Violent crime, property crime, and total crime in Caddo Parish was down in 2008, according to statistics released today by Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator.

Violent crime in the parish dropped 11 percent from the previous year, and property crime was down three percent. Overall, parish crime was down seven percent. Most notably, for the second year there were no homicides in Caddo Parish, auto thefts were down, and so were assaults.

Prator said he's proud of the 2008 numbers but he's even more encouraged by the trend of lower crime since he became sheriff in 2000. Since then total crime has decreased 28 percent, violent crime has dropped 20 percent, and property crime has gone down 35 percent.

"There's not one thing that's responsible," Prator said. "Communities are more involved. Deputies are constantly analyzing and attacking trouble spots and looking for better ways to serve the public. And law enforcement as a whole is working together better than ever before."

Sheriff's statistics generally do not include offenses in the city of Shreveport, but with the formation of several specialized task forces since Prator became sheriff, deputies often find themselves making arrests in the city. With more law enforcement cooperation and blending of services and staff, the rate of arrests in Caddo Parish, including those in Shreveport, increased 40 percent from 1997-2007*.

"We've got a lot to be proud of in Caddo Parish," Prator said, "and with the opening of our new work release facility in 2009 and other criminal justice programs that will benefit our area, I see only more good news to come." 

* 1997-2007 are the most current arrest stats available using our existing software.