Sheriff Randy Smith released the 2022 crime statistics for unincorporated St. Tammany Parish, noting that the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office continues to report a clearance rate for both violent and non-violent crimes that is much higher than the national average.
Smith said overall violent crime was down in unincorporated St. Tammany Parish, with 983 violent crimes reported in 2022 compared to 1,063 reported in 2021. The clearance rate for those same nationally reported crime categories, murder, manslaughter, sex offenses, robbery and assault, is also up from 89 percent in 2021 to 91 percent in 2022. That is compared to the national average of 41 percent.
In 2022, the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office handled nine homicides, one of which was ruled to be justifiable and therefore not included in the national reporting. The remaining eight of those homicides have been cleared by an arrest, with the exception of a murder/suicide where the responsible party took her own life.
The STPSO also investigated one negligent manslaughter case, which was a fatal hit and run crash. An arrest has been made to clear that case as well.
Sheriff Smith said the number of non-violent crimes reported saw a slight increase from the previous year thanks to a jump in the number of fraud cases reported. However, the other nationally reported classifications for non-violent crimes, burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft, all saw decreases from 2021 to 2022. STPSO’s clearance rates for non-violent crimes all increased in 2022. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office reported a clearance rate for non-violent crimes in 2022 of 41 percent, that is more than three times the national average of 12 percent.
Sheriff Randy Smith said the stats are a testament to the agency’s determination to keep St. Tammany Parish safe and hold criminals accountable for their actions. He asks that anyone with information about crimes occurring in our parish, to submit a tip through the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office website (www.STPSO.com), by calling the narcotics tip line (1-888-GO-2-JAIL), or by calling Crimestoppers. You can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward through Crimestoppers.
