Jonesboro Police Release 10-Year Crime Rate Report

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – On Wednesday, the Jonesboro Police Department released complete crime statistics from 2014 to 2023.

The report, published on September 18, includes homes for offenders listed from 2023 up to two days before the data collection date.

The results showed that most statistics increased steadily from 2014 to a peak in 2020, after which they began to slowly decline.

There are a few exceptions in the report, such as the number of crimes involving kidnapping and rape.

“Well, if you look at kidnapping and abduction, most of those cases turn into child custody cases,” said Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott. “Most of those sexual assault cases have a suspect on the docket.”

Jonesboro crime statistics from 2014 to 2023.

Both Chief Elliott and Mayor Harold Copenhaver credit the decline in overall crime with an increase in officer staffing and the creation of the Real Time Intelligence Center.

“We have been able to maintain and increase our officer strength, especially over the last year,” Chief Elliott said.

“In the new real-time crime-fighting center, everyone will be united on one front, in one area,” Copenhaver said.

The report said the total number of crimes recorded each year between 2021 and 2023 was just over 21,000, but with just three months to go until the end of 2024, that number stands at just 14,000.

“Considering the size of the group we have, I think the men and women of this department have done a pretty good job of keeping up with the changes,” Chief Elliott said.

Mayor Copenhaver said the importance of getting this type of information out cannot be overstated.

“We want the general public to understand where these numbers come from and make it easy to see them,” Copenhaver said.

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