Crime

Paterson's crime rate by year

Police in Paterson, NJ reported about 869 violent crimes per 100,000 people they serve in 2025 (U.S.: 329), down from a high of 1,909 in 1988, and 8.7 murders in 2025 (U.S.: 4.3), down from a high of 25.9 in 2021. Rates count only crimes police reported to the FBI.

Violent crime rate, 2025

869

per 100,000 people (U.S.: 329)

Murder rate, 2025

8.7

per 100,000 people (U.S.: 4.3)

Violent crime rate in Paterson and the U.S., each year

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.

Murder rate in Paterson and the U.S., each year

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.

Property crime rate in Paterson and the U.S., each year

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.

Car theft rate in Paterson and the U.S., each year

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.

Burglary rate in Paterson and the U.S., each year

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.

Robbery rate in Paterson and the U.S., each year

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.

Violent crime and murder each year

Crimes per 100,000 people, as police reported them to the FBI, newest first.

Violent crimes and murders per 100,000 people in Paterson, NJ and the U.S., each year
Year Violent, Paterson Violent, U.S. Murder, Paterson Murder, U.S.
2025 869.4 329.3 8.7 4.3
2024 1,010.1 363.4 6.9 5.2
2023 947.5 385.6 10.3 6.1
2022 1,044.8 398.2 16.6 6.9
2021 514.1 360.9 25.9 6.9
2020 987.9 399.3 18.6 6.8
2019 841.5 381.0 13.1 5.2
2018 732.5 384.8 8.8 5.2
2017 696.1 397.5 14.2 5.4
2016 764.6 399.5 12.9 5.4
2015 798.8 384.6 12.3 5.0
2014 816.0 373.7 16.4 4.5
2013 1,071.8 378.2 12.4 4.6
2012 1,054.7 390.7 14.3 4.8
2011 1,015.8 390.1 11.6 4.8
2010 1,070.5 408.1 11.6 4.8
2009 909.3 436.8 10.3 5.1
2008 1,000.4 463.7 11.7 5.5
2007 999.0 477.9 9.5 5.8
2006 1,115.0 486.9 10.0 5.9
2005 955.0 483.0 13.2 5.9
2004 800.9 478.6 6.6 5.7
2003 818.6 493.7 13.2 5.9
2002 764.7 512.9 9.8 5.9
2001 865.3 529.5 10.6 5.9
2000 806.9 534.4 11.4 5.8
1999 813.5 545.8 8.7 5.9
1998 838.7 603.8 11.2 6.6
1997 1,039.8 644.9 9.9 7.2
1996 1,169.2 658.8 5.0 7.8
1995 1,192.0 720.6 8.6 8.7
1994 1,400.7 740.4 10.6 9.2
1993 1,555.5 764.1 16.4 9.8
1992 1,549.0 785.4 11.3 9.7
1991 1,675.7 798.1 13.4 10.3
1990 1,873.8 749.8 9.2 9.7
1989 1,847.4 680.5 10.1 8.9
1988 1,909.2 630.2 12.1 8.5
1987 1,790.4 624.9 12.1 8.4
1986 1,548.0 633.6 14.2 8.7
1985 1,306.5 570.3 20.8 8.1

Property crime, car theft, burglary and robbery each year

Crimes per 100,000 people in Paterson, with the U.S. rate after each, newest first.

Property crime, car theft, burglary and robbery per 100,000 people in Paterson, NJ and the U.S., each year
Year Property crime, Paterson Property crime, U.S. Car theft, Paterson Car theft, U.S. Burglary, Paterson Burglary, U.S. Robbery, Paterson Robbery, U.S.
2025 2,415 1,552 467 200 341 195 228 50
2024 2,391 1,767 515 258 369 232 251 62
2023 2,484 1,951 471 326 411 254 224 68
2022 2,346 1,999 422 290 339 276 281 70
2021 651 1,762 91 240 135 264 121 54
2020 1,501 1,955 174 247 391 309 294 74
2019 2,179 2,109 315 221 585 334 320 83
2018 2,432 2,207 300 231 543 373 362 87
2017 2,308 2,372 427 239 672 427 330 99
2016 2,150 2,469 456 240 650 467 374 104
2015 2,509 2,495 465 223 806 490 391 103
2014 2,649 2,592 508 217 792 538 419 103
2013 2,832 2,759 516 224 943 611 585 111
2012 3,155 2,881 616 232 1,100 673 580 115
2011 3,229 2,926 719 232 1,220 702 512 115
2010 3,103 2,963 480 241 1,020 702 526 121
2009 2,657 3,077 434 264 856 722 435 136
2008 3,146 3,252 671 321 1,074 738 530 149
2007 2,969 3,316 616 372 986 731 469 152
2006 2,919 3,397 670 410 908 740 539 154
2005 2,941 3,518 604 434 935 741 389 147
2004 3,071 3,599 740 437 850 741 411 142
2003 3,440 3,704 846 455 967 757 445 150
2002 3,739 3,738 943 453 1,047 762 429 154
2001 4,461 3,802 1,116 456 1,305 766 447 159
2000 3,518 3,752 892 437 876 751 389 156
1999 3,614 3,873 902 446 1,057 790 385 160
1998 3,514 4,213 772 493 1,100 895 376 180
1997 4,123 4,495 803 542 1,418 952 493 203
1996 4,913 4,553 987 554 1,394 954 576 219
1995 5,595 4,797 1,010 596 1,605 1,025 596 239
1994 5,761 4,752 1,067 615 1,876 1,053 748 251
1993 6,606 4,814 1,298 628 2,322 1,108 776 269
1992 5,917 5,089 1,341 661 1,760 1,200 743 279
1991 5,999 5,388 1,378 699 1,724 1,297 743 292
1990 7,139 5,227 1,446 677 1,884 1,253 919 267
1989 7,384 5,212 1,307 649 2,360 1,298 846 243
1988 7,668 5,046 1,469 596 2,243 1,283 968 222
1987 6,969 5,090 1,432 544 2,092 1,356 892 221
1986 6,659 5,015 1,393 522 2,253 1,373 885 234
1985 6,452 4,780 1,303 473 2,102 1,310 850 216

Source and notes

FBI Crime Data Explorer, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (Public domain (U.S. government work); source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program).

These are the crimes the Paterson police reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program, per 100,000 people the department serves. Violent crime is murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; murder includes nonnegligent manslaughter. Property crime is burglary, theft and car theft. A year counts only when the department reported violent crimes in all 12 months, and not when its rate is far out of line with the years either side (under a quarter, or over 1.75 times, of both), which means it sent only part of its reports or some twice. In 2021 the FBI took only reports from its newer system (NIBRS), and many departments hadn't switched yet, so that year is often missing or less certain. NIBRS counts every crime in an incident, not just the most serious, so a jump or drop when a department switched can come from the change in counting rather than in crime. The FBI widened its definition of rape in 2013. A city's rate depends on where its borders fall, so compare cities with care. The U.S. rates count only the agencies that reported, so they differ a little from the FBI's national estimates.