NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans police are winning the battle against violent crime, Police Superintendent Warren Riley said Friday.

WWL-TV

Though the number of murders in the first three months of 2008 were only slightly down, arrests were way up Riley said. And he said his officers are taking other violent offenders, weapons and drugs off the street at record rates.

"My demeanor may not be that harsh, door-knocking thing, but take my word, criminals should be very afraid right now," Riley said. "We have some very positive things going on. We are pulling murderers off the street more quickly than ever."

There were 54 murders in the first quarter of this year, compared to 59 last year, Riley said. Of those, 60 percent have been solved and 30 people arrested. The national average for clearing homicide cases is 55 percent, Riley said. Of the remaining open 2008 cases, nearly 90 percent have possible suspects and are close to being solved, he said.

"One of the biggest problems we are having this year are the armed robberies," Riley said. "This year, 48 percent of our armed robberies have been cleared by arrest."

Armed robbery has jumped in the French Quarter, long considered the safest area of the city and one where residents and tourists do not hesitate to walk about at all hours. There were 52 armed robberies there in the first quarter and police have made 36 arrests clearing 39 cases, Riley said.

A growing number of armed robberies were committed by juveniles, 15- and 16-year-old, Riley said.

"I think part of it is the aftermath of Katrina," Riley said.

"I think we still have people that are here without parental guidance, who have come back home. I don't know what the mental capacity of those individuals are, but there is something that has occurred over the last two years that has enticed youngsters to be more bold and more brazen than they have in the past."

Drugs fuel much violent crime, Riley said, so the police are targeting dealers whether big time or small scale. In the first three months of the year they executed 110 search warrants and arrested 109 people, he said. Along with that they confiscated

$280,000 in drugs.

Standing behind a long table covered with weapons and drugs, Riley said his department had taken 600 guns off the street, including about 100 assault weapons -- even one with a bayonet attached.

"Our officers pulling 600 guns off the street, we clearly have saved some lives," Riley said.

In addition to new strategies and an all-out push by police, Riley credited the district attorney's office for stepped up prosecution and for preventing the once common wholesale release of prisoners who had not been charged in 60 days as required by state law. That has helped prevent some retaliatory crime, he said.

There are still 360 National Guard troops patrolling the city.

They have been in town since shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and the number of police officers dropped by several hundred officers.

The guard will begin leaving at the end of June, Riley said, and be phased out by the end of September.

"We will continue to push our recruitment," Riley said. "We started class a week ago with 55 officers. We have a graduating class with 30 officers in about a week and a half. Our numbers are building; it's not where we want it to be. If a situation comes up where we feel we need some additional help or we need to hold on to some we'll ask for them, but it looks as like they'll be gone by the end of September."