New Orleans’ crime pandemic needs immediate treatment!
19th April 2022 · 0 Comments
In New Orleans, homicides and carjackings are up, and violent criminals are running amok. So many homicides and carjackings are occurring that one must wonder, are city leaders running the city or violent criminals?
Last Monday, April 11, 2022, the media reported 28 shootings and six deaths over the preceding 72 hours. Thus far, 76 people have been murdered, compared to 53 at the same time in 2021. If the trend continues, we may see 304 homicides by year’s end.
According to news reports, carjackings are up 51.3 percent compared to last year, and homicides were up 43.4 percent.
Residents called for immediate action at last Tuesday’s New Orleans City Council’s Criminal Justice Committee meeting. One lady said she was tired of the violence and living in fear while the city took her tax dollars.
Although the City Council issued a plan in February that includes immediate action items to address violent crime, the crime wave continues to wash over various police districts.
In February, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson also addressed the crime wave. Cantrell said arrests are being made but inferred that there is a problem with a lack of set bonds and few jury trials on the calendar. Ferguson shared his plan for possibly extending patrols, taking a more proactive role in addressing crime, increasing officer visibility and reducing call times, according to NOLA.com.
Recent stats indicated that NOPD officers took 28 minutes to respond to emergencies and 163 minutes to respond to non-emergencies.
Police Chief Ferguson also spoke about the need for handling the root causes of crime on the front end. “Injustices in educational and economic opportunities – underlying conditions are the systemic issues that trigger these things.”
Councilman Oliver Thomas chairs the Council’s Criminal Justice Committee. In February, an exasperated Thomas told the media, “It’s not rocket science. You look at the hot spots and deploy officers in those areas.”
The Criminal Justice Committee’s crime dashboard contains data about various crimes but discloses that NOPD stats may differ from those posted. Clearly, at the rate crime is being committed, it’s hard to post accurate numbers in real-time.
Thomas told The Louisiana Weekly that the city must demand accountability from and meet with criminal justice stakeholders, request law enforcement to concentrate on crime hot spots, collaborate with violence prevention groups, and review the budgetary request and needs to assist with public safety.
It’s a fact that New Orleans is not the only U.S. city experiencing a spike in crime.
There have been 23 mass shootings in the U.S. this April, including mass shootings in Monroe and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There were 41 mass shootings in January 2022, 43 in February and 52 in March.
While there is no evidence that the shootings between April 8 and April 10 were connected, the sheer number of people shot down is scary and alarming. Innocent people are being murdered, families destroyed, and survivors and family members must endure grief and maybe trauma for life.
One New Orleans visitor said he will not return for fear of becoming a victim of random criminals who can strike at any given moment.
We understand that elected officials can’t legislate morals, nor are they at fault for the crime spike. But it’s their job to handle criminals and ensure that they are brought to justice and punished. Most of all, our elected officials are responsible for public safety and protecting the lives of law-abiding citizens. That’s what they are paid to do. To do otherwise is an abrogation of their oath of office.
New Orleans citizens need immediate action and protection now.
We suggest city leaders consider adopting the Council on Criminal Justice’s “Ten Essential Actions Cities Can Take To Reduce Violence Now.” Among the actions were a few not listed in the city’s plan.
The group stressed an emphasis on healing victims and survivors of violent crime with trauma-informed approaches and for law enforcement officers who also experience trauma. Cities should also set aside funding for new stakeholders and strategies and invest in anti-violence workforce development.
If keeping us safe means paying more taxes, let’s do that. What is a human life worth?
This article originally published in the April 18, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.