As of this morning, there hasn’t been a homicide in New Orleans this month and violent crime is also down. Brooke Thorington has more.
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Tis the season for traveling as Triple-A forecasts an additional two million travelers this Christmas and New Year’s holiday compared to last year. Teiko Foxx has more…
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As of this morning, the City of New Orleans has not reported a homicide for December. In September the Crescent City went 12 days without a murder. President of the Metropolitan Crime Commission Rafael Goyeneche…
However, he’s quick to point out that homicides for 2022 were among the highest for the last three decades and this year’s murder rate is still higher than those from 2019 to 2021.
MCC says shootings are down 22-percent, carjackings down 46-percent, and armed robbery has declined 34-percent from this time last year.
Even with a sizable loss of law enforcement officers, down approximately 25-percent since 2018, Goyeneche credits the NOPD’s return to proactive policing for the reduction in violent crime…
He says the pandemic limited proactive policing.
Goyeneche says prioritizing arrests of those carrying weapons illegally and/or drugs is reflected in the reduction of violent crime because they are not out on the streets.
In 2018 NOPD had approximately 1,200 officers in 2023 the number had dwindled to 900.
Goyeneche is also hopeful the partnership with Republican Governor-elect Jeff Landry and Democrat Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams will continue the crime reduction.
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AAA predicts 115 million people will be on the move over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday, the second highest year-end holiday travel recorded. Spokesperson Don Redman says that’s a two percent increase over last year and most will travel by vehicle
Redman says the national average for a gallon of gas was $3.26 and this year its $3.14 a gallon for regular gasoline. He says travelers can expect cheaper gas prices in the Gulf South
Redman says triple A is reporting a record even point five million Americans will travel by air for the holidays, so be prepared for packed airports
As for train, bus, and cruise travel, he says travel is expected to increase by nearly four percent.
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Caddo Parish Sheriff candidate Henry Whitehorn loses his appeal as the election drama continues. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling granting Republican John Nickelson another election after he lost to Whitehorn by one vote in November. Political analyst Scott Hughes says it was a split three-two decision.
For the case to advance, Hughes says you have to have to prove a new argument because this case mirrors the precedent set in the 1999 Red River Parish Sheriff’s race.
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And filing a challenge to the state’s highest court, Hughes says won’t be cheap for Whitehorn…
If filed Hughes expects the Supreme Court to render an answer sooner than later.