Busted In Acadiana

Correction From LPD: The percentage increase in homicides should read 100 percent increase not 50 percent. Sorry for any inconvenience.

On February 7^th, 2013, the Lafayette City Police Department released crime statistics for 2012 which showed a slight increase in crime in the city.

Crime statistics came into question last year, when a group of current and former Lafayette City Police Officers filed a lawsuit dubbed Real Cops vs. Craft and a series of audio recordings were published. In one recording, Capt. Dwayne Arceneaux with the Lafayette City Police Department can be heard saying, ““We started changing them that’s the decrease. I don’t know what the f*** they talking about we doing such a great job. M****** f***** we revising the codes.”

Shortly before the Lafayette Police Department released last year’s crime statistics, we asked, “Is it a coincidence rape is on the decline in Lafayette”, as a result of looking at the past 5 years crime statisitcs and noticing possible discrepancies, specifically 91 rapes in 2005 to 10 in 2012. In fact Jill Dugas who is the executive director of the Lafayette Rape Crisis Center, Hearts of Hope also disputes the number of rapes reported by Lafayette police.  Dugas told The Advocate, the number should be higher.

We should also point out between December 2012 and now, the Lafayette Police Department updated the crime type from ‘Rape’ to ‘Forcible Rape’ for unknown reasons and crime statistics appear to have been modified in other categories for unknown reasons.

According to the same questionable crime statics released weeks ago, there were no Arsons in 2012.

Rewind in time, where the Lafayette City Police reported 30 cases of arson in 2005, 17 in 2006, 28 in 2007, 32 in 2008, 25 in 2009, 11 in 2010, 0 in 2011 and then 0 in 2012.

How is possible that there were 0 arson arrest by the Lafayette Police Department in 2011 and 2012 when booking records show otherwise?

Take for example, in April of last year; the Lafayette City Police Department investigated an early morning fire at 132 Sunset Drive as a homicide. Subsequently, Elwood A. Billiot was arrested and charged for the incident.

How about Sidney Syon who is accused of lighting his girlfriend’s trailer on fire and was arrested November 22^nd, 2012 by the Lafayette City Police Department according to booking records? Syon is also accused of catching his cell on fire at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center.

Let’s not forget the July 12^th, 2012 arrest of Anthony R. Taylor after a spree of arson fires in the hood.

No arsons huh?