NEW ORLEANS — District Attorney Jason Williams responded to Mayor LaToya Cantrell's comments about New Orleans crime on national television, calling them, "a missed opportunity."
When Cantrell was asked on CBS Face The Nation mayoral panel about the city's homicide record, the mayor laid blame, in part, on the district attorney's office, saying that "everyone needs to be held accountable," for crime in New Orleans.
"It's about a criminal justice system," Cantrell said on Sunday. "Your D.A., your judges."
Williams said he believes the mayor's comments are unproductive.
"If Tulane's football team was pointing fingers on the sidelines, I can guarantee you they would not have had the season that they've had," Williams said, referencing the college football team's successful 12-2 season.
Williams also called on the mayor to start working with offices in the city dedicated to fighting crime in the city.
"I'm thankful that the mayor has realized that we are the murder capital of this country, it took her a while to get there," Williams said. "But now we need her to get in this fight with everyone else who is working so that we are working together."
Earlier this month, Cantrell made similar comments after a wave of violent shootings and killings in the days after New Year's.
"When I look at the actions of the DA and the office, I think we can do better, and I'm willing to work with our DA to do better," Cantrell said on Jan. 4.
However, Williams claimed on Tuesday, that the district attorney's office has made improvements under his tenure.
"The data is clear that this office has tried more cases than were tried in the full non pandemic prior to the shutdown," Williams said. "And now we're facing another shutdown for another reason."
According to the Metropolitan Crime Commission, all categories of major violent crime in the city are down, although some by only a slight margin.
Compared to year-to-date 2022, homicides are down 5 percent, shootings have been down 9 percent, carjackings down 59 percent and armed robberies down 29 percent. There have been 19 homicides so far in 2023 one fewer than this time last year.
