These New Jersey Towns Are Still Struggling With Vandalism

Nobody likes finding a keyed car, a spray-painted wall, a smashed mailbox, or a busted window.

For the Garden State, there’s good news and bad news. Let’s start with the good news.

New Jersey is actually seeing fewer vandalism and property damage incidents than it did a year ago.

According to a new analysis of FBI crime data by iSelect, reports of vandalism and property damage in New Jersey dropped 20% during the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. Incidents fell from 7,181 reports to 5,779.

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That’s encouraging. Now the bad news.

The numbers also show vandalism remains a costly and frustrating problem in many parts of the Garden State. Since 2021, New Jersey has recorded more than 125,000 vandalism and property damage incidents.

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So where is it happening the most?

Based on 2024 FBI data, these are the 20 New Jersey municipalities with the highest number of destruction, damage, and vandalism of property reports and the total number for each city.

1. Newark — 2,173

2. Jersey City — 2,142

3. Paterson — 1,488

4. Atlantic City — 719

5. Vineland — 623

6. Clifton — 559

7. East Orange — 478

8. Elizabeth — 455

9. Bridgeton — 386

10. Lakewood Township — 386

11. Toms River Township — 384

12. Cherry Hill Township — 329

13. Millville — 289

14. Irvington — 280

15. Mount Laurel Township — 276

16. New Brunswick — 247

17. Pennsauken Township — 246

18. West Orange — 222

19. Willingboro Township — 215

20. Passaic — 193

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A couple of things stand out. Newark and Jersey City are essentially tied for the top spot, each recording more than 2,100 incidents. Paterson is a distant third but still well ahead of every other town on the list.

And while larger cities dominate the rankings, several suburban communities and shore-area towns also make appearances.

The overall trend is moving in the right direction statewide. Still, if you’ve ever walked outside and found your mailbox had been used for batting practice in the night, you know even one act of vandalism can be one too many.

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Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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