Is BR becoming more violent or is it perception?

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - The perception is that Baton Rouge is becoming more violent and dangerous. However, a comparison of the numbers paints a different picture.

"It does feel like it's worse, which is why we have to focus on the real numbers," said Dr. Edward Shihahdeh, LSU criminologist.

Shihahdeh said it's all perception.

From Jan. 1 to March 31 of 2011, there were 29 homicides. For the same time frame this year, there have been 24.

Add six deaths to that, which are all at this time classified as "undetermined," but could turn out to be additional murders.

"I think the crime is very concerning," said East Baton Rouge Coroner Dr. Beau Clark. "Even though our numbers look very similar to 2011 right now, I think we need to keep a watchful eye on things."

Shihahdeh and police said it's not that the crimes are becoming more vicious in nature. Instead, they're happening in places all of us go to, such as the Mall of Louisiana and a Mardi Gras parade.

Plus, some are even branching out from the drug-related killings.

"My sense is it's going from bad neighborhoods to public areas like the mall, parades and so on, and the next step beyond that, I hope Gonzales is an exception, is going to good neighborhoods and home invasions, which is the most vicious crime anybody can see," Shihahdeh explained.

Because some of those violent crimes are happening in public areas, they're getting more attention from the media, but Dr. Shihahdeh said the numbers so far this year are on track to be very close to the number of homicides in all of 2011, if not less.

Copyright 2012 WAFB. All rights reserved.