In a title that nobody wanted, New Orleans has overtaken St. Louis as the murder capital of America after the city saw a 141% increase in homicides compared to three years ago.
The data comes from the Metropolitan Crime Commission, which found that this year there have been 52 homicides per 100,000 residents in the city as of Sept. 11.
The organization attempts to lower crime rates by tracking it, and in years previous, St. Louis had been crowned the aforementioned title.
But St. Louis is at the top no longer, with the St. Louis Police Department sharing that as of Sept. 17, there were almost 45 homicides per 100,000 residents, seven less than the new top dog New Orleans.
Compared to three years ago, homicides in New Orleans have skyrocketed by 141%.
When comparing numbers with 2021, there has been an increase of 78%, as the data reported 205 homicides in New Orleans from Jan. 1, 2022, to Sept. 11.
Shootings are also up in the city, with a 100% increase compared to 2019.
When compared to other cities' homicide rates, most would expect Chicago and New York City to be near the top, but the opposite is true. The data showed that this year, per 100,000 residents, there had been almost 18 homicides in the Windy City and 3.5 in New York City.
While New Orleans is at the top, city officials are working to change with an $80 million plan to increase pay for officers, offer free health care, and $30,000 in hiring incentives for new officers.
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