Pine Bluff saw a significant drop in crime this summer, with total reported offenses falling 15 percent compared to the same period last year.
According to statistics presented at the most recent Police, Fire, Animal Control and Code Enforcement (P.F.A.C.) Town Hall, 308 crimes were reported between July 21 and Aug. 24, 2025, down from 361 during that stretch in 2024.
Several major categories showed improvement. Homicides declined from two in 2024 to one in 2025, while rapes dropped from four to three. Aggravated assaults fell from 38 to 29, and simple assaults decreased from 116 to 109. Residential burglaries declined from 24 to 17, thefts from 126 to 113, and vehicle thefts from 31 to 18.
Other categories also showed improvement: non-fatal shootings were cut in half, falling from eight in 2024 to four this year. Calls of shots fired dropped from 61 to 54. There were no pedestrian fatalities during the reporting period.
Not every crime category decreased. Robberies ticked up slightly, from six in 2024 to seven in 2025. Commercial burglaries also saw a small drop, from 15 last year to 12 this year.
In total, Pine Bluff police responded to 2,703 calls for service during the month-long period.
“While we are glad that crime is down, we know there is work to do to further reduce it,” said Police Department Information Specialist John Worthen. “We are very proud of the men and women who wear our uniform, and they all work each day and night to ensure the safety of this community.”
Police Chief Shirley Warrior added that the department is committed to keeping residents informed.
“Our philosophy is to be transparent with the public, whether numbers are high or low,” Warrior said.
The next round of crime statistics will be presented at the P.F.A.C. Town Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
