Crime in Lake Charles, Louisiana

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Lake Charles, however, property crimes account for about 88% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Lake Charles than it is nationwide. There were 2,907 property crimes in Lake Charles in 2019, or 3,692 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Lake Charles. There were 1,467 larcenies reported in Lake Charles in 2019, or 1,863 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 1,212 break-ins reported in Lake Charles in 2019, or 1,539 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Lake Charles, meanwhile, there were 228 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 290 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Lake Charles, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 12% share of all reported crime.

At 525 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Lake Charles is above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Lake Charles reported a total of 413 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Lake Charles. There were 267 aggravated assaults reported in Lake Charles in 2019, or 339 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 83 robberies reported in Lake Charles in 2019, a rate of 105 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 52 rapes reported in Lake Charles in 2019, or 66 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 11 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Lake Charles is 14.0 murders for every 100,000 people, more than double the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.