New Orleans this year has already surpassed the total number of homicides for all of 2020, and the city on pace to surpass last year's total homicides before the end of the month.
"Homicides are up 46 percent year to date this year versus 2021," pointed out New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche.
At their current pace, that would surpass 2021's total in less than three weeks. Goyeneche says other violent crimes are exceeding last year's pace, too.
"Last week was a particularly bad week with respect to carjackings," said Goyeneche. "There were 11 carjackings last week."
Non-fatal shootings and armed robberies are also exceeding the pace.
Goyeneche says it will take a concentrated crime-fighting effort in problem areas to slow it down.
"There are things that can be done, I think, in the short term," he said, noting that half the violent crime happens in just two of the NOPD' eight districts.
"I think we're going to see probably more task force policing where the police department will deploy some of their limited resources in some of the high-crime areas," said Goyeneche. "Start to drive down crime in those neighborhoods."