Considering the number of new subdivisions coming into the LaPlace area, to see burglary go down in the St. John Sheriff’s Office quarterly crime statistics is heartening. Many of these burglaries involved nearly-completed houses, where major appliances such as dishwashers were stolen. With increased patrols and more manpower, burglaries were sliced in half. However, there always remains room for improvement, and in some crime areas, law enforcement can do virtually nothing. Sheriff Wayne Jones enjoyed four years of dropping crime statistics. Now, with increased population, some areas have shown an increase in overall crime. We can all do something about crime in the parish. We can be more observant in our neighborhoods and communicate with the sheriff’s office when we see suspicious behavior. We can treat our deputies with respect and get respect in return. We can teach our children to also be the eyes and ears of the neighborhoods and to likewise communicate with parents and authorities. A 14 percent increase in crime, considering the volume of new residents in the area, is not that alarming. However, we all have the challenge to keep crime under control and bring other types of crime down, such as thefts and auto thefts. With cooperation from hard-line judges and prosecutors, we can keep crime down.

L’Observateur