Rather than appropriating money for more local anti-crime programs, which have just worked so well before, try this:
Posted on 04/16/2007 3:45:20 AM PDT by Ellesu
NEW ORLEANS—Members of the U.S. House of Representatives convened a congressional panel at Dillard University last Tuesday to investigate the state of the New Orleans criminal justice system. Local officials requested millions in federal assistance to help rebuild damaged infrastructure and install programs to reduce violent crime.
The subcommittee could help back those requests. Its purpose was to pinpoint problem areas in the New Orleans criminal justice system and gather evidence to take back to Washington, D.C., in hopes of securing federal dollars.
Mayor C. Ray Nagin asked for $17 million for police vehicles, equipment and recruiting efforts, $4 million to employ 2,000 at-risk youths during the summer, $3 million to re-establish an ex-offender work force development program to train and employ 500 former offenders and $10 million over three years for drug rehabilitation services.
Ed Carlson, executive director of Odyssey House, a residential substance abuse program in New Orleans, said Nagin’s request for $10 million for drug rehabilitation programs was the best thing the mayor has ever said.
“It’s the whole idea of the multi-tier approach to crime — having a strong public defender’s office, a strong district attorney’s office, a strong court system and strong law enforcement along with substance abuse treatment services,” Carlson said. “If you have all those things in place I believe you could cut crime by 50 percent in a year.”
But Nagin’s request does not ensure Congress will send any money, Carlson said.
“And even if Congress does appropriate this money it may be a couple of years before it gets here,” Carlson said. “We need to do something now. We need to do something yesterday.”
New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Warren Riley emphasized the need for more manpower at the subcommittee hearing. Since Hurricane Katrina, the force has lost 29 percent of its officers, dropping from 1,741 in 2005 to 1,227.
It has no headquarters building and three of the eight district stations have not been repaired. It lacks a central evidence and property facility, a special operations and traffic complex and a juvenile holding building.
“The lack of critical police facilities and capabilities is not only having a deleterious effect on the presentation and prosecution of cases, it has eroded the morale of the officers who see their best efforts to combat crime stalled due to our inability to adequately test and evaluate evidence,” Riley said. “(Officers are forced to) watch as the same offenders are repeatedly arrested and released. The NOPD is at a crossroads.”
Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., the ranking Republican member of the committee, said as few as 20 percent of the programs funded by the subcommittee on crime, terrorism and homeland security proved effective.
“We’re trying to make sure we get the most bang for our buck,” he said.
Peter Scharf, executive director of the Center for Society, Law and Justice at Texas State University, likened the hearing to a meeting with venture capitalists, which requires an integrated plan with a focus on return on investment.
“The city’s approach was really confused,” Scharf said. “The agencies were all saying different things and there was no clear definition of what the true problem is. We need to come back with a better researched, better integrated plan. I don’t think it was terrible. I don’t think we turned anybody off, but we need one more step to get really serious.”
Scharf said it was telling when Forbes raised the specter of corruption when questioning City Council President Oliver Thomas.
“We have some legacy baggage. The two Republican congressmen kept asking about corruption, and we need to really address that with a serious plan. We need to convince the money people we’re serious business people. But there will be money. There will be criminal justice funding and New Orleans has to be among the top candidates to get it.”•
” Congress funding could cut N.O. crime rate 50 percent “
If Waste, Fraud, and Abuse were figured in to the ‘crime rate’ figures, then the headline would read:
‘Congress funding to triple N.O. crime rate’
Funny....usually Federal money merely transfers the criminal class from the street to the white collar....prolly less violent...some ACLU type somewhere’d get bent because of “discrimination”....somehow.
Rather than appropriating money for more local anti-crime programs, which have just worked so well before, try this:
Hell, double the amount and get rid of crime completely!!!
More of my tax dollars being flushed down the tubes. Some of that NO trash moved here and they brought their “culture” with them. They don’t see this as an opportunity to improve themselves, but a ripe area to carry on their with their crime and drugs.
have they checked William Jefferson’s couch for loose thousand dollar bills?
Oh yes, giving money money to democrats to set up more govrnment buraucracies has always resulted in reduced crime rates...
Why not take that same money and build more “housing”( max secuity prisons) instead? Lock criminals up for life as they shoud be instead. We wouldn’t need more police cars etc. if they didn’t keep letting the same criminals out over and over again to breed and make another generation of criminals.
Shortsighted congress. You need a way to move criminals back into NO before you can fight crime.
“It is possible to buy a used school bus for $5,000 that originally sold for over $70,000 or a nearly indestructible stainless steel passenger coach for 10% of the original price.”
New Orleans reminds me of the really bad movie, Escape From New York.
Seal it off and allow it to die.
Are you kidding?? 90+% of its occupants would be black "yuts". Don't need a crystal ball to see the future here, for sure.
No, I didn’t read the article. Do I have to?
Why don't they just go out and steal some more new Cadillacs?
Oh yes, let’s throw MORE money at the problem!
That’ll finally fix it!
Mark
I clicked on this thread to see if anyone knew what happenned with that. That Chief quit right after that came out, so I knew that was related, but I didn't hear the outcome. Anyone know?
Well, for such a liberal city, why such a crime problem? I thought everyone in NEWAWLINs enjoyed life? Only during Madi Gras is this possible? Then again, the mayor just let the buses sit with no attempt to evacuate those in need.
So, what's the purpose of the city and state governments? To sit around and do nothing and suck up federal tax dollars? Maybe the police can place some dead chickens at the premises of known criminals and issue all globbermint employees and civilians some of these:
?
The "No Mo' Blues Man Voodoo Doll" actually made and sold in New Orleans:
"Mo' Money Voodoo" Doll:
one man’s opinion throw-away line becomes the headline of an article ?
and article where Nagin is tryng to hold up the US for 17 million bucks?
beaut-ti-ful
My mom and my brother live in Baker/Zachary, home of the 600 unit trailer city. Since Katrina, she has had her purse stolen at Wal Mart, my brother’s home was broken into, and a family friend’s son was killed for his wallet in Baton Rouge. There is a lot more, but too much to list here. BTW, it was never like this before.
Go figure.
I keep telling my congress critters - I have no desire to further “fund” things for NO. Those in charge need to get it right with the money they have instead of spending it foolishly or lining their own pockets as they have done in the past. In addition, I don’t want my tax dollars to go toward rebuilding anything below sea level. It will just flood again someday, probably some day very soon - a complete waste of money.
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