Gretna crime drops 13 percent in 2012, chief says | NOLA.com

Overall crime in Gretna decreased 13 percent last year, Police Chief Arthur Lawson told the Gretna City Council on Wednesday night. No murders were reported in 2012 and declines were recorded in all categories of crime except thefts, which registered a slight bump.

"If you look at what goes on all around us, in our city we had no murders,'' Lawson said after the meeting. "We're a small city in the middle of an urban area. Certainly, I'm proud of the officers and the work that they do particularly when there is an increase in the calls for service. Being able to accomplish (a reduction in crime) is one thing, but to be able to accomplish it when you're actually handling more calls is a great feat.''

The department logged a 12 percent rise in arrests, Lawson said. Officers are assigned small patrol beats which allow them to pass through an area repeatedly and catch criminals in the act, which happens often, he said.

"We're a very proactive department, he said. "We don't sit and wait for a call to come to us. We get out and try to look for things. Our reputation is if you come into Gretna and commit a crime, we're going to catch you.''

In addition, officers issued more citations last year, Lawson?told the council, adding that neighborhood association complaints about traffic issues are partly responsible.

Meanwhile, the police department and its emergency medical services arm saw a 10 percent jump in calls for service, Lawson said. The department received 44,144 calls for service last year.

He said he believes an older population and an increase in the number of people on the West Bank are responsible for the additional calls.

"We're dealing with a population that has more needs,'' Lawson said. "More older population, more traffic. More accidents, more problems, more wrecks, more ambulance calls.

"In Gretna, people aren't afraid to call the police,'' the chief said. "That's a big part of our success. No law enforcement agency can do it on their own. You need the citizens' participation.''

Source: http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/01/gretna_crime_drops_13_percent.html

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