Violent crime plunges in casino city

Monday, June 19, 2000 | 11:01 a.m.

ATLANTIC CITY -- Violent crime in this casino capital plunged last year, with the number of reported rapes dropping to pre-casino era levels, according to a report released last week by police and prosecutors.

The number of murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults dropped by 10 percent from 1998, while the total number of crimes dipped by 0.8 percent, according to the report by Atlantic County Prosecutor Jeffrey Blitz.

"In a county that lays claim to a casino city where more than 35 million people visit 12 gaming halls each year, these numbers are remarkable," said Blitz. He credited innovative city programs, stepped-up cooperation between agencies and aggressive prosecutions.

The report was based on statistics released recently by the State Police's Uniform Crime Reporting Unit and compared with historical data for crime in the city and Atlantic County.

There were 640 violent crimes, down from 711 the previous year. It was the lowest annual total in the city since 1978, when 656 violent crimes were reported and only one casino had opened, the report said. There were five murders in the city last year, compared with 14 in 1998.