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NOLA leaders address their sides of recent violent crime surge

The DA says the most important number that is critical to public safety is how frequently the NOPD makes an arrest and solves a case when a person is victimized.

NEW ORLEANS — They may work around the corner from one another, but it seems like NOPD Chief Shaun Ferguson and District Attorney Jason Williams are worlds apart in bringing an end to the rise of crime in New Orleans.

“The city cannot afford to fail to accurately combat this current crime surge. We cannot let ego and politics get in the way of safety," said Williams.

Chief Ferguson said, “I think it was unnecessary and absolutely unwarranted for the district attorney to take the position that he has taken with the comments he has made.”

The two have been circling the ring but finally decided to square up and go after one another.

In one corner, the district attorney touted FBI numbers for the NOPD’s 2020 solve rate.

The DA says the most important number that is critical to public safety is how frequently the NOPD makes an arrest and solves a case when a person is victimized.

Williams said, “the FBI data from 2020 states that the NOPD only solved 30% of murders, 35% of armed robberies and only 8% of car thefts.”

In the other corner, Police Chief Ferguson stands by his officers for the work they are doing during a global pandemic.

The chief stated, “For someone to ever question their integrity or their character or their will or their commitment to this city. I have a problem with that”

Williams says it’s bigger than that, “the challenges we are facing right now in this critical moment are leadership challenges.”

Pointing to a lack of financial support from government leaders for both his office and the NOPD, “we have carjacking surging, we have armed robbery surging and we have homicide surging. You know how much new money we put into combatting these things in the DA’s office and in the police department. None”

Recognizing the struggles the department is facing 

Practically speaking, the two men seem to be on opposites sides. However, at their core, philosophically speaking, they both adamantly want the same thing. Seemingly.

Williams stated, “we don’t need finger-pointing, but we do need honesty we need to be honest about what we are dealing with here. We need to be honest about our solve rate and we need to figure out ways collectively increase that solve rate together.”

Ferguson says, “we need to sit down and identify actionable items to make our city safer. So yes, hell yes, when I say there is no accountability or there are no consequences to their actions. That is a collective statement that we all need to come together to figure out.”

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