NOPD, FBI and LSP discuss recent uptick in violent crime in New Orleans

By Josh Roberson | WVUE | December 17, 2020

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – On Thursday, the New Orleans Police Department, the FBI and Louisiana State Police met to discuss how they plan to combat the recent uptick in crime around the city.

This comes as New Orleans is struggling to keep officers on the payroll.

In the city, carjackings, car burglaries and homicides are way up with the first being the most recent to spike as criminals are getting more bold robbing at gunpoint and taking their vehicles in broad daylight near areas like St. Charles Avenue and the Magazine corridor.

Last week, an almost identical scenario played out in a busy Broadmoor neighborhood on South Jefferson Davis Parkway.

Thursday, the New Orleans Police Department will discuss how they are planning to slow the crime trends with the help of state troopers and the FBI.

The recent uptick also comes as the city deals with budget cuts and other cutbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city has asked NOPD officers to take one furlough day per pay period due to lost revenue during the pandemic. Because of this, the Police Association of New Orleans President says he expects a number of officers will leave the department in the coming months.

In the meantime, leaders with the Metropolitan Crime Commission say the public needs to be aware and cautious of their surroundings.

“Carjackings are up over 150 percent year to date. This is an emerging trend so the police department is aware of it and I think there are some things the public needs to do to also be aware of it,” says Rafael Goyeneche with the Metropolitan Crime Commission.