New Orleans Murders Soar — New York Times Blames Hurricane Katrina

autone — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 11:15:46 +0000

The citizens of New Orleans are so angry over the rash of murders — 12 since December 28th, that 3,000 demonstrated their civic outrage in a march on City Hall, Thursday. Just for comparison, Los Angeles a city of almost 20 million, reports only 4 murders so far for 2007. Mayor Ray Nagin and Police Superintendent Warren Riley showed up to answer the protesters — but were not allowed to speak by the organizers.

Pallbearers carried the casket of Helen Hill. An intruder shot her to death in her New Orleans home. (Photo Mary Ann Chastain/AP)

“We have come to declare that a city that could not be drowned in waters of a storm will not be drowned in the blood of its citizens,” said the Rev. John Raphael Jr., one of the opening speakers.

Despite the fact that New Orleans, has suffered from one of the nations highest murder and violent crime rates for decades, the New York Times says, Storm Left New Orleans Ripe for Violence.

“The storm of violence that has burst over this city since New Year’s Day can be traced in part to dysfunctional law enforcement institutions, aggravated by a natural disaster that turned the physical and social landscape of New Orleans into an ideal terrain for criminals.”

Just eleven days before Hurricane Katrina struck, an AP article of August 18th, 2005, reported 192 murders so far, the year had a total of 210. In 2004 it was worse, with 265 murders. In 2006 there were 161 murders in New Orleans — 23% less than 2005.

The blame for these grim statistics is not hurricane Katrina, but the ineptitude of Mayor Ray Nagin, his corrupt Police Superintendent Warren Riley and District Attorney Eddie Jordan. The city government should be declared a national disaster. The New Orleans Police Department is so hopeless that Mayor Nagin asked the governor for more National Guard troops in June, 2006 — less than a month after he was re-elected for a second term!

Mayor Ray Nagin needs to be recalled and to do it they need 101,927 valid signatures of registered voters on a recall petition. Hey while they ‘re at it they should do the same to the Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. Wouldn’t that be sweet.

Posted: 0312PST 01/13/07
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An Angeleno's View of the World » New Orleans Murders Soar — New York Times Blames Hurri

New Orleans Murders Soar — New York Times Blames Hurricane Katrina