NJ holiday crime spikes. Here’s what the numbers say

Every year around this time, Jersey starts to feel a little like Home Alone. Plenty of twinkly lights, holiday cheer, and meanwhile, the burglars are rubbing their hands together like it’s their busy season. And according to new data from Compare the Market, we’re not imagining it.

New Jersey is seeing a jump in break-ins during the holidays.

The numbers are pretty amazing. Back in 2021, Jersey logged 878 burglaries per 100,000 residents in December. Fast forward to 2024, and that number shoots up to 1,128. That’s a 28% spike. Only in New Jersey can you wrap gifts one minute and yell at someone creeping around your driveway the next.

This report looked at FBI Crime Data Explorer numbers across the country and compared December break-ins over four years. Florida is No. 1 with a truly insane 519% jump. New York doubled. Alaska even saw a spike. And there we are, sitting at No. 8 on the list of states with the biggest holiday-season burglary increase. That’s not exactly the ranking we want to brag about.

Read More: NJ expert warns of ‘ghost tapping’ scam draining bank accounts

What should we do?

The insurance experts behind the study say the usual things about locks, alarms, cameras, and not leaving valuables out. All good advice. And honestly, most of us in Jersey already have at least two cameras pointed at our driveway because that’s who we are. But maybe this year, add a couple more. Or at least ask your neighbor to stop Amazon-pirate-watching from their window and actually text you if someone is creeping around.

Bottom line: holiday shopping season is also holiday-stealing season, and the numbers prove it. So be careful, double-check the doors, and maybe don’t announce your entire travel schedule on Facebook.