New Orleans had 277 homicides in one year, a 26-year high
New Orleans, a city in southern Louisiana, will see 277 homicides in 2022, setting a record for the city in 26 years, according to US media reports at the 9th local time.
According to local media reports, the homicide rate in New Orleans in 2022 is approximately 70 per 100,000 people. The New Orleans Police Department has revealed that as of December 28, 2022, the number of homicide cases in the city in 2022 has reached 277, setting a record for the city in 26 years. “Crime levels in New Orleans are tragic and unacceptable,” said City Councilman Eugene Green.
Homicide isn’t the only type of crime New Orleans will see increase in 2022. According to the Metropolitan Crime Commission, a US non-profit organization, New Orleans will see an 88 percent increase in shootings, an increase of 156 % of car thefts and a 20% increase in armed robberies in 2022 compared to 2019.
According to The Wall Street Journal, many New Orleans city officials and residents believe the overwhelmed police department is the primary reason for the rise in violent crime. Around 2005, New Orleans had about 1,400 police officers; today that number has dropped to less than 950.
