NEW JERSEY CRIME DIPS TO 29-YEAR LOW

Crime declined again in New Jersey last year and dipped to its lowest level
in nearly 30 years, according to a report released Thursday.

"As today's statistics demonstrate, New Jersey continues to be a safer
place to live and work," acting Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco said in a statement.

DiFrancesco attributed the dwindling crime to good police work and tougher
sentencing laws, while law enforcement officials credited better police
training, advances in crime-fighting technology, community outreach, and
bicycle patrols.

Overall, crime dropped 8 percent in Bergen County, 6 percent in Passaic
County, and 1 percent in Morris County, although crime more than doubled in
Little Ferry, and increased by 30 percent or more in the northern Bergen
towns of Park Ridge, Harrington Park, Allendale, Hillsdale, Northvale, and
Upper Saddle River.

Although the 4 percent drop in crime last year continued a downward trend,
the falloff was not as dramatic as in 1999, when crime decreased by 11
percent statewide in the midst of a strong economy. Last year, crime was at
its lowest since 1972, officials said.

"It would be very unrealistic to expect to see the magnitude of the
declines we've seen in recent years continue indefinitely," said Mercer
Sullivan, a professor at the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers
University in Newark.

Sullivan said the reason for the nationwide drop in crime in recent years
is difficult to pinpoint, but he cited the hiring of more police officers,
a robust economy, low unemployment, and the overall aging of the population.

But, Sullivan said, the single biggest contributor to the near decade- long
decrease in crime is waning crack cocaine use, which surged in the 1980s
and began to taper off in the early 1990s. Crack cocaine use often
contributes to violent crime, Sullivan said.

Arrests for selling or using drugs decreased slightly last year, but more
than 51 percent of the 57,806 arrests involved cocaine, opium, or some form
of the two drugs. Marijuana and hashish were connected to 42 percent of
arrests, according to the report.

Although law enforcement officials last year promised to clamp down on
people who sell and abuse so-called club drugs, such as Ecstasy, only 2
percent of arrests last year were connected to that type of drug.

The news was mostly good, but some pockets of the state saw a drastic
increase in crime. For instance, crime more than doubled in Little Ferry,
with 130 more crimes in 2000 than in 1999 and a striking jump in theft.

Little Ferry police Lt. Ralph Verdi said transients traveling through the
11,000-resident town, which is bisected by Route 46, are responsible for
much of the increase. He also cited an increase in the town's population
and more willingness by residents to report crimes.

Other problems included an 11 percent increase in carjackings and a 5
percent jump in bias crimes, criminal acts directed at certain races and
ethnic groups. African-Americans and Jews constituted 70 percent of bias
crime victims. Bergen County had the largest number of bias crimes.

"An increase is always a cause for concern," said Shai Goldstein, director
of the state Anti-Defamation League. "But the upside is, county prosecutors
and municipal police officers are doing a better job every year in dealing
with bias crimes."

Statewide, violent crime, including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated
assault, decreased for the seventh straight year.

But 10 counties, including Passaic and Morris, experienced an increase in
violent crime.

Passaic County Prosecutor Boris Moczula said the 10 percent jump in violent
crime is a cause for some concern. He suspected the rise in murders,
burglary, and aggravated assault stemmed from gangs.

"I'm beginning to wonder whether this is the first reflection of an
increase in gang activity," Moczula said. "We'll be taking a look at that."

In Bergen County, the decrease in violent crime was miniscule: Three fewer
incidents last year over 1999. Bergen County Prosecutor William H. Schmidt
asked for a day to study the statistics before commenting.