The city of New Orleans—in the grip of rising violent crime that’s seen more than 100 wounded and 32 murdered by gunfire this year, per police data collected by The Times-Pacayune—is taking action. “We’re going to take the fight to the bad guys instead of waiting for the bad guys,” Police Superintendent Michael Harrison told Nola.com.
Harrison held a press conference Monday to announce the formation of a special unit designed to turn the tide. Comprised of eight law enforcement officers and one sergeant, the unit is “specifically designed to go after people who are committing gun violence,” Harrison stated.
This proactive response is in sharp contrast to what we’ve seen in Chicago. As John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, noted earlier, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has not only NOT increased police on the streets, instead he actually shut down detective bureaus located in some of the city’s highest crime areas. The unsurprising result: Gang violence continues unabated.
