With the release of the agency’s 2024 crime statistics, Sheriff Randy Smith is pleased to announce that crime overall is down in unincorporated St. Tammany Parish.
The agency’s clearance rate also continues to be substantially higher than the national average for both violent and non-violent crime. He contributes this to a combination of community cooperation, proactive policing and the dedication of investigators to solve crimes.
Overall, the number of violent crimes reported in unincorporated St. Tammany Parish dropped slightly, with a total of 2,562 violent crimes reported in 2024 compared to 2,786 reported in 2023. However, the total for the nationally reported categories for violent crimes remained the same at 1,149. The number of assaults reported decreased over the previous year and the number of sex offenses increased while the number of murders and robberies stayed the same. The clearance rate for those same nationally reported crime categories – murder/ manslaughter, sex offenses, robbery and assault – was 93 percent, more than twice the national average of only 41 percent.
In 2024, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office handled 12 homicides. Three of these were ruled justified and are therefore not considered a crime according to LIBRS reporting, and two of the cases were murder/suicides. One of the homicides investigated by the STPSO occurred inside the city limits of Mandeville and was in connection with an officer involved shooting, which was ruled justified. All of the homicides, which included two negligent homicide cases, have been cleared, for a 100 percent clearance rate.
The number of non-violent crimes reported – burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and fraud – saw an even larger decrease from the previous year, dropping from 1,637 reported in 2023 to 1,413 reported in 2024. The clearance rate for those crimes also increased from 41 percent in 2023 to an astonishing 54 percent in 2024. That is nearly four times the national average of 14 percent.
Technology, including the growing number of privately-owned cameras on homes and businesses, has helped greatly in solving crimes. However, Sheriff Smith said, the greatest help we have in preventing and solving crimes is alert residents who call in when they see something suspicious.
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.
