By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John Sheriff Wayne Jones said Monday that a stronger presence in the community, coupled with less leniency and stiffer bonds on serious crimes, has lead to an overall decrease in reported crime over the past year.

According to 2009 statistics released Monday, crime is down in all seven major crime categories recorded by the Sheriff’s Office. Jones said the overall total is down nearly 11 percent compared to figures from 2008.

“It is the first time in recent memory that crime stats are down across the board,” Jones said. “In the years I’ve been here I have always seen an increase in one stat or a decrease in another, but never a decrease in all seven. I am pleasantly pleased.”

Crime stats showed the largest decrease coming in the criminal homicide category, which showed a roughly 55 percent drop. The parish recorded 11 homicides in 2008, but only experienced five in 2009.

“It is certainly the most serious crime category, as well as the one that affects the community the most,” Jones said. “Any decrease is notable.”

The stats showed a minimal decrease of nearly 2 percent in assaults in 2009 with 216 recorded compared to 220 in 2008. Petty theft showed a 5 percent drop, from 1,114 to 1,058, and motor vehicle theft recorded a more than 8 percent drop, from 163 to 143.

Jones said the numbers in those categories are higher than in past years because of an increase in activity from an influx of new residents and workers. He said population in St. John has grown by more than 9,000 people over the past two years, with many coming from out of state to work on the massive expansion at Marathon Oil refinery in Garyville.

“Even with the increase in activity, we are still registering a sizable decrease,” Jones said. “Our police presence is greater than it has ever been. We have added 20 more units in the past 12 to 18 months to patrol the streets and interact with the community.”

Jones said the greater presence is also prompting more citizen participation in criminal investigations. He said residents have been more willing to speak up and report possible suspicious activity in several neighborhoods.

“We are at full capacity in our patrol and crime prevention divisions,” Jones said. “I’m very pleased with the job that our guys in the trenches are doing.”

Jones also credits the parish courts and the St. John District Attorney’s Office, which have worked to bring cases to conclusions in a timely manner and have also become less lenient on violent criminals by setting stiffer rules on bonds.

St. John District Attorney Tom Daley said the courts have suspended the long-standing rule of offering a 10 percent bond when it comes to serious crimes like aggravated battery, domestic violence and criminal assault. He also said his office is working with the sheriff to identify those in the parish described as “career criminals.”

“We’re getting more of the dangerous repeat criminals off the street and keeping them locked up where they can’t continue to make trouble,” Daley said. “Criminals can no longer just walk out the next day on a 10 percent bond.”

Jones said he has more than enough space in the parish jail to accommodate any increase in arrests and sentencing time.

“We no longer have a situation where we are forced to release some to make room for others,” Jones said. “The jail has a capacity of 385, so we have room to spare. Criminals are no longer waltzing right out the door.”

A complete list of crime stats is as follows:

• Criminal homicide: 2008 – 11; 2009 – 5 = 54.55 percent decrease

• Forcible rape: 2008 – 6; 2009 – 4 = 33.33 percent decrease

• Robbery: 2008 – 89; 2009 – 57 = 35.96 percent decrease

• Assaults: 2008 – 220; 2009 – 216 = 1.82 percent decrease

• Burglary: 2008 – 382; 2009 – 287 = 24.87 percent decrease

• Larceny – theft: 2008 – 1,114; 2009 – 1,058 = 5.03 percent decrease

•Motor vehicle theft: 2008 – 163; 2009 – 149 = 8.59 percent decrease

• Overall total: 2008 – 1,985; 2009 – 1,776 = 10.53 percent decrease