The NOLA Coalition, a number of business, civic leaders, citizens and philanthropists came together on Tuesday to warn the city faces a ‘civic death spiral’ if crime continues unabated.
“The NOLA Coalition is composed of organizations from across New Orleans, many of whom have never worked together before,” said Michael Hecht, President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. “We stand united today, however, by a love for our children, a love for our city, and a commitment to solutions that create prosperity for all.”
The Coalition has proposed a two-track campaign to address the address the city’s problems: Community Support for NOPD and Investment in Youth Support Services, the latter of which includes a pledge of $15 million to enhance programs in the city.
The first track, Community Support for NOPD, looks to address serious short-falls of the department, such as: Recruitment and retention, pay and benefits, technology, accountability through the entire justice system, gangs and violent crime, and community and social support.
“As a concerned resident regarding the crisis our city is facing regarding crime, I am hopeful the resources that will become available through this Coalition will have a lasting positive effect that will touch many lives,” said Dawn Hebert, Chair of East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission. “A change is imperative at this time to help remove the fear our residents have in living their normal lives and return New Orleans to the city we all love.”
The second area of focus of the coalition is business, philanthropic, and other investment in proven community youth support service organizations, to help them grow their impact and drive generational change.
The Coalition has committed to $15M ($5M per year over three years) from the private and philanthropic sectors for youth support services in New Orleans. Over $500,000 has already been secured and/or deployed for the first year.
Funding for this initiative will come from new private sector sources, including business, philanthropy and individuals (local and national). These contributions will be in support of the priorities of New Orleans’ Youth Master Plan (YMP), a comprehensive roadmap for creating and sustaining a positive, youth-development-focused, results-oriented New Orleans that works for all of our young people.