As temperatures rise in NJ, so does the homicide rate

As the weather is heating up, New Jersey's homicide rate is rising, according to the FBI. 

Brad Cohen, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Newark Division, said the murder rate in the Garden State has increased about 30 percent this year compared to last year. In 2014, there were 354 homicides recorded.

"We're also seeing an uptick in serious aggravated assaults, robberies, muggings and car jackings," Cohen said.

Cohen said this appears to be happening as the warm weather has people heading out more.

"People that are coming out and about, coming out from indoors, and they're spending their time outside, the more interaction you have with folks outside, obviously, that aggression can so-called increase," Cohen said.

He also confirmed gang-related activity may also be part of the mix.

"On most of these occasions, the victim and assailants did know one another, some are induced by violence through the gangs either because of drugs, or some of these can be caused by a fight, or it could be a random crime, either somebody was being robbed and the assailant didn't know the victim, so probably either a homicide or a serious violent assault occurred as a result of that," Cohen said.

Special Agent Cohen said to combat the problem the FBI is working with local and state law enforcement agencies to get more resources out on the street.

"The increased presence of more patrols, or potentially more community policing, putting more police out there so their presence is known, they may also have undercover stings," he said.

According to Cohen, the increase in violent crime is taking place all over the Garden state, in the suburbs as well as the cities, but the numbers are significantly higher in the cities where there is a larger population base."

Cohen stressed the public can help prevent certain crimes by keeping their eyes open and reporting suspicious activity.

"I don't want somebody to go out there and be a local hero, but if they do see something, say something," he said. "They can utilize Crimestoppers if they want to be anonymous, they can utilize their mobile technology, their mobile devices."

Cohen said the FBI is supporting other law enforcement agencies in this effort with task force officers and agents.

"It's just like our founder and once director J Edgar Hoover said, the greatest weapon against crime is collaboration by all law enforcement, and it's the understanding of the American people," he said.