The number of homicides in New Orleans this year could soon exceed the total for all of 2019.
"The question is not are we going to exceed 2019’s numbers," said Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche. "We are."
Goyeneche told WWL's Newell Normand about the growing violence in New Orleans. Homicides, he said, are picking up steam.
"It is likely that we will surpass the 2019, 121 total," Goyeneche said, "possibly by the end of this month, no later than next month, and that is bad news."
“This is gonna be a downer for your audience, but they need to know this. Homicides are continuing to pick up steam. We've had 110 so far. So when we released this report on Monday, there were 109. We've had one since Monday. So it's up to 110. And so the change from 2021 to 2022 is up 45%," Goyeneche explained.
There were 121 total homicides in 2019, making it a 160% increase from 2019 to 2022, according to the crime data.
Goyeneche also pointed out that the fire power used in these crimes has also increased, resulting in multiple victims in some cases.
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“We are talking 4, 5, 6, people being shot at one shooting incident,” said Goyeneche. “So, we are seeing the fire power increasing the number of shell casings captured at, or recovered at, shooting sites and multiple victims. That doesn’t mean that the numbers are actually down. While the incidents are down, the number of shooting victims, I think, are probably as high, or higher, than last year. And the difference that we are seeing between this year’s combined homicide and shooting incident numbers is that… people that are being shot are more likely to be killed this year than they were last year."
Carjackings continue to plague the city, according to the data.
“Carjackings were reported as being up 17% but since Monday, when we released this, there were 123 total…it is now 128. We have had five since Monday. So, we issued that report saying carjackings were slowing down…and we jinxed ourselves. We have had five of them since Monday,” said Goyeneche.
Goyeneche also says there is some hope on the horizon when the NOPD and State Police activate Operation Golden Eagle 2.
“Last year, that initiative that goes from June through July, helped slow down some of the violence that we have experienced prior to Operation Golden Eagle,” said Goyeneche.