Crime In New Orleans Is At Truly Unbelievable Levels

You probably saw the NBC News piece earlier this week about New Orleans and the spiraling-out-of-control crime in that city. If you haven’t, here it is…

You already know that New Orleans is the murder capital of America, too…

And the car theft numbers NBC’s report noted have only grown since – the new total, as of yesterday, is 613 car thefts in 26 days of 2023. Not to mention 179 burglaries, a 48 percent increase from this time last year.

Yes, murders and shootings are down. But rapes are up 35 percent.

It’s a disaster.

LaToya Cantrell, the mayor, is too busy breaking up the marriage of a New Orleans policeman to break up the mounting crime problem. She set up some commission to find answers to the crime problem, but come on. The answers aren’t all that elusive.

And this isn’t exactly somebody who’s serious about finding and applying them.

Q: New Orleans has the highest per-capita murder rate of any major city. Why?

Cantrell: “Why, is because, one, dealing with COVID-19, violence, everyone has guns, the ability or the lack of the ability to resolve a conflict without reaching and pulling a gun. Also, as it relates to accountability. You know, low-lining offenses, when they don’t get bail or they’re not restrained, then we’re just seeing how these crimes escalate. People need to be held accountable, across the board. And we’re seeing, um, uh, results, I would say. We’re moving in the right direction. But I tell you, we definitely need to hold people accountable. You can’t fight crime just focusing on police. It’s about a system – a criminal justice system. It’s about the DA, your judges and it’s about building in accountability. Everybody needs to be held accountable. And that’s how we’re focusing on it, holistic approach, in the City of New Orleans. Definitely, uh, seeing a decline. Moving in the right direction.”

Q: This issue of crime in your city is causing a lot of political problems, and you are the target of a recall drive that’s under way right now. A number of allegations against you, as well, in regard to financial improprieties. How much of the responsibility with the crime issue do you personally take?

Cantrell: “Well, first of all, it is the New Orleans Police Department that is absolutely under my authority. And with that, making sure I’m not only listening to my officers, but getting them the resources that they need to fight crime. And that is exactly what we’re seeing on the ground. The incentive packages, retaining officers, as well as recruitment, and that’s the focus.”

Q: And you believe you’ll survive this recall effort?

Cantrell: “Well, based on what I see, is that the residents of my city definitely appreciate continuity in leadership. And so, with that, that speaks to keeping progress moving and alive, under my leadership. Second elected twice in the city – 61 percent the first time, 65 percent the second time. Continuity in leadership is what I’m seeing by my people.”

You already know she hangs out with the families of carjackers and supports them when they go to trial. You know she jet-sets around while the city falls apart.

The dearth of leadership in New Orleans is amazing, and of course it matters. The city has barely half the cops it needs because who wants to work for LaToya Cantrell? And without a perception of law and order, everybody simply behaves worse.

The dysfunctional Soros district attorney and the utterly corrupt criminal justice system is an even bigger problem than Cantrell is.

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In short, there is no element of the system built to provide law and order in New Orleans which operates in a First World manner. It’s comical that Oliver Thomas, the city council who sat down for that NBC report, is the chair of the criminal justice committee; Thomas went to jail for public corruption after Hurricane Katrina. Guess he’s qualified to talk about the criminal justice system.

We’re going to come to the conclusion soon that New Orleans, as currently constituted, can’t be saved. At some point it’s going to fall on the state of Louisiana to take over governance of this failed city, and whoever the next governor is will be faced with the prospect of having to assume control of the place. That’s going to be a thankless and unforgiving task. You’re essentially going to have to govern an ungovernable city against its will, with very dubious constitutional authority to do so.

Huey Long put New Orleans under martial law, though, and that was over a mere political disagreement with the local pols. So it’s not unheard of. And probably necessary.

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