Is the city of New Orleans safe? That, in essence, is what a poll commissioned by the New Orleans Crime Coalition and conducted by Ron Faucheux asked a representative sample of Orleans Parish residents. The answer seems pretty clear.
Since last year’s survey, the perception that the city is safe has declined by 22 points citywide, 23 points among black residents, 20 points among whites, 24 points in the Lakeview/Mid-City area, 19 points in the Uptown/Garden District area, 15 points in the Gentilly/Lower 9, 33 points in New Orleans East and 24 points in Algiers.
I posed that question to our vast WWL audience, and two replies really resonated with me. One person said they took the Causeway when going to Mississippi because they didn’t want to drive on the interstate through New Orleans East. Another said her husband had renewed their tickets to the Saenger but she was “dreading going downtown”.
I love to go to the Saenger. I must admit though that I’ve been uncomfortable going to night performances for quite some time. I would start worrying about where to park as soon as I purchased the tickets and would worry about sticking with the crowd until we were safely back in the car. I didn’t exactly “dread” going, but the fear didn’t exactly enhance the experience. As for opting the causeway over I-10 East I’m not quite there…yet.
I don’t really feel safe anywhere in the city, even in broad daylight. The poll numbers show that I’m not alone. Where a downtown trip after dark would bring me anxiety in the past, a daytime walk in Lakeview to get to a restaurant or a mid-afternoon visit to City Park is all it takes now.
I feel like I never know when I’m being watched, stalked and hunted. It’s hard to enjoy what you’re doing when your head is on a swivel, and protecting yourself and your family is priority number one.
One thing that I did find interesting in the poll was public perception of police. It seems as though the public is discerning enough to know that NOPD, in its current state, is doing all it can to stop the criminals because 56 percent rated their competence and effectiveness “about the same.” From that I draw the conclusion that normal people realize NOPD is outgunned and outmanned. If normal people realize it, you’d better believe the thugs know it, too; and that is very frightening.
So where do we start? Let’s hire more cops and put them on the street. The money’s there to fund the positions. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough qualified applicants to take their place behind the badge.
But wait. It gets worse. Due to onerous restrictions post certified police officers who transfer in from other departments have to go through the NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT training academy before they can hit the streets. The officers are there. The experience is there. The process short circuits all of that.
I wish I knew the solution to making people feel safer in the city. I really wish it would happen soon. I’ve seen nothing to indicate that there’s even a plan. If that’s the case, what hope have we that things will change anytime soon? At this rate, I hate to think what NEXT year’s survey will reveal.
