Thanks to a roving task force and the fact that administrative officers hit the streets to assist patrol units in December, crime in St. Charles Parish fell by 3.9 percent in 2008, with the lowest number of crimes reported in over 12 years.
In 2008, there were 2,094 crimes reported, down from 2,179 in 2007. Assaults were down the most, from 782 in 2007 to 685 in 2008, while burglaries fell from 460 to 434 over that same period. The number of reported robberies also dropped from 43 to 31, and auto thefts fell by one, from 104 to 103.
Sheriff Greg Champagne said that the parish initiated two aggressive efforts in the latter part of 2008, which he believes led to a reduction in crime last year. The first was a roving task force of an additional five to six deputies, which operated three to four nights per week in areas where the parish sees the highest number of crimes occur.
“The task force took a zero tolerance approach to traffic violations, curfew and other minor offense,” Champagne said. “The task force made over 100 arrests in October, November and December of individuals found to be wanted by courts in and out of St. Charles Parish.”
Champagne said those warrants ranged from failure to appear in court to robbery.
“Anytime we can take this number of wanted subjects off the streets, crime has to fall,” he said.
In December, Champagne also ordered dozens of administrative officers out to the streets to assist patrol units with their efforts to head off holiday season crimes like theft and burglaries.
“These two enforcement projects proved successful and will be utilized in the future as the need arises,” Champagne said.
While crimes fell in 2008, the sheriff’s office also ended the year by getting alleged drug dealers off the streets. A drug roundup, which began on Dec. 15, was the result of an undercover investigation by the Special Investigations Division of the sheriff’s office into illegal drug sales throughout the parish.
The investigation focused on typical street drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, and also targeted commonly-abused prescription medication.
Champagne said that many of those arrested in the first sweep for the distribution of prescription medication lived in the New Sarpy/Norco area, including a 74-year-old woman.
The drugs sold to undercover officers during this operation include marijuana, cocaine, MDMA (Ecstasy), Carisoprodol, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Alprazolam, Diazepam and even a small amount of Heroin.
The investigation has led to 30 arrests.
While several crime totals fell in 2008, some did rise, including murders, which jumped from two in 2007 to four in 2008. Rapes also increased by three (from 11 to 14), while thefts were up by 46 (from 777 to 823).
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