(KLFY)- St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz is aware crime is on the rise throughout the parish but says what worries him the most is the increase in gun violence.

Sheriff Guidroz continues, “We don’t need this in our parish. It is happening throughout the country. It is getting worse.”

In 2021, the Sheriff’s Department worked or assisted in 87 shooting investigations in the parish’s 12 municipalities.

Just two month into 2022, that number is eight.

“We are seeing gun violence. There is not much fighting. People don’t fist fight anymore,” adds Guidroz.

Sheriff Guidroz tells News Ten of the 87 shootings worked last year, 60 of them are in the parish, 27 are from the 12 municipalities.

Five of the eight this year are in the parish.

Guidrioz says “We are having to step up our game. We train to make sure we are doing the right thing for the right reasons.”

He says lately there is a concerning link between juveniles and the shootings.

“There is definitely an increase in crime from 2021,” says Guidroz.

But says a bigger concern plaguing the parish is drive by shootings.

Sheriff Guidroz explains, “That is dangerous. We don’t know who is in that house. We’ve had people shot, hit, and killed because of drive-bys. It is a problem.”

When it comes to investigating and solving shooting cases, he says a little information from the public can go a long way.

“That is not unusual when we arrive on a shooting. People are scared to talk,” Guidroz adds.

He encourages the public if you see something or know something, say something.