Sheriff Randy Smith released the 2023 crime statistics for unincorporated St. Tammany Parish.
Overall violent crime is up slightly in unincorporated St. Tammany Parish, with 1,149 violent crimes reported in 2023 compared to 984 reported in 2022. The highest jump was in simple assault, which increased from 689 reported in 2022 to 870 reported in 2023. The clearance rate for those same nationally reported crime categories – murder, manslaughter, sex offenses, robbery and assault – was 95 percent. That is compared to the national average of only 40 percent.
In 2023, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office handled nine homicides; eight of which have been cleared. Three of those cases were murder-suicides, and the one unsolved homicide occurred in December in the Alton community. Sheriff Smith said this is an active investigation and he is confident the detectives with the STPSO Major Crimes Unit will solve this case. Anyone with information they feel may be helpful is asked to call (985) 898-2338 or Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.
The number of non-violent crimes reported also saw a slight increase from the previous year, thanks primarily to an increase in thefts and motor vehicle thefts. STPSO’s clearance rates for the nationally reported categories for non-violent crimes – burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and fraud- was 54 percent. That clearance rate is four and half times the national average of 12 percent.
Anyone with information about crimes occurring in St Tammany Parish can 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.
