NOPD 5th & 8th District Newsletters

Dear Neighbors,

The New Orleans City Council has approved the appointment of a new Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department.  This week, Anne Kirkpatrick was sworn in by Mayor LaToya Cantrell.  I've had the pleasure to personally meet and interact with the superintendent on three occasions, and I applaud her for her interest in serving the citizens of New Orleans. 

The members of the New Orleans Police Department conduct thousands of constitutionally sound arrests each year after responding to tens of thousands of calls for service and incidents.  They conduct investigations, are available as needed in legal and prosecution-related proceedings, conduct special operations, and more. 

However, the entire criminal justice system must work in the interest of protecting people from becoming victims of crime.  The District Attorney prosecutors, the Judges of Criminal and Juvenile Court and Magistrates, the Sheriff's Office, and the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center, as well as probation and parole professionals, play a role in reducing crime.  Mental health providers and social service providers also play a role.  Those who oversee incarceration and in-house rehabilitation efforts also play a role. 

The members of the NOPD are the first responders.  However, there are other responders to crime, and their actions and resources play, collectively, a much more important role in making our community safer.  We can all support and question professionals and elected officials in the law enforcement and criminal justice system to make progress on their commitment to reducing crime, improving overall quality of life, and enhancing the safety of citizens.  We can write, send emails, follow on websites and social media, and invite them and their representatives to neighborhood meetings. 

I say this to highlight that the role of Crime Prevention does not rest solely on the shoulders and backs of the NOPD.  They continue to do more with less every day.  Most people wonder and can't comprehend why it takes four hours or more for an officer to respond to a call.  When there are less than ten officers patrolling the streets in an entire Police District - therein lies the problem!

Please be patient with the rank, but most importantly the file!  They are here to protect and serve, and do the best that they can within the means possible.  Don't take your frustrations of the system out on the ones carrying out the mission.

I'd like to open a dialogue about what we can do as a community of affected residents to effectuate positive change within our own neighborhood.  There are a number of ways to augment the lacking and dismal NOPD police force.  Let's have a meaningful discussion and talk about it.

I look forward to your input and feedback on this, and all issues of concern and importance to YOU and the residents of the neighborhood, as we collectively strive to make the Faubourg Marigny a great place to live, work, and play!

===============

In service, I am

— Kip Hollar
Vice-President/Acting President, Board of Directors
FMIA - Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association
Email:  KHollar@FaubourgMarigny.org
Cell:  504.544.4425

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth."
  ~ Henry David Thoreau

The FMIA continues to compile a list of private security cameras in the Marigny.

This was done in the past as part of Safe Cams Nola, but that information was lost during the City cyber-attack of 2019.  This is a reassembling and updating of a list of cameras and Ring doorbells that people have at their homes and businesses.

The FMIA is compiling this data and sharing it with the NOPD 5th & 8th Districts, giving them your contact info if you'd like to share footage regarding a crime or incident in your area.  Your information will not be made public.

Please register your camera and information HERE.

I watched the June 28^th MAX livestream for the NOPD 5^th precinct. Captain Gwen Nolan made the following suggestions for what each of us can do to keep our community safer.

*Part of a crime-fighting program is to tackle blight—"a quality-of-life issue”. Please call blight in when you see it.

*The city is looking for building researchers and inspectors who can help investigate blight. Come out of retirement if you can help! Apply at Nolajobs.gov

*There were several armed robberies on streets what were dark. Please look for streetlights that are out and let 311 know. Complaints force them to prioritize lighting.

*Register your home cameras with Safecamnola.com

Other news:

*Captain Nolan says she’s had “positive conversations” with the city about the abandoned Navy base and how they are working to secure it.

Lieutenant Andrew Palumbo said there were 37 property crimes and a spike in armed robberies last week. “A crew came in and hit the Marigny and the 8^th precinct,” he said. NOPD apprehended the 3 juveniles who did it. He is “confident the spike is the crew in jail now.”

            *Sunday there was a big arrest on Charters in Crescent Park. Someone called in a report about a guy looking in cars. Turns out he had a rifle, and he was apprehended.

Sergeant James Kish said that there was an increase in crime in aggravated assaults and road rage. Of the 15, 3 were shootings. In the armed robberies mentioned above, the main target of the crew was dark areas. “Check around you and get your lights fixed.”

Sergeant Randy Walton said there were 39 property crimes, 11 auto thefts (3 recovered). Burglary: 9 residential, mostly stealing air-conditioners or personal items.

--Lesley Jane Seymour

I attended the excellent Neighborhood Engagement Office meeting on March 26, 2022. Here is the news you can use from the event.

GET YOUR FREE FIRE ALARM FOR THE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING

            *The NOLA Fire Department has flashing strobe alarms for the deaf or hard of hearing which they will install for free!

            *Biggest reason people won't get one, according to Chief Roman Nelson: "People don't admit they're hard of hearing!" (So I say, admit it and "git" it!)

            *You should also replace your smoke alarms every 10 years (which I didn’t know)

HELP NOPD RETAIN OFFICERS BY BOOSTING MORALE AND MAKING IT COOL TO BE A COP FOR KIDS WHO MIGHT THINK ABOUT THE PROFESSION

NOPD is suffering from severe attrition—down from 1500 to now around 1242—mostly from pension issues, civil unrest challenges, retirement. NOPD used to get 400-500 applications per month before, now get 260. NOPD is creating retention bonuses and promotions and creating career paths. But you can help too:

            * Help recruit officers by making it cool to be a cop today

            *Say "thank you" to the officers you see and let them know you appreciate the work," says NOPD Chief, Shaun Ferguson

            *Ask civic leaders to step up.  "The City Council used to bring in officers to give a job well done," Ferguson says. "They don't do that anymore."

            *Show community support: parents and citizens calling in makes a difference

PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY PROPERLY

NOPD is making arrests of juveniles, but they are not being taken off the street by the juvenile courts. What can you do?

            *Communicate to the Juvenile Court judges to make sure they do what they’re supposed to do

            *Find out who is going through the programs and who is coming back onto the streets

            *Ask: “What programs are being implemented? Are they using the holistic system? You can’t refer a kid alone; you have to look at the family. “

            *Neighborhood watches are encouraged. A security patrol helps.

RED LIGHT VIOLATIONS

Everyone is rushed in NOLA! You must address the problem the moment it occurs. Putting up more cameras would help but citizens are apparently against that.

TRUANCY & JUVENILE CRIME

Contrary to rumor, juvenile crime is not being directed by adults, says Ferguson.  “That’s from the movies.”  It’s more likely he says, “they get into social media disputes and they take it live.”

After the pandemic, the NOPD is unable to create a place for intake to make sure a child is attached to school. Now, they bring the child back to the school. But they don’t necessarily know which school they belong to.

*Call the school board to ask for them to take responsibility for truancy

*Juveniles are not in the computer system. You must contact your state representative to ask for this to change

*Call NOPD if you see kids in stores or on the streets during school hours

CAR WINDOW BREAK-INS

            *NOPD doesn’t collect DNA if it’s not a burglary

            *NOPD looks at violent crimes first

--Lesley Jane Seymour

5th Newsletter to Community December 2020.pdf

8th Newsletter-December-2020.pdf

5th Newsletter to Community November 2020 (1).pdf