While some victims of domestic violence in New Jersey choose not to report their abuse, many others do choose to alert the authorities. When the police become involved, a formal record is created. The numbers are in for 2015 and it appears as though, geographically speaking, certain towns have higher incidences of domestic violence than others.
NJ.com took a look at what the 25 municipalities with the highest rate of partner abuse are. Four communities in Burlington County made the list. Mount Holly came in at number 16, with a rate of 20.6 domestic violence reports per 1,000 residents. Pemberton was the Burlington County town that ranked the highest, with a rate of 23.4 and an overall ranking of nine. Palmyra Borough and Edgewater Park also received rankings in the top 25.
In 2015, there were a total of 61,659 domestic violence offenses that were reported. However, only 31 percent of those incidents resulted in an arrest. 43 percent of the offenses were in connection with harassment or assault.
In an attempt to help crack down on the number of offenses, a new bill has been proposed which would stiffen the penalties for some domestic abusers, according to the Press of Atlantic City. The bill, which has passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee and has support from both sides of the aisle, would stiffen the charges and associated penalties for certain assaults that result from the violation of a protective order or restraining order. The bill will need to clear the full Assembly before it can be heard by the state Senate.
