NJ has 2 of America’s safest small towns, but we could do better (Opinion)

New Jersey is known for its population density, among other things. We are so densely populated in some parts of the state that much of the area is considered metropolitan areas. But we also have some very small towns that are not in high population areas and make for ideal living situations.

As long as you don't need super-convenient shopping and nightlife, you can manage pretty well in these tiny towns.

As Bill Doyle points out, the website SafeWise.com has released a list of the safest small towns in America and our state has two towns on the top ten list.

One of them is New Hanover which is right about in the middle of the state and home to Joint Base McGuire. It also includes Cookstown and has a population of a little over 7,000 people according to the latest census.

There isn't a whole lot to do there but it's not far from our favorite watering hole, Tara's Tavern which is technically in North Hanover.

The other small town with low crime is Matawan in Monmouth County.

Matawan has a population just under 10,000 and comes in at number 10 on the list of safest small towns in America.

There is less crime in smaller towns for a lot of different reasons, but the main reason, is less opportunity. Less people, less property and business activity leads to less opportunity for crime of any kind.

As violent crimes have risen in the last year according to FBI statistics, people might be looking for safer places to live and raise a family.

Many New Jersey small towns have their own police departments which some people may complain raises property taxes and be more costly than a county-wide system.

However, with our insanely restrictive gun laws, we are left to rely mainly on our police forces for protection. So, it's a simple trade-off.

Live in a small town protected by a police force that patrols regularly and know the town and its people intimately, or go it alone in a state where you're not allowed to protect yourself with a firearm.

Those of us who've decided to stay, have made the choice to live in a small safe New Jersey town.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis Malloy's own.