Lawton Approaching Record Breaking Year for Murders
By: David Gonzalez
Updated: December 4, 2012
Lawton police have been busy this year with an increase in crime.
2012 is on track to be a record breaking year for violent crimes in the City of Lawton.
Assaults, robberies and car thefts are all up and but Lawton Police officials say homicides have made the biggest jump.
Lawton had a total of ten homicides in 2011 but in as of October 2012, 16 homicides have been reported.
There were six homicides in the month of October alone.
Eight of the murders this year remain unsolved.
Police statistics show 1973 to be the deadliest year with 18 murders reported.
Since police started keeping track in 1972, the only year where zero murders were reported was 1977.
Lawton Police Captain Craig Akard says there is no particular reason that can be given for this spike in homicides.
The police department is using all of its resources to curb the dangerous spike in violence.
"We've been making sure there's more officers in patrol, on the street. We have, as far as the detectives go, we've started putting more detectives on the homicides themselves so we can get more resources actually working the homicides full time," Akard says.
Akard says despite the rise in violent crime, the police department's goal is to make Lawton a great place to live.
Other violent crimes like rape are down for 2012 and non-violent crimes like burglaries and larcenies have also decreased.
If you have any information on any violent crimes that have occured in 2012, you are urged to call Crimestoppers at 580.355.4636.
