The state’s murder rate is down eight percent but still good for the highest in the nation, while the violent crime rate dropped three percent. Matt Doyle has the story.
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Matt Doyle”
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If you thought September was hot, you were not wrong. It was one for the record books. Brook Thorington has the story.
cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington”
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Violent crime in Louisiana was down three percent year to year in 2018, and the murder rate is down down eight points according to new FBI crime data.
LSU Health New Orleans Criminologist Peter Sharf says the murder rate decline is largely thanks to an 8 percent drop in the Crescent City.
Cut 3 (10) “…elsewhere”
2019’s murder rate decrease maybe even more dramatic as Sharf says New Orleans appears set to see a nearly 30 percent drop in violent crime this year.
Sharf credits reinvestment from the criminal justice reform, new crime prevention programs in New Orleans, and statewide adoption of 21st-century police training programs.
Cut 4 (12) “…occur”
The state also saw a three percent decrease in property crime.
Despite the good news Louisiana still leads the nation with the highest murder rate, and Sharf says our murder rate is roughly ten times that of New York’s. He says there’s a lot of work to be done.
Cut 5 (10) “…society”
Nationwide the violent crime rate was also down three percent.
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Ruston’s recovery from last April’s deadly EF-3 tornado has stalled due to the wait for FEMA assistance reimbursement. Mayor Ronny Walker says debris was removed and power restored in the days after the twister, but recovery efforts are going slower than desired now.
Cut 6 (13) “…it goes through.”
The city owns its own power distribution and dipped into reserve funds to restore electricity within four days. Walker says it was much quicker than the initially anticipated two weeks.
Cut 7 (10) “…back up also.”
Five miles of the city’s fiber network had to be replaced. Walker says they are punching the numbers on the FEMA reimbursement.
Cut 8 (07) “…from FEMA.”
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Last month was the warmest September on record for the state dating back to 1895. State climatologist Barry Keim says after calculating a preliminary value for the entire state, the state exceeded the previous record by half a degree.
Cut 9 (11) “…we were 82.6.”
Keim says a city-by-city breakdown shows it was hot.
Cut 10 (13) “…state wide phenomena.”
Keim credits the heat spike to a lack of cold front activity.
Cut 11 (09) “…lack of rain.”
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A new law signed in California will allow college athletes to hire agents and make money from the use of their image, name or likeness, starting in 2023. LSU QB Joe Burrow says he believes it is a step in the right direction for athletes.
Cut 12 (10) “…the other way.”
California is the first state to pass a law that defies the NCAA’s stance on compensation for amateur athletes. Burrow says it will be interesting to see if it sways recruits, but he’s unsure if it would have influenced his decision in recruiting.
Cut 13 (07) “…think about.”
Burrow was asked about how the compensation could be possibly spread to the offensive linemen who may not have the same name recognition but contribute to a QB’s performance.
Cut 14 (10) “…about that later.”