While the increase in carjackings in New Orleans has slowed, another violent crime -- armed robbery -- has been steadily on the rise. The New Orleans Police Department reports eight armed robberies took place overnight Monday into Tuesday.
The New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission's numbers show armed robbery up 43 percent so far this year, and at more than 300, incidents far outnumber homicides or carjackings.
Metro Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche says the increase in armed robbery comes as more of life gets back to normal after the pandemic shutdowns of two years ago.
"When everything shut down, we saw armed robberies bottom out in 2020," Goyeneche explained. "The 'prey' were the people that were going to bars and hanging out in the French Quarter and all of the foot traffic. Well that went away, so that's when carjackings picked up."
Goyeneche says the armed robbery increase could be a byproduct of life returning to normal since the pandemic started
"Now that things have-- businesses have opened back up, people are out and about, you're seeing more armed robberies," he said.
