By LEONARD GRAY

LAPLACE – Crime is slightly down in St. John the Baptist Parish, according to third-quarter statistics released this week by Sheriff Wayne L. Jones, who cited sizable decreases in burglary and motor vehicle theft from the same period in 2001.

“I hope to have a quieter fourth quarter with Placide’s arrest,” Jones said.

Jones was referring to Alton Placide, who faces 55 counts of burglary and attempted burglary of businesses across St. John Parish. Placide was recently arrested after an 18-month manhunt.

The incidence of forcible rape jumped from one instance in the third quarter, July-September 2001, to five instances this year. Of these, Jones said, arrests were made in four of the cases. In the remaining case, the victim has so far refused to participate in the investigation, which continues nonetheless. All were “domestic” in nature, involving someone the victim knew, Jones added. This is opposed to rape by a stranger, which is much more difficult to solve, Jones said.

Also on the increase during the last quarter were instances of robbery, from 10 to 14, and assaults, from 102 to 129 instances. Jones added he is concerned about the holiday season, which can bring about more instances of robberies, purse snatchings and vehicle burglaries.

The sheriff advised common-sense precautions, such as locking packages in a trunk, shopping in groups and being aware of surroundings. Jones said he will be assigning extra details in the shopping areas to increase visibility and hopefully deter crimes.

The incidence of theft was exactly the same from the same quarter last year – 182 cases in 2001 and 182 cases in 2002. Homicide went from one instance last year to none in the third quarter of this year.

Burglary dropped from 71 to 47 instances, but Jones advised the people still need to be vigilant and report unusual activity in their neighborhoods.

Auto theft had a 37 percent decrease from last year, from 43 instances to 27 instances. Jones attributed this to the pro-active attitude by dealerships in protecting their inventory, with extra lighting, blocking driveways at night and security cameras.

Chief Deputy Harold Klibert added he hopes to end 2002 “on a positive note,” and predicted a 5 percent decrease in crime for the fourth quarter of 2002 from the same time last year.

Jones also said he hopes his office can continue to maintain community services now provided free of charge, including opening locked car doors, wedding and funeral escorts, providing jump-starts and patrolling school zones.

Most sheriffs charge for those services, as it does drain manpower from responding to criminal activity, and costs the department in fuel and overtime.