Baton Rouge crime dropped in 2008, according to Baton Rouge Police Department crime statistics.The number of major crimes in Baton Rouge decreased by about 6.6 percent when compared to 2007. The number of murders dropped from 72 to 66, or 8.33 percent.This is the first decline in five years. Reported rape is down by about 9 percent, according to the statistics released Friday, and reported theft is down by about 11 percent. The figures, submitted to the FBI Uniform Crime Report program, showed serious crime has dropped for the past two years, and seven of the last eight years, according to a BRPD news release. The only increase in major crime since 2000 was in 2006, the year following Hurricane Katrina, according to BRPD.”Population turbulence is something that we often associate with crime,” said Troy Blanchard, sociology professor. With an influx of people migrating to Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina, an increase in crime was expected, Blanchard said. He said a large population during an emergency makes it   difficult for the community to regulate people’s behavior. “A lot of theories that we use to explain crime often talk about labor patterns,” Blanchard said. Blanchard said Baton Rouge’s economy has fared well the last two years, meaning more opportunity and less crime. Arson is the highest-increased crime on the list, with 210 arsons in 2007 and 225 in 2008 — a 7.14 percent increase. The statistics showed a major drop in reported automobile thefts, from 1,179 in 2007 to 974 in 2008. The 17.39 percent drop is the largest drop in crime on the list. “It’s not just our efforts, it’s the community’s efforts,” said Cpl. L’Jean McKneely, BRPD spokesman.—-Contact Kyle Bove at [email protected]