With 64 murders in 2011, the murder rate in Baton Rouge has dropped slightly from last year, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department’s 2011 crime statistics released at the beginning of the new year.
BRPD reported 69 murders in 2010 and 75 murders in 2009. This year’s statistics show there was a seven percent decrease from 2010 and a 15 percent decrease from 2009 in the number of murder cases.
Cpl. L’Jean McKneely of BRPD said nothing in particular contributed to the decrease this year.
“We don’t have an opinion, because a number of factors could be involved with the decrease,” McKneely said.
The official statistics will be released in February. If these numbers are confirmed, it will be the least amount of murders per year since 2006, which had 56.
 
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Contact Lauren Duhon at [email protected]