How Do Florida and New Jersey Compare in Terms of Crime Rates and Criminal Charges?

By  //  January 25, 2022

Crime rates and the specific types of crimes that are committed can vary greatly depending on where you live in the U.S. Some states are safer than others. 

To get a rounded view of how Florida compares to other states, you will need to look at statistics for all the states in the U.S., but in the meantime, here is a look at how Florida compares to the state of New Jersey.  

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New Jersey’s Unique System of Crime Classification

Before we begin comparing the crime rates of Florida and New Jersey, it is worth noting that New Jersey has a unique system for classifying crimes. 

Crimes that are called felonies in other states are referred to as indictable offenses in New Jersey and crimes that are known as misdemeanors in other states are known as disorderly persons offenses in New Jersey. 

So, if you happen to be charged with an indictable offense or a disorderly persons offense in New Jersey, you now know what is meant by the terms. 

Hopefully, you will not be arrested for any kind of crime, but if you are, you should seek advice from criminal defense lawyers as soon as possible.

For New Jersey lawyers who specialize in a range of crimes like DWI, assault, theft, fraud, and drug possession, check out Middlesexcountycriminallaw.com.

Comparing the Crime Rates of Florida and New Jersey

To grasp how the crime rates differ between the states of Florida and New Jersey, the Crime Index is a good place to start. 

The Crime Index shows the risk of crimes happening in specific areas and measures them against the national index of 100. 

In short, that means if the Crime Index of a particular state is more than 100, it is an area with more crime in comparison to other states. If the score is lower than 100, it means the area sees less crime than the national average. 

So, using the Crime Index, we can see that Florida has a score of 106 while New Jersey has a score of 64. Therefore, in general, New Jersey is a much safer place than Florida when it comes to crime. 

Comparing Criminal Charges in Florida and New Jersey

To get a better idea of how the two states compare in terms of the amount of crime, we need to look at the Crime Index scores for specific crimes in both Florida and New Jersey

When looking at eight of the most common crimes, New Jersey only scores higher than Florida in one type of crime: robbery 

But even that score is only marginally higher than Florida. In New Jersey, the Crime Index score for robbery is 96 while in Florida it is 94; although both are lower than the national average. 

For the other seven common crimes, Florida scores higher than New Jersey, but in many cases, Florida has fewer crimes than other states.  

Here is a rundown of how Florida and New Jersey compare for common types of criminal charges, using the Crime Index score:

 Assault in Florida: 113.

Assault in New Jersey: 51.

Burglary in Florida: 100.

Burglary in New Jersey: 61.

Larceny in Florida: 110.

Larceny in New Jersey: 66.

Motor vehicle theft in Florida: 85.

Motor vehicle theft New Jersey: 58. 

Murder in Florida: 100.

Murder in New Jersey: 76.

Property crime in Florida: 100.

Property crime in New Jersey: 62.

Rape in Florida: 92.

Rape in New Jersey: 39.

Summing Up

When it comes to both crime rates and criminal charges, Florida has a higher percentage than New Jersey. Therefore, New Jersey is a safer place to live generally. However, Florida still has a lower crime rate than other states in the country.