Harlan Kirgan
Eunice Police received 12,786 complaints in 2016, the highest since 2012, according to statistics released by Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot.
Police averaged 1,065 complaints per month in 2016, he said.
“That’s the highest it has been in the last years and probably the highest it has been in a long time,” he aid.
“... but on the good side our arrests, especially felony arrests, have dropped,” he said in a report to the March 14 Board of Aldermen’s meeting.
There were 246 felony arrests in 2016 for an average of 20.5 per month. Previous year felony arrests were: 407 in 2012; 387 in 2013; 322 in 2014; 248 in 2015.
“I think that is good thing. That means less felony crimes being committed,” he said.
Adult misdemeanor arrests have risen from about 20 a month 31 a month, he said.
Adult misdemeanor arrests are: 301 in 2012; 238 in 1013; 246 in 2014; 251 in 251; and 378 in 2016.
But overall arrests of 1,034 in 2016 were at the highest point in the five-year comparison. Total arrests were: 1,031 in 2012; 980 in 2013; 892 in 2014; and 941 in 2015.
“Juvenile arrests are up and one reason the juvenile arrests are up is because in the past they would issue summons. They wouldn’t actually make an arrest, but certain juvenile offenses we actually make an arrest and call the parents to come pick them up,” he said.
Juvenile arrests are: 6 in 2012; 5 in 2013; 35 in 2014; 86 in 2015; and 105 in 2016.
DWI arrests are: 70 in 2012; 79 in 2013; 45 in 2014; 31 in 2015; and 27 in 2016.
There were 443 crash reports in 2016. Crash reports for other years are: 339 in 2012; 332 in 1013; 355 in 2014; 447 in 2015.
There was no traffic fatality in Eunice in 2016. There was one fatality in 2012; 2013; and 2014.
In 2016, Eunice Police issued 2,212 traffic citations; 37 juvenile traffic citations; 116 adult criminal summons; and 5 juvenile criminal summons.
“I think our traffic violations have increased, but our arrests and our summons being issued for arrests have decreased and one reason for that is because we arrest for more offenses than they used to. A lot of the time they would just give them a summons instead of bringing them in,” he said.
Fontenot said if a summons is issued “they are not brought in. They are not fingerprinted. So, it does not go on their criminal history.”
Summons were issued for misdemeanor drug arrests such as possession of marijuana, he said. “But if issue summons and never bring them in for fingerprinting the first offense never gets on their history. So, when they are arrested the second time it stays a misdemeanor,” he said.
Police have begun making more arrests for certain offenses, such as drugs and domestic violence, to make sure there is an arrest history, he said.
“Actually, overall, our statistics have stayed pretty average over the last five years except the number of complaints that we respond to on a monthly basis have increased,” he said.