Citizen Crime Watch Blog

Orleans Parish prosecutors on Friday dropped all charges against the teenager accused of murdering the drummer for the Hot 8 Brass Band in December, saying their key witness, a 15-year-old girl, refuses to testify.

David Bonds, 18, was charged with the second-degree murder of Dinerral Shavers, 25, a band teacher at Rabouin High School and a Hot 8 Brass Band member who was shot in the head while he drove his wife and two children along the 2200 block of Dumaine Street on the evening of Dec. 28.

Police said a feud between Bonds and Shavers’ 15-year-old stepson sparked the fatal shooting — and that Shavers was not the intended victim.

Under Louisiana law, District Attorney Eddie Jordan’s office may reinstitute charges against Bonds later.

“If we can get the witness to cooperate,” said Dalton Savwoir Jr., Jordan’s spokesman.

The collapse of the case brought strong reactions from both the police and the family of the victim. New Orleans police spokesman Sgt. Joe Narcisse said Friday that “a beautiful case” had fallen apart.

“Because the witnesses would not come forward, we have a killer loose on our streets,” Narcisse said. “This is a perfect opportunity to point out the importance of citizen cooperation. We cannot do it alone.”

The newly formed anti-crime group Silence Is Violence also issued a statement that quoted Nakita Shavers, the sister of the victim, who joined the group after his death.

“My family and I are not satisfied with the investigation and prosecution that have taken place so far. I understand the DA’s decision to dismiss today, in that this decision leaves open the possibility of reindictment,” Shavers is quoted as saying. “I also understand the reluctance of the young witnesses to testify. It can be very intimidating, especially for someone so young.”

The statement from Silence Is Violence called the breakdown in the justice system all too routine.

[more from The Times Picayune]

[Silence is Violence statement]

The night time is the right time…

If you’re a crook, I guess. But if you live in the French Quarter or Marigny Triangle, it’s the wrong time to be on the streets. The latest three crimes this week prove the point:

4:50 a.m. Sunday: We already told you about the woman who was robbed of $400 and her fancy purse and wallet in the 1000 block of Gov. Nicholls Street in our NOcrimeline Crime Alert on 6.25.07.

2:20 a.m. Monday: A woman and her boyfriend were at the intersection of Bourbon and Toulouse streets when a black guy came up from behind them and grabbed her purse off her shoulder. Nothing in the report to indicate what the thief got away with as he fled up Toulouse toward N. Rampart Street (where else?). He was described as 20-25 years old, 5′10″ tall, 160 pounds, with a “low hair cut” (is that the same thing as “short hair”?), wearing a white tank top and blue jeans. Perhaps you’ve seen him.

5:15 a.m. Monday:A 39-year-old black man had his car stolen by another black man in the 200 block of Burgundy Street (y’all ought to know by now that’s not a good place to park, no matter who you are). The victim noticed the perpetrator walking toward him on the sidewalk as he was going to his car. When he got to the car door, the guy asked him if he had a cigarette. When the victim told him “no” the crook took a step back and pointed a chrome semi-auto handgun at the victim’s face. He told the victim to give him his wallet and car keys. The victim complied and was told by the gunman to “say nothing and I won’t kill you.” The thief drove off in the car, down Burgundy and turned onto Bienville Street toward, you guessed it, N. Rampart Street.

The car was a 2006 Honda Accord, silver in color, with Louisiana license plate ODD852. The thief also took the man’s wallet containing 3 credit cards, and his cellphone.

The thief was described as 20-30 years of age, 6′ tall, 180 pounds, thin, clean-shaven, and light complexion, wearing a black NY Yankees ball cap, white T-shirt and dark jeans.

Video update: We’re getting more reports of video surveillance cameras being mounted on residences in the Quarter now that homeowners know they are not illegal. We would still like to hear of more installations from residents and businesses. Businesses have been particularly lax in contacting us, though the new Omni Bank alerted us to cameras on the exterior of its building at Chartres and Conti streets.

One encouraging thing we’re hearing is from residents who seem to be interested in installing security cameras outside their homes. We’ve sent an inquiry to Roger Jones, the 8th District’s “quality of life” officer, to see if he can provide any technical information and perhaps the names of contractors who work locally, but have heard nothing back yet. If any of you who already have cameras can offer advice on reliable contractors who could install a system and secure the necessary Vieux Carre Commission permits, please let us know.

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Please forward this message to anyone interested in the quality of life in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. To be added to our email list, send your FULL NAME and HOME ADDRESS to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Be careful out there…

Summer muggies?: We all agree you should be able to walk the streets of the French Quarter or Marigny Triangle any time of the day or night. But you shouldn’t. Here’s another reason why:

Early Sunday morning (6.24.07), just before 5 a.m., a 47-year-old woman walking in the 1000 block of Gov. Nicholls Street, between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets, was mugged and robbed. She passed a black man who turned and struck her from behind, knocking her to the ground. He grabbed her purse and fled.

