There may be an indication that the New Orleans City Council may take a step toward unraveling an insane Woke policy.

NOLA’s crime problem, generally caused by lack of education, social values, and economic opportunity, has been a thorn in the side of citizens for decades. Instead of addressing those causes the answer from city leaders has been to seek political cover by shifting blame everywhere except onto the policies that they and their predecessors undertook.

Over the last few decades traditional civic and business leaders have retreated from the ugly world of politics, creating a vacuum that has been filled by far-Left NGOs (most funded by out of state money), social justice warriors, environmentalists, feel Gooders, history destroyers, and so on. Without meaningful contribution from the more traditional sources of good civic practice the problems have only deepened as the city drifted into a La La Land of denial and hopelessness marked by declining opportunity and increasing social ills, including crime.

The city’s leftward drift is highlighted by a growingly dysfunctional criminal justice system marked by all the usual far-Left suspects, “restorative justice”, limited or no bond, slow adjudication of cases, a strong emphasis on justice for offenders and not for victims, and all sorts of other Woke social constructs. Of all, the most damaging effect of this rot has been a substantial decline in the size of the police force.

Simply, who wants to work at high risk for low pay in an organization whose leaders don’t have your back? The answer is that police have voted with their feet and left.

There is a technological tool that could offset some of the damage done by the decline in police numbers, crime cameras. But not just any crime cameras, these use facial recognition and license plate readers to greatly expand the ability of a limited police force to track down criminals.

But under bombardment from the Left, City Councils and mayors have caved into the hollow cries of racial injustice and have dramatically limited, even banned, their use. Missing from the debate on facial recognition and limited license plate readers is the logic that these tools are used very successfully and without the claims of racial injustice by the state and the Federal government in Orleans Parish and by surrounding Parishes. I suppose the cries of injustice from the victims of crime and the victims of the terrible economy don’t have the same weight as those of the very loud NGOs, but that is where we are.

It may be a bit much to hope for, but the underpinnings of this Woke policy may be unravelling. Based on the success of facial recognition in the search for the ten Parish Prison escapees some Council members are seeking to recodify the limitations on its use. Dependably, the far Left, amplified by a faithful media, is crying out against change. But facts are facts, so the Left will have a hard time making a case for injustice that doesn’t exist.

Until now it has been unrealistic to think that our Council would stand against gaslighting by far-Left forces, that in spite of the fact that the vast majority of citizens who, because they are not criminals, really don’t care if the cameras are used. But because of the positive benefits experienced by other Parishes, the Feds, and the state and the NOPD’s recent experience the Council may summon the political courage to do something heretofore unheard of. If that should occur then the Council should not just tinker around the edges of bad policy, it should demonstrate its commitment to reduce the scourge of crime by empowering a desperately understaffed police force with technology.

The Council’s solution should be to fully match the policies of the surrounding parishes, the state and the Federal government as it removes all of its burdensome restrictions on facial recognition and license readers. That would send the message that we are serious about ending crime.