From Covington, La. Police:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, January 05, 2018
Covington Crime Stats for 2017 Released, Overall Crime Rate Down 22%
Chief Tim Lentz has released the 2017 crime statistics for the City of Covington, showing a 22% reduction in the overall crime rate based on FBI Part I reported offenses.
In 2017, the Covington Police Department continued its strategy of reducing crime through a community-oriented policing philosophy. This philosophy focuses on strengthening relationships with our community through outreach programs, day-to-day interactions with the public and our youth.
In 2016, the Covington Police Department responded to 440 crimes meeting the criteria for FBI Part I Uniform Crime Reports. Through the hard work of the officers who serve our community and their dedication to our philosophy of community policing, that number fell to an astonishing 345 reportable crimes last year.
Mayor Cooper states, “I commend Chief Lentz and the dedicated members of the Covington Police Department for their hard work and dedication to the safety and service of our community.”
Drug abuse has continued to be an epidemic that affects our entire nation. In March of 2016, Chief Lentz led an effort for the creation of Operation Angel, a program designed to combat drug addiction. Through this program, anyone seeking help for drug addiction can walk into any police station in St. Tammany Parish and be admitted into a treatment program. In 2017, the first full year that Operation Angel was in effect, more than 50 people took advantage of the program through the Covington Police Department alone.
As with previous years, traffic crashes continue to be the most common call for service. In 2016, the Covington Police Department responded to 667 crashes, with 70 of those resulting in injuries. Last year, in addition to the crime rate, the number of crashes fell to 627, with 70 of those resulting in injuries.
The Covington Police Department has continued working toward increased driver awareness, through programs such as the “I Got Caught” t-shirt campaign and mock DWI crashes at local schools.
The FBI Part I reported crimes are shown below, including a comparison of previous years.
| Category | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| Murder | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rape | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Robbery | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Aggravated Assault | 23 | 40 | 25 |
| Assault | 114 | 87 | 78 |
| Burglary | 38 | 23 | 27 |
| Theft | 318 | 278 | 204 |
| Vehicle Theft | 13 | 6 | 8 |
| Total UCR Crimes | 510 | 440 | 345 |
Media contact: Chief Tim Lentz- 985.768.1205 tlentz@covla.com or
Officer Trey Mahon- 985.966.9131 tmahon@covla.com
