Leaving the Saints game Sunday, I witnessed a group of renegade ATV and dirt bike riders driving recklessly through the streets downtown. The riders were blazing down the road with no regard for motorists, and they appear to be motivated by their desire to instill fear in anyone nearby.
At times, I have witnessed the riders going against downtown traffic creating an even more dangerous situation. To any tourists, this spectacle would seem like a blatant display of lawlessness in New Orleans. The most frustrating thing about the wild riders of ATVs and dirt bikes is that the police seem to allow it to happen. It’s obvious the riders have no fear of any consequences.
Is New Orleans changing its strategy when it comes to fighting crime? Sunday afternoon, NOPD arrested 6 people for illegally operating unregistered vehicles on public roads and during the arrests officers confiscated handguns. One juvenile was included among the 6 arrested. The activity occurred in the 1200 block of N. Claiborne Ave.
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Over the years of witnessing the random appearance of a group of wild riders I have talked about the fact that there appear to be no consequences for the riders. The arrests Sunday may indicate a new attitude in attacking the crime problem in New Orleans and we should all welcome the effort.
Crime is down in New Orleans from last year at this time in top categories, like homicides, shootings, armed robberies, and carjackings. However, auto thefts are up 69%, but the fact that crime is down significantly in key categories is a positive development. Is this the influence of NOPD’s new Chief Anne Kirkpatrick? Is Mayor Cantrell inspiring a new approach to fighting crime? Whatever the reason - we could be witnessing a new attack on crime in the city, and that’s a good thing.
The question is - how quickly can the city recover from the image that New Orleans is a haven for crime? Let’s applaud the efforts and hope that it’s not too late.