By LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLE – The incidence of major crime in St. Charles Parish took a leap for the better, dropping 7.4 percent during 2002 and representing the lowest crime rate since Sheriff Greg C. Champagne took office in July 1996.

The total number of crimes fell from 2,621 in 2001 to 2,428 in 2002, with less reported in rape, assault, robbery, burglary and auto theft incidents, and some areas with record lows for the incumbent sheriff.

This continued a trend Champagne said he is “very, very pleased” to see.

“There’s no one thing we can point to,” Champagne added. “It’s the overall package. The combination is working. It’s just a good effort.”

Similarly, crime in St. Charles Parish took a 4.5 percent the previous year, with 2,621 incidents in 2001 in seven crime categories in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, compared to 2,745 in 2000.

Further, there were 2,737 incidents in 1999, 2,753 in 1998 and 2,768 in 1997 – all representing a 12.6 percent decrease since Champagne took office.

“We have witnessed a steady drop in crime in the last six years and this is especially good because it is the largest annual percentage decrease since 1997,” Champagne commented.

He added, “We have worked very hard over the years to accomplish this reduction in crime. It is now obvious that our efforts are paying off for the people of St. Charles Parish.”

Champagne refuses to compare his own term’s statistics with prior administrations, saying he compares his own performance only with himself.

He did add that visibility of his deputies has a significant impact upon the incidence of crime, especially among criminals from outside the parish. “We catch all the armed robberies,” Champagne said. “We caught the last seven or eight bank robberies.”

Yet another vital element the sheriff cited was the cooperation and communication with the public, from children in the DARE program to people in the neighborhoods. “People call us when they see something,” Champagne said.

The sheriff credited crime prevention programs such as DARE, Triad, school resource officers, Neighborhood Watch, domestic violence programs and victim/witness assistance programs, as well as the use of the Nelson Coleman Correctional Center near Killona.

“Our new correctional center has sent out the message loud and clear that we have space for any offender who chooses to prey upon our citizens,” Champagne commented.

Champagne urged people that to continue to enjoy a low crime rate, citizens must take certain common-sense measures, such as consistently locking residence and vehicle doors. The public appears to be getting the message, with burglary and auto theft down to record lows.

He added: “The people of St. Charles Parish deserve credit for their willingness to get involved and report any suspicious activity.”

The seven crime categories are divided between crimes against the person (murder, rape, assault) and crimes against property (robbery, theft, burglary and auto theft).

Law enforcement efforts are more directed against the property crimes as being more preventable, Champagne explained. “The visibility of our patrol division is second to none,” he said. Little can be done by police, though, to head off crimes against the person besides education programs.

Murders increased in 2002, with four listed, compared to two in 2001, four during 2000, two in 1999, one in 1998 and three in 1997.

Rape totals for the parish dropped, with 13 in 2002, 17 in 2001, 11 in 2000, 13 in 1999, 22 in 1998 and nine in 1997.

Assaults took another decrease in 2002, with 866 incidents. This was a drop from 964 in 2001, which itself followed four years of increasing numbers of incidents. A high total of 1,046 incidents were logged in 2000, 1,010 in 1999, 908 in 1998 and 813 in 1997.

Robberies took a sharp drop with only 26 incidents in 2002, the lowest in the Champagne tenure. This compared to 47 incidents in 2001, 33 in 2000, 51 in 1999, 40 in 1998 and 61 in 1997.

Moving to property crimes, a total of only 395 burglaries were reported in 2002, the lowest in the Champagne administration. This compares to 452 in 2001, 475 incidents in 2000, 427 in 1999, 427 in 1998 and 483 in 1997.

Thefts consistently dropped, year by year, since Champagne took office in mid-1996, but 2002’s total held steady from the year previous, with a total of 1,017 incidents. This compared to 1,014 incidents in 2001, 1,046 in 2000, 1,121 in 1999, 1,194 in 1998 and 1,238 in 1997.

Auto theft incidents continue to plummet with 107 incidents reported for 2002, the lowest in the Champagne tenure. Despite a spike in the totals in 2000, the trend continues downward. A total of 125 incidents were reported in 2001, compared to 130 in 2000, 113 in 1999, 160 in 1998 and 170 in 1997.

The sheriff’s office releases a quarterly Uniform Crime Report regarding seven index crimes. These crimes were compiled for the FBI, and the information is derived from crimes reported to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.