People living in Orleans Parish don’t need a study to know their parish is a dangerous place to live. But when you compare the risks to some of the most deadly spots on the planet it really brings things into perspective.
Police One, a website catering to law enforcement, reports Orleans Parish leads the nation in homicides per capita. Between 2009 and 2015 Orleans Parish had the highest homicide rate not only in the state but in the nation.
The homicide rate in Orleans Parish comes in at 43 murders per 100,000 people. Nationally the rate is only 5 murders per 100,000 making Orleans Parish more than 8 times more dangerous than the average U.S. county. Even Chicago in deadly Cook County, Illinois, the murder rate per capita is 11 per 100,000 making Orleans Parish four times more dangerous.
How does Orleans Parish compare with dangerous hot spots on the globe? It has a higher per capita murder rate than deadly countries like Columbia, South Africa, Jamaica and El Salvador.
If Orleans Parish were a country it would be the fourth most dangerous in the world. The three countries with a higher murder rate per capita are Honduras, Venezuela, and Belize.
The per capita murder rate in Orleans Parish is more than five times higher than the homicide rate globally which comes in at 8 murders per 100,000 people. You are five times more likely to be murdered in Orleans Parish than in the rest of the world.
But at least Orleans Parish residents can rest easy knowing those four monuments came down.
Dan Fagan is a former television news reporter, journalism professor, newspaper columnist, and radio talk show host. He grew up in New Orleans and currently lives there. He is a regular contributor for The Hayride. If you have a news tip for Mr. Fagan you can reach him at faganshow@gmail.com or 504-458-2542.
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