Shreveport Police Dept.

Date: Jan. 23, 2009

Phone: (318) 525-5066 Fax: (318) 673-6933

Contact: Cpl. Bill Goodin, Public Information Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Crime rates drop to 31-year low in Shreveport

The final results are in, the numbers have been added up, and the Shreveport Police Department is proud to report many crime numbers dropped to 31-year low in 2008. The Violent Crime Index was down 14 percent and the Property Crime Index was down 12 percent.

With 33 homicides reported last year, Shreveport has experienced an 18 percent decrease from the 40 homicides reported in 2007 and a 30 percent decrease compared to the 31-year average of 47 homicides per year. Robberies overall are down 14 percent from 2007 totals. Aggravated assaults and batteries were down 14 percent when compared with last year’s numbers. Burglaries and thefts were down 11 percent as well as auto thefts, which were down 21 percent.

A comparison to the recently released FBI national crime trends reveals how significant our decreases are. Shreveport’s reduction in homicides was four times greater than the national decline of 4.4%, robberies were down six times more than the 2.2% decline seen across the country, and aggravated assaults were down 3.4 times more than the 4.1% reduction nationally. Property crime also fared well with burglaries falling 13 times more than the nation’s rate of -0.8 % and thefts dropping by more than nine times the 1.2% national rate of decline.

Police Chief Henry Whitehorn lauded his officers saying, “The men and women of the Shreveport Police Department are out there working tirelessly every day to combat the scourge of crime in our communities.” Chief Whitehorn was quick to point out successes in reducing crime over the past year have come not only through the dedication and hard work of his officers, but as a direct result of partnerships with other governmental entities, particularly Property Standards and their efforts in Operation T-BONE, and the citizens of Shreveport. “I can’t say enough about the support we have received from Mayor Glover and the Shreveport City Council. In addition, our collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, such as the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, has been instrumental in bringing these numbers down to 31-year low. Furthermore, I would be remiss if I did not mention the crucial role the citizens we serve play in our efforts to reduce crime. Their participation in neighborhood watch groups, forming neighborhood associations and contacting Crime Stoppers are integral components of our crime reduction strategies.”

While all seven of the categories of crime (homicide, rape, robbery, burglary, theft, theft from auto and auto theft) tracked by the federal government were down, the Shreveport Police Department divides these categories even further and reports on them locally. Three of these sub-categories (simple robberies of persons, thefts from businesses and auto accessory thefts) saw small increases in 2008. The increase in thefts from business was caused largely by gas drive offs, which was addressed by a new city ordinance that requires businesses to receive payment before dispensing gas.

The Shreveport Police Department is always looking forward and 2009 is no exception. While the statistics from 2008 are very impressive, we believe these numbers can drop even further. Towards that end, Chief Whitehorn is planning another Law Enforcement Summit where local law enforcement leaders, including members of the judiciary, will meet to discuss reducing violent crimes, sexual assaults and gun crimes. Chief Whitehorn also plans to work even closer with federal agencies, specifically the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, to implement aggressive strategies aimed at reducing gun violence in our communities.

www.crimestoppersshreveportcaddo.com

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View all SPD press releases at www.shreveportla.gov