Livingston recorded just 17 violent crimes in 2025, a 34.4 percent drop from 2024, according to FBI data released Aug. 14.

The new Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) figures, first reported locally by Patch, put the township's violent crime rate at 52.7 per 100,000 residents based on an estimated population of 32,223. That rate is a fraction of New Jersey's statewide figure of 193.8 per 100,000 and the national rate of 327.6 per 100,000.

The FBI defines violent crime as homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Livingston's decline outpaced both. New Jersey's violent crime rate fell 11.8 percent in 2025, dropping from 219.7 to 193.8 per 100,000. Nationally, violent crime fell 9.3 percent, which the FBI called the largest single-year decline since the bureau began tracking crime trends in 1936.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in an Aug. 19 video message that law enforcement "…has delivered for the American people the largest reduction in violent crime in U.S. history."

The national murder rate fell to 4.1 per 100,000 in 2025, matching levels last seen in 1955 and 1956. Robbery dropped 18.5 percent nationwide, and murder and nonnegligent manslaughter fell 18.1 percent.

Neighboring Millburn saw even lower numbers: just two violent crimes in 2025, for a rate of 8.74 per 100,000, Patch reported.

The broader trend stretches back decades. New Jersey's violent crime rate peaked in 1990 at 647.6 per 100,000. The rate has since fallen roughly 70 percent, according to FBI data analyzed by Patch.

Livingston Police Chief Gary Marshuetz told the Township Council at its July 28 meeting that crime had dropped significantly compared to 2023, which he described as "not the best year for us," the West Essex Tribune reported. That presentation predated the FBI's Aug. 14 data release.

Residents can explore the full UCR dataset, covering 1979 through 2025, through the FBI's Crime Data Explorer.