University crime over spring break decreased by one criminal incident from last year.
The LSU Police Department received 22 total reports during last week’s break, seven of which were criminally related. This is one less report compared to the eight criminal reports the department received during the 2013 break.
The eight criminal reports from the 2013 break consisted of one report of criminal damage, one DWI, one vehicle burglary, one report of possession of an illegal firearm, one theft and one disturbance. These reports resulted in four arrests.
The criminal reports from last week’s break consisted of two hit-and-runs, two reports of criminal trespass, one report of simple battery, one burglary and one drug law violation.
Of these seven reports, four arrests were made. The hit-and-run resulted in no arrests and the simple battery is still under investigation.
LSUPD spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde said the department did not take a different approach to patrolling campus during the break.
“During the breaks, we have a smaller population on campus, which means we have less people calling in reports to the department,” Lalonde said. “This encourages us to take a more proactive approach to patrols, rather than a reactive approach.”
Lalonde said the department did not place extra officers on patrol to combat potential crime. Patrols consisted of five to six officers on a single shift — the typical number of officers patrolling during normal school hours. The department’s motorcycle patrol also remained active, ready to respond to any call the department received.
Lalonde said the small decline in crime could be attributed to different criminal trends that pop up throughout the school year.
“It’s hard to say why we see trends in crime, but it’s always good to see crime rates go down.” Lalonde said.