NEW ORLEANS — City officials are giving law enforcement a pat on the back as violent crime continues to drop in New Orleans
“It’s undeniable the progress we’re making in the city of New Orleans to ensure reducing crime and building a safer city continues to be our top priority,” Mayor Latoya Cantrell said.
According to a report released by the DOJ, New Orleans saw one of the largest declines in violent crime nationwide from 2022-2023.
The data shows homicides down by 27%, rapes down by 12%, robberies down by 31%, and aggravated assaults down by 16%.
“I think that the police department deserves a lot of credit for the dramatic turnaround,” Metropolitan Crime Commission President Raphael Goyeneche said.
Metropolitan Crime Commission President Raphael Goyeneche says the newest data is even more promising.
“The rate of decline is accelerating from 2023 to 2024, and that’s all positive. They shifted their policies and strategies and that is being reflected in the drop in crime we’re seeing month after month and quarter after quarter,” Goyeneche said.
From 2023-2024, THE MCC’s own data found that homicides were down by 45%, shootings were down by 40%, carjackings were down by 49%, and armed robberies were down by 44%.
He attributes the progress to a strategy he calls proactive policing and the strategy’s success to the department’s excellent leadership.
“The turnaround started under the tenure of Michelle Woodfork. The chief is the quarterback, the leader, and it’s the men and women and managers and supervisors that are responsible for executing the game plan. I believe Anne Kirkpatrick is providing the support that the men and women at the police department need,” Goyeneche said.
While crime in the major categories like murder is down, NOPD did caution that there was a problem with how it compiled statistics on rape.
Specifically, the definition they used to calculate the number of rapes was different from a new standard used by the FBI.
NOPD is working on revised numbers for that category.
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