Today, DA Williams says he asked Gov. Edwards to send State Troopers To New Orleans NOW.

New Orleans Safe is still asking for the Louisiana National Guard Now . We join New Orleans leaders in asking for help for all our neighborhoods.

Help is exactly what we are asking for . ..  for ALL our neighborhoods not just for the French Quarter or I-10 Corridor (but its a great place to start)– We are advocating for a New Orleans Safe for ALL.

As we can see, asking for help isn’t extreme. It’s what is required of our community leaders. DA Williams openly admitted that he personally submitted a request from Gov. Edwards for State Troopers immediately to patrol the New Orleans I-10 Corridor now and for an extended time.  A few council members said they were happy to join him in that request for help. So we are a few steps closer to our goal - safety for all in New Orleans.

If you were hesitant before to reach out to your friends and neighbors, could you please consider  reaching  out to others by sharing this petition.  It’s not crazy. It’s sane and practical. 

Thank you DA Williams for letting us know that you see a problem and that it can be solved with professional law enforcement officers trained in policing. And, the Louisiana National Guard has folks exactly trained in policing. We send LA Guard troops to Afghanistan. So, why can't we send them where we need them - HERE AND NOW.

You see . . . that’s what we are asking for – help make our neighborhoods safe and livable again. NOPD needs immediate manpower and the Louisiana National Guard can provide the professionalism needed to  bring presence and safety to our neighborhoods.

First of all rest assured. . .  New Orleans Safe is  still and will continue to ask the Mayor and NOPD Superintendent with assistance from City Council to take immediate action and request that our  Governor send 500  LA National Guard troops immediately to New Orleans from now until review on June 1, 2022 to assist in patrol and presence in our neighborhoods.

We’ve said over and over the LANG  troops should be assigned to NOPD to patrol and assist with manpower and presence on the streets. We’ve been told there is a crisis of manpower and adding these trained professionals to assist our NOPD officers will add patrols to the neighborhoods, increase response times for citizen calls for assistance and allow our NOPD to do their jobs in a timely manner.

Case in point -

National Guard Troops,  for example, could provide resources to patrol and allow NOPD departments to focus on their specialized areas. For example,  the  NOPD Detective Division could refocus resources. Currently the Detective Division handles an intense case load with much higher detective to case ratios than national averages. These detectives at the NOPD work short staffed on solving some of the most violent crimes in our community. Those crimes result in many times the loss of life. By adding patrol staff from the Louisiana National Guard  and not asking for detectives to operate on the streets and focus on crime resolution the  result will be the prevention of more violent crime. When NOPD is  allowed manpower to  focus on investigation and solving violent crime our communities will begin to see results and those results will renew trust in our safety and quality of life.  Besides safety one result can be a community that holds our NOPD police force in esteem adding to a more quality community. Think how much more you would love New Orleans if that could happen? Think how much folks would be excited to visit New Orleans and boost our community economy. A world-class SAFE city - isn't that what we want as New Orleanians? 

Please if you could take a moment to remind your neighbors by forwarding our petition. Please let them know the goal is to add signatures to this powerful and respectful petition and get help for our neighborhoods.  Asking for help isn’t crazy nor after today’s hearing is it an off the chart request. It’s a request that leadership needs to make on our behalf to ensure our safe neighborhoods. Some of our  leadership agrees that we need help. For example  . . .

Chief Ferguson said we “have a serious manpower shortage.” (city council, 11/11/21, budget hearing testimony)

DA Williams said he has asked the Governor over and over to send LA State Troopers to patrol I-10 because our NOPD is too short manpower to patrol the I-10 and folks are dying from gunshots driving on the corridor.  DA Williams intimated that the i-10 corridor through New Orleans from New Orleans East is under attack and it’s a serious issue.  (Special hearings on public safety, 1/24/22, City Council)

After seven (11) hours plus of listening today and from meetings last Thursday, let’s be assured that there is an ongoing discussion about reaching public safety goals. You are part of the solution. Your activism is part of community engagement. Joining this call to action is your community engagement at the highest level. 

You have been part of this discussion from day one. You are part of the first independent citizen's group representing all neighborhoods, East bank and West bank,  to come together and make a city-wide reasonable request for public safety in ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.

If you can, please ask as many friends, family, neighbors and more  to sign on to request our leadership act on immediate safety for New Orleans. If you can please ask your neighborhood community leaders to pass along this petition link to your neighborhood associations.  If you have friends coming to visit or know of folks coming for Mardi Gras, French Quarter Fest, Jazzfest or a convention – have them sign. This is about a New Orleans Safe for everyone and for our lives and our local economy to recover.

A New Orleans Safe – it’s the quality of life for all.

Stay safe. And, hug your neighbor.