Besides a $75 Tagnello purse and $40 Liz Clairborne wallet, she lost $400 in cash, a credit card, her driver’s license, and cellphone.

She was unable to give a description of the perpetrator, other than he was a black man. Enough said.

Two too close to home: Their murders didn’t happen in the 8th District, but their connection to the Quarter was unmistakable. Two weeks ago on June 11, Robin Malta, co-owner of Salon d’Malta in the 1200 block of Decatur Street, was killed in his home in the Marigny. Then less than a week later on June 17, Chris Roberts, who worked at Fiorella’s restaurant in the 1100 block of Decatur, was gunned down at his home in the 1900 block of Esplanade Ave.

I had just spoken briefly with Chris about 4:30 p.m. that Sunday afternoon; the police put his time of death at around 8:30 p.m. I didn’t know him well; he was impressed I remembered his name from an earlier conversation. I had told him then that he bore an uncanny resemblance to Jay Thomas, a New Orleans boy who went on to be a famous DJ and actor on numerous sitcoms. Chris was embarrassed he didn’t remember my name and said he had to work on his memory. Here’s to his memory.

If it can happen in their neighborhoods, it can happen in ours. All the more reason to report anything that doesn’t look right, like a stranger lurking on your street or someone following you. And all the more reason to take precautions, like not going walking in the wee hours or taking a taxi if you have to go into the most dangerous areas of the Quarter.

And it’s gained national attention. Sen. Patrick Leahey noted in his opening remarks at the Senate hearing this past Wednesday (6.20.07) on the rise of crime since the storm:

* “Violent crime in New Orleans has reached near-epidemic proportions and emerged as the most serious threat to its recovery since the storm. In the first three months of this year, violent crime is up more than 100 percent compared to the same time a year ago.”

* “The murder rate per capita is now the highest in America, more than 20 percent higher than in the any other major city. At its current rate, New Orleans has 12 times as many homicides as New York City, 3 times as many as Philadelphia, and twice as many as Washington, D.C.”

* “Last year, there were more than 160 murders in the city, and so far, only one murder case has led to a conviction — just one. The police have only brought a quarter of those cases to the district attorney to be charged, and the office has accepted only half of those for prosecution.”

As I said, be careful out there.

***
Please forward this message to anyone interested in the quality of life in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. To be added to our email list, send your FULL NAME and HOME ADDRESS to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Everybody talks about crime, but…

Nobody does anything about it, to paraphrase Mark Twain: You might say that applies to video surveillance cameras. At last week’s NONPAC meeting, Lt. Eddie Selby told how valuable the NOPD has found video cameras mounted outside businesses or residences to be in solving crimes, noting he’d like to have a database of citizens in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle who have surveillance cameras. NOcrimeline agreed to poll our subscribers to try to compile such a database. Out of nearly 500 subscribers, we got exactly ONE response locating a camera.

Does this mean no one really cares about crime? Does it mean they’re too lazy to respond? Or are we all overestimating the number of video surveillance cameras in the Quarter? One person suggested that owners are reluctant to come forward because such cameras are prohibited by the Vieux Carre Commission.

That may have been true at one time, but in April the VCC, recognizing that “security cameras have proliferated” in the Quarter and “serve a wide variety of security functions, and, if selected and located properly, will intrude minimally upon the historic streetscape,” adopted a policy “designed to limit the intrusive nature of these fixtures and to outline compatible equipment and methods for their proper installation.”

The regulations don’t seem to be too onerous, but Lary P. Hesdorffer, executive director of the VCC, notes that “a permit is required BEFORE cameras are installed (or replaced).” (That “or replaced” sounds like an out for those who put up cameras before obtaining VCC permission.) The easiest way to go if you want to install surveillance cameras might be to look in the Yellow Pages under “Security Control Equipment” and hire a contractor who could supply and install the equipment, after first getting the necessary VCC permit for you. If you’re handy and want to do it yourself, one person who does have a camera installation in the Quarter says Wal-Mart has a good system. If you want a of copy the VCC regulations, NOcrimeline can send you those in PDF format–just email us your request.

But if you ALREADY have surveillance cameras installed, how about letting us know so we can supply that information to the 8th District NOPD. Your cameras might help solve a crime–isn’t that what this is all about?

Another saying…: You know how they say a criminal always returns to the scene of the crime? Well, that did one crook in the other night.

It had been one of the quietest weeks in recent memory, crimewise, until Wednesday evening ( 6.20.07) just after 9:30 p.m. A man and woman, who live in the 1200 block of Esplanade Avenue, were walking on Esplanade Avenue near Royal Street, when they were robbed. Three black boys, all 16 years old, rode up behind the white couple on bicycles and surrounded them. One of the punks told them, “Y’all know what this is about–give it up!” The woman gave one of the kids her wallet and another kid asked the man for his wallet. The man said he didn’t have anything other than his cellphone.

