Major crime reported in St. John the Baptist Parish in 2020 decreased by 11 percent from the previous year, annual crime statistics collected by the St. John Sheriff’s Office show. Overall, 384 crimes were reported in St. John Parish in 2020, compared to 433 in 2019.
There was a decrease in five of the seven major crime categories: criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, burglary, and theft. Criminal homicide decreased from 10 in 2019 to four in 2020. Forcible rape decreased with five cases reported in 2019 compared to three in 2020. Robbery dropped from 27 cases in 2019 to 16 cases in 2020. Also falling were the numbers of thefts with 64 reported in 2019 compared to 56 in 2020, and burglaries with 166 in 2019 compared to 115 in 2020.
There was an increase in two of the seven major crime categories. Assaults increased to 137 in 2020 from 109 reported in 2019. Motor vehicle theft also rose slightly to 53 in 2020 compared to 52 in 2019. Motor vehicle thefts include golf carts, all terrain vehicles, boats, and motorcycles.
“Continuous training for officers, technology, business and residential surveillance systems combined with our camera system, and citizens calling 911 to report suspicious activity have helped us tremendously in fighting crime,” Sheriff Tregre said.
Also, police service calls decreased from 54,664 in 2019 to 46,762 in 2020.