According to Uniform Crime Report statistics released this month by the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, the first half of 2024 will see the lowest crime rate in nearly 30 years across St. Charles Parish.
According to the sheriff’s office, crime statistics for the first six months of 2024 fell to a record low compared to the same period over the past 28 years.
The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) is the FBI’s federally mandated crime reporting format. This system documents crime statistics in seven major categories. These categories include murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, and auto theft.
The UCR is the FBI’s federally mandated crime reporting format. This system documents crime statistics in seven major categories. These categories include murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, and auto theft. According to the UCR, from January 2024 to July 2024, the total number of crimes decreased from 656 in the same period in 2023 to the current 633, a decrease of 3.51 percent.
It is particularly important to note that the decline is largely due to a decrease in violent crime. Cases of rape (from 4 to 3), murder (from 3 to 1) and assault (from 302 to 273) all decreased compared to the same period last year.
The number of car thefts increased from 36 to 40 and the number of thefts from 250 to 253. The number of robberies increased from 7 to 9. There was neither an increase nor a decrease in burglaries (54 each).
This represents a continued positive trend for the municipality. 2023 saw the lowest number of recorded crimes in nearly three decades. If the 2024 pace continues, this would be a new low for that period.
“It’s hot outside, but crime continues to cool down,” St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne proudly posted on his Facebook page as he shared the statistics.
Champagne attributed the success to several factors, including the good work of his officers, the help of technology and social media, and a good working relationship with District Attorney Joel Chaisson’s office, which he cited as a major plus point the office’s commitment to pursuing and punishing repeat offenders who are responsible for a disproportionate number of crimes.
He also mentioned the long-standing community work through DARE, School Resource Officers, Eat on the Beat, summer camps and other programs.
“(The outreach) continues to solidify the already positive relationships we have built with the young people of St. Charles Parish,” Champagne said. “This cannot be overemphasized and is critical to crime prevention.”
“And finally, citizen involvement is a very valuable part of our work. We appreciate the cooperation of the people of St. Charles Parish, who usually do not hesitate to provide information about suspicious behavior, actual and potential crimes, and the perpetrators. This level of cooperation does not exist in many other places.”
Champagne reiterated a point he made after his recent inauguration for his eighth term as sheriff of St. Charles Parish: complacency is the enemy.
“While these numbers are great, we cannot simply sit back. We are constantly looking for ways to further reduce crime in all areas,” he said.
“This is still a team effort. Residents are urged not to become complacent. Please be vigilant and most importantly, secure your belongings and property… many of the thefts reported were due to unlocked vehicles and unattended valuables in easily accessible locations.”
