NEW ORLEANS — Police and city leaders are responding to social media videos of four car burnout displays with outrage.
They say the way people acted at the four on Sunday, was the tipping point. Now they plan to crack down on everyone involved.
The NOPD chief says the criminals are getting bolder and more brazen. So now, NOPD, with its state and federal partners, will respond with bolder and more brazen policing because the burnouts are keeping his officers from working on violent crimes, and can hinder first responders, putting people in danger.
“We cannot continue to allow our city to have individuals come to your city with a plan in place as to how they are going to take over our city. That is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson.
“This isn't Gotham City. The Joker and the Penguin don't rule the streets. If you thought you could do it yesterday, you can't do it anymore,” said New Orleans Councilman Oliver Thomas of District E.
“We will not tolerate the disrespect of our city of our law enforcement officers that was done on yesterday,” said New Orleans Councilman Eugene Green, District D.
“I'm angry too. Just like everybody behind me, this is my town, my city, and you don't disrespect our law enforcement. So, I'm asking everyone to get as angry as we are, to come forward and send us your information,” said Darlene Cusanza, CEO of Crimestoppers.
One by one, Chief Ferguson, councilmen, and Crimestoppers, expressed outrage at what happened Sunday at four intersections in the city. They were especially angered about how people jumped on and kicked police squad cars. Their message: enough is enough.
“We want to know who are the planners, who are the organizers, not just the drivers, not just the spectators, but who are the organizers behind this as well. When identified, (they) will be held accountable,” said Ferguson.
Those organizers put out well-produced graphics on social media, calling for crowds. The city says some came from Baton Rouge, Houston and Mississippi. Police say they did not know the exact place and time of the burnouts in advance. In a city that is known for its ability to keep large crowds under control, police had a difficult time. The chief says more units were on their way to help an officer seen alone on one video. He also said that it was not the consent decree or staff shortage that hindered getting scenes under control. The attorney for the Police Association of New Orleans, says police policies are too stringent.
“The police officers are constrained to what they can do. The policies of the police department, and unfortunately what you saw was in accordance, strict accordance, with the policy of the police department,” said PANO attorney Eric Hessler.
The chief says they are working on changes, hoping to make arrests for aggravated obstruction of a highway or commerce. That carries with it as much as a 15-year sentence. The city council promises to make local ordinances stricter too.
“I am glad to see that the police department is stepping up and saying that they are going to take a more proactive stance on this. It needs to be done. It needed to be done yesterday. With the price of gas, they didn't drive here from Baton Rouge for nothing. They probably drove here because they couldn't get away with it in Baton Rouge.
Crimestoppers needs any tips and videos that you have. The chief says that he and Councilman Thomas, and the mayor, who is out of town, were all on the phone late into the night discussing how to handle these burnouts. Councilman Green said that the number of arrests in the city, far outpaces the number of prosecutions, and that has got to change.