NEW ORLEANS — The country's top FBI Agent, Director Christopher Wray began by acknowledging what everyone in the New Orleans area is seeing and experiencing first hand.
"I know top of mind for everyone is the disturbing uptick that we've seen in gun crime and gang violence in communities all across the country. There is no question. No question that the violent crime problem in this country is real and it's been growing," said Wray.
Gathered around the table were law enforcement leaders from around Louisiana: State Police, Drug Enforcement, NOPD, Jefferson Parish, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, The U.S. Marshalls, Army Criminal Investigation and the US Attorney's Office.
Director Wray touted the importance of the FBI partnerships to "combat the alarming levels of violence plaguing New Orleans."
"Focusing our investigations on the most violent offenders and gangs to get the worst criminals off the streets, sharing analytical and investigative resources, and proactively engaging with the community, those are the strategies that will make the streets of New Orleans safer," Wray said.
He added that the violent crimes task force is making a difference.
Wray stated, "over the last few years since 2018 the task force has made nearly 300 federal arrest and taken more than 150 firearms off the streets."
But Thursday's meeting was to hear new solutions about what can be done better across the entire area.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said, "for me it's taking more federal cases. It gives the burden of my overcrowded jail, taking some of the larger cases out of it and putting it in the federal system, so that way I can deal with more of the minor stuff on the state side."
He acknowledged that across the U.S. after they arrest violent offenders they get out to re-offend.
Agent Wray backed him up on that saying, "the only thing more frustrating to law enforcement than having to put bad guys behind bars Who should be behind bars is having to put the same bad guys behind bars over and over again."