According to an article printed in the Hammonton News Wednesday, crime has increased an eye-opening 9.6% in 2005 compared to 2004.  While New Jersey’s crime rate has dropped 3%, Hammonton has “bucked the trend” and saw crime spread throughout town.  Earlier this year Hammonton witnessed 2 murders in as many weeks, something not seen before in this once quiet farming community.  With a population of migrant workers that swells into the thousands every summer, Hammonton’s Police force shares a problem that many shore communities deal with: a limited force handling wildly changing population count.

The 2006 Police Department’s budget was frozen by Town Council at the levels of 2005, while the Police have asked for extra resources to protect the Town and its residents.  Just this week, the Hammonton Board of Education requested additional crossing guards to handle the increased pedestrian traffic to the public schools.  Chief Ingemi stated in an interview with NBC 10 that they have no room in the budget to add additional crossing guards.

It’s worth noting, that while The Board of Education, Police, Fire, and other departments around Town have felt a budget crunch that effects residents, businesses, and others at every level, the Town of Hammonton enjoys a surplus of $4.2 million left over from 2005.