NEW ORLEANS — The violent crime problem in New Orleans is complex with no simple solutions. Wednesday, the city council is expected to hold an all-day meeting to put some ideas on the table.
“The reality is that as elected officials across the city of New Orleans, we all own the crime problem,” City Council President J.P. Morrell said. “It’s not unique to the mayor. It’s not unique to the council. I agree with residents and their frustration. They don’t care who solves it, as long as it’s solved.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been 16 murders reported in the city, so far this year. That’s averaging about a murder per day,
Sunday night, 42-year-old Leonard Olidge was shot and killed near Esplanade Avenue and North Derbigny Street.
“It was like boom, boom, boom, boom,” said a man who lives near the corner.
He showed WWL-TV security camera video of the shooting. According to the neighbor who did not want to be identified, the incident started when a car hit another vehicle at the corner and the man who owns the vehicle that was hit shot the driver of the other car.
“He stands in front of the car, behind his car, the car t-boned him like this and just shoots the guy,” the neighbor said. “The guy gets out of the car, runs a few steps and then falls down.”
This is the kind of violence city council members are now trying to address.]
Morrell says the council has been waiting since last year for a city driven plan to combat the surge in crime. Wednesday, they are expected to introduce a wide range of potential solutions. Some of the resolutions call for a crackdown on juvenile curfew violations and school truancy.
“Kids who are in school are not going to be found in situations, particularly with adults where there’s an opportunity for them get injured, shot, to be exposed to drugs and the like,” Morrell said.
There are also resolutions focusing on responsible gun ownership. One would make it a municipal crime when an adult does not secure a firearm in the home.
“When you see a lot of interactions with juveniles and firearms, they’re almost always from someone they know that didn’t properly secure it,” Morrell said. “We’re trying to institute a little parental, guardian responsibility.”
Another measure establishes a program to educate residents on the epidemic of gun thefts from vehicles. Morrell says according to the NOPD, 3,000 guns were stolen from vehicles between 2021 and this year.
“If you do not secure your firearm in your car or more importantly, just take the firearm out of the car, the same people that are robbing you are robbing you with the guns they took from your car.”
The neighbor who spoke with WWL-TV at Esplanade and Derbigny said what he would like to see is the city council, mayor’s office and criminal court judges to all be on the same page when it comes to fighting crime.
The special city council meeting starts at 9 a.m., Wednesday at New Orleans City Hall.