2006 proved to be a good year in terms of the crime rate in Bayonne.

Bayonne Deputy Chief of Police Ralph Scianni says there was a 50 percent drop in the murder rate and a 42.8 percent drop in rapes. Overall, Scianni says there was an average of an 8.4 percent drop in crime in 2006.

Scianni says the decrease in crime is due to community policing, in which police work directly with residents and businesses, and what he calls real-time intelligence. According to Scianni, police can contact any department at a moment?s notice. He adds that the police department can adapt to any trends that crop up during the year. Scianni says more community policing and other initiatives are planned for this year.