let me first of all state who's up here with me? I have Chief Deputy
Superintendent john thomas who was here with me, you know, in every bi weekly
we try to give an update as to what it is that we're seeing here in New
Orleans with regards to crime trends. Uh, what have we done about them And
what do we, what are we planning to do? Moving forward? Uh, with that being
said before I get into the latest numbers. Uh, I would really like to
talk about something that has been very concerning to me uh, what I've seen
over the last few weeks. Um, I mentioned this on several occasions and
I would do it again today and stating that, hey, we are, we are facing a
different criminal to their more bold and brazen type of criminal who have
escalated their actions and behaviors and engaging in more serious crimes
that resulted into some very valid results. And because of that, I'm
asking our citizens to please I'm begging and pleading with you. Please
two main vigilant and report what it is that you're seeing and help us to catch
these individuals. But in doing so,
I'm asking you not to take matters into your own hands um,
for your own safety, let us do our jobs. I know that you are frustrated. We are
just as frustrated with what we're seeing with these bold criminal acts,
but your life is not worth it, Not even stolen property, not anything. The
valuables, whatever is taken can be replaced, but your life cannot be
replaced. So I'm asking you to please just report what it is that you're
seeing allow us to do our job and not put yourselves in harm's wig.
It is equally as important that you take the necessary precautions to try
to hopefully reduce your chances of becoming a victim by limiting the
opportunities for individuals to commit these types of crimes.
Be aware, be aware of your surroundings, try to park and well lit locations. Do
not leave your vehicles running are unattended
even for a brief period of time. Lock your vehicles do not leave property
values and more specifically weapons in these vehicles
and do not leave them in playing site.
Many perpetrators committing these auto burglary lease and carjackings. They're
looking for vehicles with weapons. They're looking for weapons to commit
more serious violent offenses. So I'm asking you to just help us to keep our
communities safe,
secure your weapons properly.
So over the last two weeks,
I'm gonna give you some numbers of what we've seen and what we've addressed.
Over the last couple of weeks, NEW Orleans, Police Department has taken as
many as 69 weapons off the streets of New Orleans. That's through arrests.
Confiscations, found property 937 year to date.
Over the last two weeks, we've had six homicides,
59% clearance rate with these homicides.
Non fatal shootings, 19 non fatal shooting, six of which are cleared with
a 35% celebrate
Armed Robberies, 30 Armed Robberies six, But which have been cleared in 14
carjackings and eight of which have been cleared.
So we are not only interacting through law enforcement through enforcement,
I'm sorry with our community, but we're also interacting through positive
engagement. Our geographical deployment strategy puts our officers in areas
that they can become more familiar with the citizens and businesses that
they're engaging
and our community can be more familiar with our officers. Many of our district
captains and their team have been holding various community engagement
interactions through walks through talks within their neighborhoods. That
has provided an opportunity for our officers to have
a concrete conversation with our citizens. Because this is truly a
partnership that we must have to ensure the safety of our city and through
these conversations, we are able to of course gather more information, gather
more intelligence, but also gather more trust that we are dedicated to doing
our job.
It is vital that we get to know one another as fellow citizens.
We want our residents to look at us as a team player, not just at our badge,
not just at our uniform, not just at our Tools on our two belt. We want you
to look at us as a part of your team, a part of our community to make our city
better
two The criminals. I want you to know that we are solving cases, we are
remaining engaged. So if you do in fact committed crime, just know that we will
do everything within our power, everything within our power to identify
you, locate you and hold you accountable. I've been having numerous
community meetings over the last few weeks personally with business leaders,
faith based leaders and our citizens, reassuring them that the new Orleans
Police Department and our entire criminal justice system is working
collectively to make our city safe. So again, this is our, these are the
numbers for the last two weeks. Uh, the main point I want to drive today is
that we have to do this together. The community and the criminal justice
system together with that. Gary. I'll answer any questions if there are any.
Yeah. Chief. You pointed out what? Yeah,
more people arming themselves
that have you noticed an increase in Yes. Armed security four.
I have not noticed any uh, gas station necessarily hiring security, but we
have been very vigilant ourselves. And being more intentional as to being
around the gas station, meaning like when were documented during our reports
were strategically placing our offices at the gas stations to try to give some
visibility and some security to our citizens.
Yeah. Yeah. I got a feeling I was wondering chief if you've noticed a a
change due to geographical deployment leading to a higher salt. Great yet.
But then anything that you've noticed in that relationship was allowing
community members cough can be able to tell them or what's going on. We have
seen some, I I can't say specifically, but we have seen some increase in trust.
Uh, an increase in information that we have been obtaining as a result of this
deployment. Uh, do they necessarily result in an arrest? I can't say for
sure, but I do know that we have been seeing an increase in trust. Yeah. Yes,
ma'am chief you were asking but to remain vigilant but not to take matters.
Yes. They hurt. Have we had situations like become an issue? They did in fact
get hurt. Yeah. We've had several issues and incidents I would say in
which our citizens have tried to take matters into their own hands. Uh
Sherman said about you know, seeing citizens more citizens arming
themselves with weapons and things of that nature. But what I would ask is if
you're going to arm yourself, which you have the right to do so get the proper
training, not just training with regards to how to secure that weapon,
but how to use that weapon when you are allowed by law to use that weapon.
I think. Yeah.
one more question. Maybe you can remind
uh huh
pursuing
on pursuit. So no, for whatever reason, many things we do not have a pursuit
policy, meaning we have a no pursuit policy. Uh we do have the authority to
pursue, but only in certain situations, especially those that are violent,
violent nature to them. But whenever we have these pursuits, they must be one
authorized by supervisors to. We must be conscious of vehicular traffic,
pedestrian traffic. The dangers in which we may be placing. Our officers
are the community and so we do allow pursuit but they they are restricted to
ensure the safety of everyone important. Chief. Have you found that these
weapons that you Yeah,
nearly that to date have participated in a lot of violent crimes. You're
referencing.
I do believe so. I do believe so. I mean we as we we we know that many of
these weapons are not necessarily registered. So we don't know if they
you know if they're actually with the connection with the nexus is but we do
our due diligence and following up and of course as we seize these weapons, we
do go back and do our scientific investigation. If you would say meaning
ballistics and things of that nature to see how we can connect the dots to
further uh our investigation. Give him one more than yeah, we talked about the
past. New Orleans is not alone and seeing this surge in violent crime.
Many cities across the country that are experiencing this right right now.
Some unprecedented just level crime in your
what's going on breakdown and what solution on your committee.
I think we're all trying to scratch our heads and try to figure out what what
has caused us. I mean, we we are we could sit there for days and discuss
that. I mean, uh from the global pandemic distress that has truly caused
on many people. I mean, the financial impact it has caused on many people. So
I mean, just some criminals just been being criminals. So we really don't
know. But we know we have some social issues, some real social issues that
must be addressed through equal opportunity, in employment, equal
opportunity in education. So a lot of things that are playing its part uh in
there. But the key to this is just are sticking together as a community, from
the business leaders to the faith leaders, to city governments are
elected officials to us as the criminal justice system. And last but definitely
not least the community, we all have a role in this. And we know we know
living in the community, someone knew something, they didn't know what
happened, they knew what happened, I don't know what is going on. We just
need that information so we can continue to do our due diligence and
holding those individuals accountable. But we all have our own role of play in
the insurance state to the city. Thank you all have a good weekend.
Mhm.