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Terrebonne Parish Sheriff claims crime rates from 2018 to 2019 have trended downwards with the exception of homicides.
After a review of the statistics, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter says, five categories’ percentages have significantly dropped. Homicides were unusually high last year, but do not show a trend.
“We had nine total [in 2019],” Sheriff Larpenter said. “One is too many.”
The five categories which saw reduction were as follows: aggravated assault 47%, 21 to 11; batteries 35%, 88 to 65; robberies 36%, 41 to 26; burglaries 42%, 408 to 286; and thefts 13%, 2028 to 1765.
The total number of homicides last year totaled nine: two are still under investigation in reference to category, three are directly related to situations involving domestic violence and four appear drug related.
“The average number of homicides in Terrebonne Parish has been six per year from 2012 to the present. Most of these 2019 homicides involved on-going problem with the illegal drug trade,” said Larpenter. “Key actors in some of these cases have been apprehended during the past year as well. It is our hope that 2020 will see numbers closer to or below our area’s average”
Criminal justice experts generally say crime stats are best reviewed over long periods. Aggravated assault, robberies, and burglaries were those cited by the sheriff’s office to exhibit a downward trend.
“It is difficult to accurately determine the reasons for these drops, which appear part of a multi-year trend,” Sheriff Larpenter said. “However, I have no doubt that strategic use of patrols despite limited resources has had some effect in terms of deterrence. In addition, our detective division has been extremely active in all cases. Continued enforcement also tends to deter criminals. These numbers show at the very least that we have them thinking twice.”
