NEW ORLEANS -- The latest report on New Orleans' criminal justice system found improvement last year, but there's room for more.
The Metropolitan Crime Commission's 2009 accountability report released Wednesday found that the efficiency of convicting felony offenders and the number of cases accepted by the district attorney for prosecution were up.
According to the report, the district attorney's office significantly increased the number and severity of criminal prosecutions last year, with felony cases accepted jumping by 20 percent over the previous year.
"This indicates that police and prosecutors are working closer and more cooperatively than we've seen over the past 15 years," said Rafael Goyeneche, executive director of the crime commission.
Police are putting together stronger cases for the district attorney, which in turn leads to more convictions, Goyeneche said.
"In the past, I don't think the criminal community really feared the criminal justice system," he said. "I think that will begin to change as they realize that if they are arrested for a serious crime, there is now a much better chance they are going to be convicted and sent to prison."
The number of cases prosecuted for weapons felonies increased by 67 percent last year. The study also found that the police department made more arrests overall, but the biggest increase was in arrests for minor offenses.
Arrests were up 11 percent in 2009, the highest annual arrest total since 2007, and equaled about one arrest for every six residents in Orleans Parish, the report said. That compares to approximately one arrest for every 21 residents nationwide.
The largest category of arrests was for probation and parole violations and contempt of court charges.
The report showed the number of felony arrests increased slightly, by 2 percent over 2008 and 12 percent of those arrested for felony offenses were released in one day or less.
"At a time when the police department is trying to suppress violent crime and re-establish its credibility with the community and also curb excessive overtime, it is more important than ever to use its manpower in the most efficient way," Goyeneche said.
The nonprofit watchdog group concludes that both the district attorney and police should focus more on violent crime and serious criminal offenses to make better use of the resources of the criminal justice system.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
