Lafayette Records Summer Spike In Armed Robberies

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Lafayette experienced a spike in armed robberies during July. Although the actual numbers are relatively modest, the percentages are high, with the number of holdups involving weapons rising 71 percent compared with June and 50 percent compared with July 2013.

Police Chief Jim Craft tells The Advocate Lafayette usually experiences an increase in armed robberies during the summer, usually of convenience stores.

According to city police statistics, there were 24 instances in July when one or more armed robbers entered businesses — mostly convenience stores — and demanded cash before fleeing. That compares with 14 in June and 16 in July 2013.

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