Major crimes are murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and theft.
And they have become less frequent in recent years, down to 8 in 1996 from a high of 18 in 1988. Part of this is due to the changing complexion of summertime Manasquan, which traditionally has been a magnet for partying college kids. Still, the young people do come, and they tend to bring with them noise, vandalism, public urination and drinking, so the town keeps several special officers in rotation near the heavy rental areas during peak tourism months. The town also was one of the first to experiment with bike patrols back in 1990, as officials reasoned officers on bikes could cover more ground than those on foot patrol while having more direct contact with residents than police in cars. During the nonsummer months, when the town reverts to its small-suburb incarnation, crime here usually occurs in the forms of domestic violence and minor mischief carried out by the teens from many area towns who attend Manasquan High School.