Crime & Safety in Paterson, NJ
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
9.79
per 1,000 residents
+118% vs national
Property Crime Rate
23.51
per 1,000 residents
+8% vs national
Total Crimes
5,291
2024
Violent Clearance
27%
cases solved
-35% vs national
Property Clearance
3%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+117%
vs 100K-250K avg
+117% vs 100K-250K
YoY Change
+8.2%
violent crime rate
worsening vs 2023
How Paterson Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Paterson vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 100,000 - 250,000 residents. Paterson is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Paterson police solve 60% of murder cases but only 0% of motor vehicle theft cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 10 | 0.06 | 60.0% |
| Rape | Violent | 59 | 0.37 | 1.7% |
| Robbery | Violent | 393 | 2.47 | 9.9% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 1,093 | 6.88 | 34.8% |
| Burglary | Property | 572 | 3.60 | 11.0% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 2,353 | 14.81 | 1.8% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 811 | 5.10 | 0.1% |
Paterson, NJ reported 1,555 violent crimes and 3,736 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 9.79 per 1,000 residents is 118.4% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 27% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 2,353 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 13.3% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (100,000 - 250,000 population), Paterson's violent crime rate is 117% higher. Violent crime has been trending upward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,555 | 3,736 | 9.79 | 23.51 |
| 2023 | 1,411 | 3,815 | 9.05 | 24.46 |
| 2022 | 1,572 | 3,588 | 10.06 | 22.96 |
| 2021 | 623 | 909 | 4.13 | 6.03 |
| 2020 | 1,432 | 2,160 | 9.88 | 14.90 |
| 2019 | 1,219 | 3,132 | 8.41 | 21.62 |
| 2018 | 1,076 | 3,564 | 7.33 | 24.26 |
| 2017 | 1,028 | 3,399 | 6.96 | 23.01 |
| 2016 | 1,126 | 3,154 | 7.65 | 21.42 |
| 2015 | 1,171 | 3,667 | 7.99 | 25.02 |