N.O. crime
Top La. figures discuss N.O. crime
When I was in New Orleans in July, the cops were everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Everywhere you went, you'd see a cop car. You'd see cops in parking lots, cops on horses on Bourbon Street, cops at McDonalds, cops at Lowe's. The place was crawling with cops.
So I must admit that I am a bit perplexed that the crime rate per capita has not really changed since people started coming back to New Orleans, especially since the police presence was so intense to us country folk, anyway. And now the National Guard will stay until December. That's probably a good idea. I was glad the Guard was around last December, and I found it comforting in a few instances, especially in parking lots after dark.
I have a theory, and maybe I'm wrong. I live in the middle of nowhere so what do I know, anyway? But here is my thought: The thugs and criminals are not afraid of, or concerned about being caught by, the police. They are thumbing their noses right at the police by continuing with their criminal activity. It stands to reason that New Orleans criminals, therefore, are really hard core, some of the worst people roaming free in the United States, like the Cowboy gang that terrorized Tombstone, Arizona, in Wyatt Earp's day. Not only that, they're hopped up on drugs, stressing out from last year's miseries, and either paranoid or completely hopeless. It's a bad mix when you throw in guns.
Maybe the Guard should stay through Mardi Gras 2007.
Something else that I got from this story was that this "crime summit" was a public meeting. I could have gone if I was in the city. I will go to public meetings when I'm there. If I learned anything from living in a really small town, it's that local government truly is in your hands. Go to city council meetings, get educated about the issues, and voice your concerns and opinions. At the least, public meetings are really entertaining...better than football, even. But that's my opinion.
When I was in New Orleans in July, the cops were everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Everywhere you went, you'd see a cop car. You'd see cops in parking lots, cops on horses on Bourbon Street, cops at McDonalds, cops at Lowe's. The place was crawling with cops.
So I must admit that I am a bit perplexed that the crime rate per capita has not really changed since people started coming back to New Orleans, especially since the police presence was so intense to us country folk, anyway. And now the National Guard will stay until December. That's probably a good idea. I was glad the Guard was around last December, and I found it comforting in a few instances, especially in parking lots after dark.
I have a theory, and maybe I'm wrong. I live in the middle of nowhere so what do I know, anyway? But here is my thought: The thugs and criminals are not afraid of, or concerned about being caught by, the police. They are thumbing their noses right at the police by continuing with their criminal activity. It stands to reason that New Orleans criminals, therefore, are really hard core, some of the worst people roaming free in the United States, like the Cowboy gang that terrorized Tombstone, Arizona, in Wyatt Earp's day. Not only that, they're hopped up on drugs, stressing out from last year's miseries, and either paranoid or completely hopeless. It's a bad mix when you throw in guns.
Maybe the Guard should stay through Mardi Gras 2007.
Something else that I got from this story was that this "crime summit" was a public meeting. I could have gone if I was in the city. I will go to public meetings when I'm there. If I learned anything from living in a really small town, it's that local government truly is in your hands. Go to city council meetings, get educated about the issues, and voice your concerns and opinions. At the least, public meetings are really entertaining...better than football, even. But that's my opinion.
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