As bad as crime has been in New Orleans, it is likely to get worse over the next several days. The end of school usually means an increase in juvenile crime.
SUNO criminologist Dr. John Penny says the rise in juvenile crime as summer vacation begins has been well documented.
"It would be shocking if it did not, because it always does in the summer time," he said. "We've done this over the year and our response has been the same. What we need to do is be more creative and innovative in our thinking. We need to plan ahead."
He says the lack of structure that school offers lends itself to kids on the edge falling into bad behavior.
Criminologist George Capowich says programs that bring that structure into the summer can help.
"The extenuation of after-school programs into the summer, that gives kids more structured time," said Capowich.
He says that has been met with success in cities like Boston and Newport News, Virginia.
While some communities try to prevent juvenile crime with programs like midnight basketball, Capowich says it is really during the day that young people need the structure that they are not getting when they're out of school.
"Burglaries, for example: 80 or 85 percent of residential burglaries are committed during the day when people are at work," he said. "And they're committed by young people who live in the neighborhood."