The perpetrators fled on their bikes with only the woman’s wallet, but one quickly turned around and came back and asked the man for his cellphone so he couldn’t call the police. He didn’t have to–an off-duty sheriff’s deputy arrived on the scene and nabbed the crook who came back to the scene of the crime.

The other two robbers were picked up later in the 200 block of Bourbon Street. They were all charged with simple robbery, and one was found in possession of crack cocaine. All were from Uptown (2400 block of Louisiana Avenue, 2400 block of Amelia Street, and 200 block of S. Johnson Street). What the hell were they doing in the Quarter? And at what time does the curfew law kick in? It seems like an awfully lot of perpetrators are using bicycles to rob and run–maybe it’s time for “bicycle checkpoints” to nab some of these punks.

Rough and tumble robbery: A man is in serious condition at University Hospital with a fractured skull and possible broken neck after being robbed just after 3 a.m. Friday morning (6.22.07) in the 300 block of Bourbon Street. He and several friends (Capt. Hosli, please fix the computer so we can get more information about victims) were walking on Bourbon toward Canal Street when they were approached by 6 or 7 black men who tried to sell them Ecstasy. The victim started to walk away when one of the men pick-pocketed his wallet. The victim tried to get it back when the perpetrator slugged him with his fist on the left side of the head. The victim fell backward and landed on the concrete, suffering the injuries that landed him in the hospital.

The robber and his accomplices fled with the man’s wallet. The attacker was a black man, described as 18-20 years old, 5′11″ tall, 185 pounds, with ear-length dreadlocks, wearing blue jeans with a white T-shirt that had a colored print logo on it.

Be careful out there: You hate to be suspicious of everyone who doesn’t look like you–but you know who the robbers are. If you see a driver in a car with temporary tags, or boys cruising aimlessly on bicycles, or someone following you while you’re walking, don’t hesitate to call 911 and have them checked out. Some might tell you to use the NOPD’s non-emergency number–but it’s better to assume you have encountered the enemy and stop them before harm’s done.

***
Please forward this message to anyone interested in the quality of life in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. To be added to our email list, send your FULL NAME and HOME ADDRESS to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

I watched in astonishment Saturday at the carefree machismo of a New Orleans Police Department motorcycle cop wheeling around a corner with a cigar clenched in his teeth. I doubt the NOPD’s regulations permit that sort of behavior. At the very least, it’s unprofessional. At the very worst, it’s a flagrant exhibition of disregard for the consequences of acting unprofessionally.

Now consider the following narrative shared by a resident of a crime-ridden neighborhood:

“… on this street, it’s the police who are acting nuts. i understand, given this block, that they’re being vigilant, but they’re slamming these kids around left and right and stealing whatever money they have on them. also, marching in the house and pointing guns at us. it’s tedious, really. i can only fight so many battles at once.”

I know cops. They are all of them — the ones I know — 9 out of 10 of them, good guys. Few professions attract more people who would risk their lives on a daily basis to keep citizens safe from really bad guys who couldn’t care less what harm they do to other people.

Still, the law enforcement profession also attracts, in a higher ratio than most professions, people who have a proclivity for machismo — a buck-the-system attitude. There’s a fine difference between fighting the bad guys, and stepping over the line into the realm of abuse of power. Policing is a tough job. Of course, being confident and physical is an important aspect of doing the job successfully — and of not getting hurt in the process. But acting out beyond the limits of professionalism is something that needs to be monitored and reined in.

I have speculated before about command control concerns when, in particular, the accused who numbered among the so-called Danziger 7 were cheered by their peers as they were indicted in December by District Attorney Eddie Jordan, and had to walk the line to answer the charges. There’s no question about it, that the accused officers are now innocent, until otherwise proven guilty. There’s also no getting away from the fact that it was a tragic incident, which occurred under the duress of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, no matter what the outcome may now be for the officers. Those officers and their families absolutely deserve our respect for their service to the city, and they and their families should be supported through this ordeal — but quietly.

The victims’ families should also be supported. Let’s not forget that whatever guilt or innocence may be found, people lost their lives, and others are suffering for those losses.

The NOPD command should have anticipated a public demonstration of support for the accused officers by their peers, and issued orders to prevent any public display. Meanwhile, an official display of support could have been accomplished, for example, by offering a press conference issuing a statement of support for the officers’ families while the justice system wends its way through the process. Unfortunately, that cheering episode has caused a further erosion of trust in the NOPD at a time when witnesses are afraid to step forward with information that might aid in prosecutions — when public confidence in the integrity and efficacy of the criminal justice system is impairing the ability to prosecute the bad guys.

