U.S. Attorney Jim Letten leveled criticism at the office of Orleans District Attorney Eddie Jordan during a Congressional hearing into the surge of violent crime in New Orleans since Katrina.

The meeting was designed to try to get a grasp on why the crime problem in the city is so bad despite millions of dollars in aid sent to help get it propped up.

By several accounts, New Orleans has the nation’s highest murder rate per capita.

While much of the hearing was spent with local law enforcement asking for more funds, Letten contended the city could do much more with what it has already been given.

“While funds I think have made a difference… we’re talking about hard policy decisions in that (the DA’s) office that have to change,” said Letten. “Until that happens, none of this is going to work.”

While not at the hearing, Jordan heralded progress made by his department by announcing that his Violent Offenders Prosecution unit had disposed of roughly 21 violent cases since mid-March, with a conviction rate of 95 percent.

Jordan said the average sentence is 14 years, which disputes the claim that the violent criminals are going through a revolving door.

“Clearly that is not a revolving door,” he said. “Those individuals will not be coming out to any door for freedom for a very long time.”

Jordan also said that the number of suspects released without being charged has dropped by 33 percent since January. His office had come under intense criticism for the number of people suspected of violent crimes who were never charged.

“We expect to have no 701 releases at some point in time as we have our crime lab come back up in the next 60 days or so.”

But despite the progress, some at Wednesday’s Congressional hearing said that more money would be needed to improve and repair damaged equipment and to get police and firefighters out of the trailers in which they’ve been operating.

“It’s going to take money,” said Deputy Superintendent Anthony Cannatella of the NOPD. “I hate to say that because I hat to be a beggar, but that’s just what it is. Until we fix our police stations, our vehicles and our fire trucks, I don’t see it.”