Could New Orleans’ violent crime be hitting the city’s bottom line? Violent crime is keeping people away from the city, and even sending residents of the city out of town to do their daily business, says metro crime commission president Rafael Goyeneche.
“Because of the surge in violent crime, we’re losing business,” contends Goyeneche. “People from the city now are going out to Jefferson Parish to shop for groceries, to gas up.”
Homicides are just a few incidents away from surpassing the total from 2019, said Goyeneche. Shootings are up 93 percent, and carjackings have surged a huge 232 percent. Goyeneche says it has all combined to keep some people away from the city, and even send some New Orleans residents to neighboring parishes to do their regular errands.
“Because they don’t view it’s safe in New Orleans right now.”