What is Yet to Come: New Orleans Crime and Community
The year 2022 continues to bring about controversy from abortion debates to continued mass shootings. Although New Orleans sees its fair share of crime, it is not odd to question if the worst is yet to come. But if that is so, what can our politicians and law enforcement do to combat this issue, and how can citizens assist them? More importantly, how can young people change the narrative?
The SUNO Observer staff interviewed a Third District Commander and Crime Stoppers & Public Relations Officer of NOPD to receive some insight into the world of law enforcement and the reality of crime prevention. We began by asking: Which are the most common crimes of college campuses? One officer stated, “One of the common issues, unfortunately, is we deal with a lot of sexual assaults, and this can be attributed to certain social events that students attend. A lot of it is related to alcohol consumption, narcotic consumption, that leads to someone being sexually assaulted and what we try to push more on the campuses is if students are going to attend social activities that they would have someone with them, similar to what a designated driver would be.”
The issue of sexual assault is more common than one would believe on college campuses. One issue is that many victims do not or cannot report the crime. Lack of reporting is often due to the fear of the public outlook, or that their statement might be considered false, or worse, that they may be in danger from their perpetrator again.
According to RAINN.org, “Only 310 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to police. That means more than 2 out of 3 go unreported.” On average, 20% of victims will report the crime, while 32% will not. Also, young people ages 18-24 are at a higher risk of sexual assault since many of us go to social gatherings and indulge in narcotics. Finally, homecoming, Bayou Classic, and holiday events are crucial times to worry about our surroundings because many visitors are not from the Orleans area and can commit crimes inconspicuously. So, everyone needs to stay in groups and keep an eye on each other because situations escalate so quickly that by the time we react, it is too late.
Unfortunately, the issue of sexual assault is only one of the crimes plaguing campuses and communities. Carjacking and theft are also other increasing problems in the New Orleans area. In the WDSU News article, “Carjackings Continue in New Orleans in 2022”, reporter Travers Mackel discussed the increase of carjacking from the beginning of the year. Mackel wrote, “Carjackings spiked last year in New Orleans. Up more than 20% from the previous year, there were 288 in 2021. In the first three days of 2022, there have been eight.” The rise in vehicle theft has not only the citizens of Orleans parish concerned for their safety, but NOPD officers are trying their best to mitigate the issue. "Now a lot of these cars that are stolen are used in murders and shootings and drive-bys and all sorts of other crimes, it's very disturbing," said Mike Cahn, a former New Orleans Police Commander and security expert. The NOPD said recently that stopping this type of crime will be a priority.”
The residents of Orleans parish are hopeful that law enforcement will stick to their promise of lowering criminal activity. But it is a team effort because, as citizens, we must take charge of our communities and safety. As students, we feel we cannot do much because we are so young, and our opinions seem insignificant. We must stop thinking this way to move forward as future community leaders. So, make sure to support local organizations encouraging change by providing youth outlets, such as Son of a Saint New Orleans, Collegiate Black and Christian New Orleans, New Orleans Black Pride Nola, and many more. We can create a bigger and brighter future for the Big Easy!
Written By: Jasmine Boskent
Be sure to support and follow our community organizations below:
Location: 2803 St. Philip St New Orleans, Louisiana
Social Media: sonofasaintorg
Collegiate Black and Christian New Orleans
Social Media: cbc_nola
Contact: PO Box 2201, Kenner, Louisiana
Social Media: blackpridenola
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