ST. TAMMANY - St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith addressed the busy start to 2017 with the release of the office's 2016 Uniform Crime Reports. 

According to a release from the STPSO, crime is down in St. Tammany Parish, but the overall number of crimes reported has stayed virtually the same. Four shootings have already occurred in the month of January, one being an officer-involved shooting with Slidell police.

“These numbers are nothing to be ashamed of, however, there is always room for improvement,” Smith says. 

According to Sheriff Smith, most of the area's violence can be attributed to narcotics. In response, the St. Tammany Parish Narcotics Task Force is ramping up efforts to focus on the drug traffickers throughout the parish.

The task force seized over fifty guns from violent criminals, made over 340 arrests, and conducted multiple undercover operations in 2016. Sheriff Smith aims to increase these numbers in 2017. 

"It must be a team effort between our deputies, other law enforcement agencies, our citizens, and our judicial system. We must continue our community outreach efforts and continue to gain and maintain the trust of our citizens. If any one of these facets falls short, it affects all of us," Sheriff Smith says.

The STPSO asks anyone with information about narcotics, or other crimes, to submit a tip utilizing the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office website (www.stpso.com) or by calling the narcotics tip line (1-888-GO-2-JAIL).