Louisiana Governor Jeff highlighted New Orleans when he opened the special legislative session on crime Monday afternoon.
"In 2022, three of our cities were in the top 10 most dangerous cities in America. 280 people were murdered that year in New Orleans alone, earning that city the title of 'murder capital' of the country," said Landry.
"Carjackings, homicides, violent crime, and juvenile gangs terrorize our citizens there," he said. "I say it is time to secure the entire city of New Orleans."
Landry asked lawmakers to fund a permanent New Orleans state police troop, one that would patrol all of the city, and not just the French Quarter.
Landry also says he wants lawmakers to make sure 17-year-olds get treated like adults when it comes to crime, put carjackers behind bars for a minimum of 20 years if someone gets hurt, and wants Louisiana to use more methods than just lethal injection to execute prisoners on death row.
Addressing the legislature Monday afternoon, the governor said it is all for the victims.
"You see, by continuing to focus on the victims, we send a message that they shall once and for all be heard in the process of criminal justice reforms," said Landry.
Landry wants the legislature to reverse its 2016 decision to raise the minimum age for adult prosecution to 18 years old. That law took effect in 2019
The governor also wants increased sentences for carjacking, from a current minimum of two years to a five-year minimum. The governor said if someone is injured in a carjacking, the minimum should increase to 20 years.
With Republicans making up more than two-thirds of both the Louisiana House and Senate, it appears likely that the Republican governor will get much of what he is asking for. But Democrats are urging their colleagues to think long and hard before rushing to make changes.
"The overwhelming majority of the bills filed for this special session fail to address crime before it happens," said House Democratic Caucus Chair Matthew Willard. "They are reactive, not proactive."
Willard argues that raising minimum sentences and trying 17-year-old automatically as adults will not make Louisiana safer.
"We know the 'lock them up and throw away the key' approach does not work because Louisiana ranks near the top in both crime and incarceration rates," said Willard. "House Democrats will continue to fight for evidence-based criminal justice reforms that reduce crime and make our communities safer."
