Reported crime trending downward, PBPD says

Crime in Pine Bluff declined just over 7 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, according to statistics released by the Police Department late Thursday.

There were 4,366 reported crimes last year, compared to 4,696 in 2017 — or 330 less — for a decrease of 7.03 percent. The city saw declines in reported crime in eight of the 12 months last year, including December, which checked in with a 4.5 percent decrease.

Some of the biggest declines in 2018 came in property-related crimes, specifically in residential burglaries, which dropped from 672 in 2017 to 554 last year — a decrease of 118. Commercial burglaries also went down from 135 in 2017 to 119 last year.

Reported thefts for 2018 increased by 97 compared to 2017, jumping from 1,354 in 2017 to 1,451 in 2018.

Motor vehicle thefts also went down, dropping from 304 in 2017 to 246 in 2018.

Looking at crimes against persons, a total of 104 robberies were reported in 2018 — 39 less than the 143 reported in 2017. Aggravated assaults last year dropped from 444 in 2017 to 406, while simple assaults declined from 1,563 in 2017 to 1,404 in 2018.

Reported rapes and attempted rapes showed an increase compared to the previous year. There were 63 reported rapes or attempted rapes in 2018, 1o more than the 53 reported in 2017. Police investigated 19 murders in 2018, compared to 28 in 2017, a difference of nine. Of the 19 murders last year, police have named suspects or made arrests in 11 of them.

The eight 2018 homicides that remain open are as follows:

• Jan. 30 — Deunta Blackmore, 25, who was found lying in the passenger seat of a car on S. Richard Street in the Dollarway area and taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
• May 15 — Ingram L. Brooks, 29, who was found lying in the street in the 5700 block of Carbon Street in the Dollarway area and pronounced dead at the scene.
• May 19 — Jeremiah Robinson, 29, who was found lying in front of a house at 3208 Willow St. and pronounced dead at the scene.
• July 30 — Antonio Urquhart, 27, who was found inside a vehicle that had hit a utility pole at Camden Road and Union Avenue and pronounced dead at the scene.
• July 30 — Travis Scales, 32, who was found inside a house at 5102 W. 6th Ave. and pronounced dead at the scene.
• Aug. 26 — Ramon Buchanan, 29, who was found lying in a yard in the 1900 block of Amis St. and taken to JRMC, where he was pronounced dead.
• Aug. 27 — Antonio Brown, 36, who was found at 2600 W. 34th Ave. and pronounced dead at the scene.
• Sept. 24 — Courtney Cortez Lane, 29, who was found inside a car on the parking lot of a business at 2600 S. Olive St. and pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information on any of these murders should contact the Detective Division at 730-2090 or the dispatch center at 541-5300. All calls will be kept confidential.