NEW ORLEANS — The city's recent surge in crime was the top agenda item at Monday's special New Orleans City Council meeting. Police Superintendent, Shaun Ferguson, met first, and was followed by several leaders and experts.
City Council members were back on Zoom Monday, looking at ways to help combat New Orleans' increase in violent crime.
"We've probably averaged about two people shot per day over the full year from summer 2020 to summer 2021," said the city's crime analyst, Jeff Asher.
From Asher, to the families of two victims, the council listened to multiple people for their take on the issue.
"I think the public needs to be educated on steps and process, communicate with the families, educate them what is the process?" said one of the families.
The interest though, was in what District Attorney Jason Williams had to say, especially after the recent back and forth between the New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson.
"No one is rooting for the chief to develop more strategies, including new deployment strategies than me," he said. "The better the chief and the NOPD in this city the better the DA's office does I need and want the NOPD to be successful as a DA, as a father and as a citizen."
When it comes to tackling the city's crime, Williams says his office is doing many things including changing how certain cases are prosecuted.
"I've instructed my trials division in adult court and juvenile court to charge all appropriate carjacking cases as armed robbery cases to increase the maximum sentences as allowed under the law," he said.
He also says he's asked Governor John Bel Edwards to help increase patrols along interstates. He told the council more funding is needed for different things like DNA testing which would help secure more convictions. And, he suggested the Multi-Agency Gang Unit, like the TIGER unit, should be a priority again.
"These units have proven effective in arrests and building cases that resulted in successful prosecutions and we need to reignite them."
As Williams spoke he made clear his commitment to being part of the solution.
"This present crime wave is real and a present danger for the future of our city, I don't believe we have luxury of time, we need a collective citywide plan yesterday," he said.
And he says he'll do whatever is needed to help make sure it can be done.
Williams' strategy to help increase safety and hold violent offenders accountable included a 7 part plan to the council. Specifically:
-prioritizing screening and prosecuting violent crimes
-prosecuting carjackings as armed robberies, increasing max sentences
-utilizing firearm sentencing provisions to ensure minimum sentencing requirements for gun crimes
-using Gwen's Law in domestic violence cases to allow for more informed bail hearings for domestic violence offenders
-securing Grand Jury and Special Grand Jury indictments for violent crimes
-securing guilty pleas during COVID-19 court closures
-solving cold cases even with limited resources
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.