A citywide survey on crime finds that a growing number of New Orleans residents do not feel the city is safe, but most remain satisfied overall with how the New Orleans Police Department is handling violent crime.
That is according to a recent survey by the New Orleans Crime Coalition.
The survey finds just 35% of survey residents say that citywide, New Orleans is safe. That percentage represents a steep 22-point drop since the 2020 survey.
The survey also found 74% of New Orleans Residents believe the crime problem in the city has gotten worse over the last year.
When it comes to how well of a job the New Orleans Police Department is doing, 24% of the citizens say the city is not safe but they are satisfied with how the NOPD is tackling the violent crime problem.
“We are at a crossroads and in order to turn the corner, the city must take specific actions such as increasing the NOPD’s budget for officer retention and recruitment and enhancing crime-fighting technologies, to stop violent crimes and protect the public,” said Loyola University’s Dr. Michael Cowan, chairman of the Crime Coalition.
“While crime is an issue nationally, every locale is different,” said Cowan. “This independent scientific study was designed as a tool for the NOPD, city leadership, and the public to come together to make our city safer. There is no stronger call to action than the genuine sentiments of Orleans Parish residents, as revealed in their opinions in this survey. Violent crime is surging in New Orleans; political, business, civic, and religious leaders, must step up together and show our men and women behind the shield that we stand with them.”
KEY FINDINGS:
Satisfaction rating:Satisfaction with the NOPD is down five points at 52 percent since 2020; as in past years, black residents (51%) and white residents (52%) expressed similar views.As in the 2020 survey, there is a noticeable generational divide with only 37 percent of residents 18-44 years of age satisfied with the NOPD as opposed to 58 percent of those 45 years and older. 63 percent of residents say they are satisfied with the NOPD’s work in their own neighborhood. Neighborhood satisfaction is highest in the Lakeview/Mid-City area (79%) and lowest in the New Orleans East and Gentilly/Lower 9 areas (55%).
Majorities say city is not safe:Only 35% of survey respondents say that citywide, New Orleans is safe. That percentage represents a steep 22-point drop since the 2020 survey. Since the 2020 survey, the perception that “your own neighborhood” is safe also declined 7 points from 81 percent to 74 percent.74 percent of residents believe the crime problem in New Orleans has gotten worse over the past year.
NOPD task performance ratings: Since the 2020 survey the excellent + good ratings for “responding to emergency calls” and “patrolling neighborhoods” each dropped a substantial nine points (34% to 25% for the former, 29% to 20% for the latter).While positive ratings in other categories, such as car thefts and break-ins, declined only slightly since the 2020 survey, current ratings remain low. For example, only 11% of city residents rate positively the NOPD's performance investigating and solving car thefts and break-ins and 85% rate it negatively.
Police brutality and misconduct: While more New Orleans residents think police brutality and misconduct has decreased than increased over the past few years (29% vs. 14%), most residents think it has remained the same at 47 percent. More Blacks than Whites think it has increased (18% vs. 9%).