By Olivia Vidal | WVUE | September 7, 2022
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A violent Labor Day weekend and a fatal double shooting Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 6) have pushed New Orleans’ homicide count beyond the total number recorded in 2020.
There have been 205 homicides in New Orleans so far this year according to the latest data from the Metropolitan Crime Commission (MCC). There were 201 homicides in all of 2020. Last year, as of September 5, there were 139 homicides reported.
Within 24 hours of Labor Day, the NOPD responded to five carjackings, at least four armed robberies, and five shootings–leaving three dead. The NOPD reports homicides differently than the MCC, distinguishing between homicides and murders. As of Sept. 6, the NOPD reports 203 homicides and 193 murders.
If crime stays on this track, President of the MCC Rafael Goyeneche said New Orleans could surpass the total number of homicides in 2021– which clocked in at 218– by the end of September.
“I think part of the reason we’re seeing this surge, and it’s continued for three years, is that the offenders realize the odds favor them as the numbers of officers goes down, the violent crime rate goes up,” said Goyeneche. “This is not just in this past week, this is in each of the last three years that we’ve seen it.”
Goyeneche says carjackings are also on the rise. In the past week alone, there were 11 new incidents reported, with four of them occurring within a two-hour window on Labor Day.
“What we’ve seen is carjackings since 2020 are up 211 percent,” said Goyeneche. “So violent crime in every category remains up unacceptably high.”
Residents said they are scared and want change now.
“It’s like, when is it gonna end? Is it gonna get worse?” said resident Bianca Wilson. “We gotta do something about it because it’s getting horrible.”
Another resident who didn’t want to be identified said she’s had enough of the crime plaguing the city of New Orleans.
“It’s not just Uptown– it’s Hollygrove, it’s Carrollton, it’s the Bywater, it’s the Westbank; it’s the Greater New Orleans area, and our officials have to be held accountable,” she said. “It’s out of control. I hope our civic leaders are listening to the people.”