's diligence when it comes to public safety.
"The reality of the situation is that I enjoy a close working relationship with the mayor," he said. "He listens to residents and brings to my attention things that the police department might not be aware of."
According to the LaBruno, the mayor has requested that the department increase the number of patrols, specifically beefing up the number of foot patrols.
Coming out of the PATH station Thursday, new resident and single father Eli Ford said that safety was one of the reasons that he decided to move to Hoboken.
"You can always walk the streets without being afraid," Ford said. "You never get that seedy feeling that you sometimes get in Manhattan and other places in Jersey. Sure, there might be a lot of bars and people walking the streets, but I have never felt unsafe."
He said one reason that he does feel so safe is the city's police presence. "They're everywhere," he said. "It seems like you can't turn around without seeing a cop, and when you have a young child, that makes you feel better about a lot of things."
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