Criminal justice reform isn’t just window dressing. It requires a change of culture within and without the system. For the vast majority of NOPD officers who exercise good judgment and professionalism at all times, the few bad apples are a disgrace.

It takes years to rehabilitate the image of a police force. The NOPD did it in the latter 1990s after a lot of hard work to overcome the justified reputation of corruption which preceded its reform. The current command needs to be vigilant of any slippage in the department’s image and reputation in the community.

Katy Reckdahl, Times-Picayune, 6/09/07:

It was four years ago, but Earl Truvia still remembers breezing through the first part of the job application. Then came the section labeled “work history.”

He was sunk. The last job he’d held was a summer school job in 1975. Then, for 27 years as a convicted murderer, he had earned four cents an hour cutting grass with a machete, digging ditches and picking potatoes at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Truvia was released in 2003 after Orleans Parish District Attorney Eddie Jordan dismissed the charges against him on grounds that prosecutorial misconduct had figured into his original trial for murder. In the eyes of the law, Truvia had never been convicted. But that proved to be beside the point when it came to landing work.

He carried news clippings to job interviews. He tried to explain that he was “a formerly incarcerated person without a conviction.” But all employers heard, he said, was the first part: “formerly incarcerated person.”

While society can’t force a human being to have a change of heart, we at least have to be willing to help those who have paid a price for their crimes, and who want to make a productive contribution to society. It’s the right thing to do.

Something as simple as getting a license to work as a barber in the state of Louisiana is forbidden to former offenders. We can’t expect people who’ve paid a penalty for their crimes to keep paying that penalty for the rest of their lives — it isn’t fair to them, and it simply perpetuates the cycle of criminal behavior.

But for those who are looking for a selfish reason to help former prisoners, the alternative is costly to society. The majority of crime is caused by repeat offenders, many of whom aren’t given alternatives to the lives they once led.

Whatever the problems are with reforming and returning prisoners to society, we have to identify and solve them. One-half of all criminals re-offend within six months of being released from prison; two-thirds re-offend within three years.

More from the Katy Reckdahl story

Email Blast

NOPD 2^nd District

The Oak Street Merchants Association and COPS II have partnered to host a benefit for the officers of the 2^nd District. The event is being dubbed the “Oak Street BBQ Block Party.” This event will directly benefit the officers of the 2^nd District, by way of the COPS II organization. In the past, COPS II has purchased many important items for the men and women of the district. Those items include scooters, air conditioning units for the station, food for Mardi Gras, etc.

The information on the event is attached via a flyer (PDF format). We welcome everyone to come to the event and enjoy the music, food and fun. If you would like to assist in supporting the event by means of sponsorship or purchasing raffle tickets, you can contact Officer Dennis Gibliant at 228-1113.

Captain Kirk Bouyelas

Second District Commander

New Orleans Police Department

Email Blast

NOPD 2^nd District

On June 5^th at or about 11:40 pm, a 21 year old female was walking in the area of Nashville and Pitt Street , after leaving a local bar. She was walking with two female friends. At that time, a black male approached the group and mumbled something. The victim’s two friends continued walking, but the victim hesitated. The suspect then told the victim to give him her purse. When she tried to walk away, the suspect grabbed her purse and fled on foot. The suspect is described as a black male, approx. 25 years old, 6’0”, 170 lbs., dark complexion, unshaven, wearing a baggy white t-shirt and blue jeans.

If you have any information on this case, please contact Sgt. Chris Cambiotti or Det. Jimmie Turner at 658-6022 or 658-6020. You may also call Crimestoppers anonymously at 822-1111.

Remember to report any suspicious persons or activities you see in your neighborhood by calling 821-2222. In an emergency, call 911 immediately.

Captain Kirk Bouyelas

Second District Commander

New Orleans Police Department

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A violent crime spike in four cities led the Justice Department on Friday to dispatch additional teams of federal agents to combat guns, gangs or surging murder rates in Mesa, Ariz.; Orlando, Fla.; San Bernardino, Calif., and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The four-city push comes as the FBI is expected to report a 1.3 percent rise in violent crime nationwide in 2006 — an increase for the second straight year.

[more]

Sent to Capt. Bouyelas from a 2nd District resident:

On Monday, May 21, 2007, my mother’s house was broken into through the front door at approx. 11:00 am to 11:30am in the 1000 block of Octavia St. One witness saw a man in front of her house putting things into a new white van, not knowing he was robbing her. He describes the male as white, tanned, upper 40’s to 50’s, approx. 5′8″, 180 lbs., (”chunky”), wearing dark shorts, white shirt, and a white baseball cap with a blue band. Another neighbor saw a white male sitting in a “shiny, white work van” (Ford of Chevy) parked around the corner of my mother’s house at approx. 11:00am. She described him as early to mid 50’s, gray hair, worn in a poneytail (”hippiesh”). Please be on the alert.