What's struck me the most in my perusal of the (online) paper is the number of murders and shootings in the city. Here's a sampling of today's headlines:
Shooting wounds man in LaPlace
Warrant issued in Christmas killing
Burned woman died of gunshot wound
New Orleans teen dead in Mid-City shooting
People warned us to be careful when we went out at night during our trip. We had barriers, like to stay within certain areas of the Quarter and between St. Charles and Magazine when we were going out near St. Vincent's. But I never felt like I was in danger. Maybe that's because I followed the rules. Or maybe I was just oblivious to what was going on around me.
I didn't really pay attention to the news in New Orleans before I left. So I didn't really know about the violence problems that are going on. I mean, you figure there is going to be crime in any city that size. It's probably because Philly is closer, but I feel like I hear about the murders in Philadelphia all the time on the news.
This editorial points out a bit of hope, though, for taking back control of the city. The Violent Offenders Unit has taken control of all murder cases and is doing very well in prosecuting them:
The unit won 26 guilty verdicts at trial in 2007 and had only four acquittals, which is an 87 percent conviction rate. Another 28 defendants pleaded guilty. The average sentence was 16 years in prison. In the case of Mr. Sartain, it was life without parole.
...
It is some of the most vital work being done in New Orleans. For this community to be safe, police and prosecutors must perform at a high level.
They aren't there yet. But after a chaotic two years, there are finally signs of progress.
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