Citizen Crime Watch Blog

January ‘08 2nd District NONPACC report (Excel spreadsheet)

2nd District map (pdf)

The 2nd District map may also be used to locate the next walking beat on Sunday, February 24th as indicated by Major Bouyelas’ email blast:

Email Blast
NOPD 2nd District

As per discussion at the recent NONPACC meeting, we will begin sending out email notices on when/where officers will be on walking beats in the 2nd District.

On February 24th officers will be on walking beats in “Zone E”, between the hours of 7:00am – 7:00pm. We would encourage you to stop the officers and introduce yourself. Let them know about your neighborhood and any concerns you may have.

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Email Blast
NOPD 2nd District

As per discussion at the recent NONPACC meeting, we will begin sending out email notices on when/where officers will be on walking beats in the 2nd District.

On February 25th officers will be on walking beats in “Zone F”, between the hours of 7:00am – 7:00pm. We would encourage you to stop the officers and introduce yourself. Let them know about your neighborhood and any concerns you may have.

Major Kirk Bouyelas
Second District Commander
New Orleans Police Department

The New Orleans Police Departments’ neglect to report crime information in a useful manner to citizens was the reason why Citizen Crime Watch was created.

Now, a year later, The Times-Picayune has finally grasped the rationale, and gotten behind the notion that citizens ought to be informed, so that they can be engaged as extra eyes and ears on the street.

The NOPD can’t be all things at all times in all places. That’s why citizens need to be employed as an auxillary division of the police department.

Moreover, informed citizens are more likely to be aware of their surroundings and suspicious activity, and therefore, are less likely to become victims themselves.

Unless there’s a good cause to withhold information because doing so might jeopardize the capture of a suspect, or the safety of a witness or victim, the first responsibility of a law enforcement agency in protecting citizens ought to be timely reporting of crime activity so that citizens can protect themselves.

EDITORIAL: Armed with information
Monday, January 14, 2008

A year ago, frustrated New Orleans residents asked the New Orleans Police Department to improve the way that it provides information about crime. The City Council made the same request.

But the department still hasn’t done so.

Only the 8th District seems to release up-to-date information, and then only to selected entities. Meanwhile, there’s been no change in how the department as a whole provides public access to incident reports.

That lack of responsiveness is hard to understand, and it needs to change. Beyond the fact that the reports are public record, there’s much to be gained by increased openness. The Police Department needs the eyes and ears of the public, and residents who are aware of what’s going on in their neighborhoods are likely to be more alert to suspicious activity — and to report it.

Police officials frequently bemoan people’s unwillingness to come forward when they witness a crime, and that has been a persistent problem in New Orleans. But the Police Department could increase the number of witnesses to some crimes simply by making the public better informed. If people know what they are looking for, they are far more apt to spot it.

The department also would strengthen the bonds of trust between officers and the public by being more forthcoming, and that should be a goal of Superintendent Warren Riley. By contrast, making information hard to get can only erode public confidence.

People want to know what’s happening in their neighborhoods for obvious reasons: so they can take sensible precautions with their property and their families. If there’s a rash of burglaries, for example, people will make sure their doors and window are locked and that they keep lights on — and they’ll keep a closer eye on the homes of absent neighbors.

That’s even more critical for violent crime. What are people to think when the Police Department doesn’t cooperate with them in something so basic and so important?

Providing people with information is a far smarter strategy than leaving them to rely on rumors, which are often wrong and might even make crime seem worse than it really is.

Other law enforcement agencies in metro area provide prompt access to reports about criminal incidents, and the New Orleans Police Department should follow their example.

New Orleanians have demonstrated how passionate they are about making the city safe. Several thousand residents marched on City Hall a year ago to express their displeasure with the criminal justice system and the growing threat of violence in the city.

Moreover, since Hurricane Katrina a renewed spirit of civic activism has been evident. Neighborhood watch groups are on the increase, and residents are volunteering their time as court monitors.

The police should tap into that energy and treat the public as potential allies. That means arming them with information, not keeping them in the dark.

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.

A recent listserv email underscored the importance of police professionals working hand-in-hand with academics and the community:

There is no military/police v academia, or them v us; only a point about prevention and the importance of inclusion. One thing we must always remember, regardless of statistical information or anything developed by any group, the ultimate customer are community members. I must admit, having worked as a military policeman for over 21 years including stints in community policing as a peace officer (supervising 150 uniformed police officers, domestic violence unit, w/19 police officers patrolling an area covering 1 million acres, etc), I feel confident enough to discuss issues around prevention, at least from a practical perspective involving police services.

One thing learned long ago, was to be successful in police services was to develop an attitude that recognized the need to include the community members as equal partners. This is critical because regardless of statistics, if the citizenry doesn’t understand it and it does not appeal to them; then it is all to no avail. I recognize and support the need for academia, however not at the expense that it becomes we v they. I have worked with COMPSTAT that focused on prevention and saw how it was able to garner legislative support and redirection of funds to address problems that were causative factors for delinquent and criminal behavior. Further, as it was used, it helped to persuade residents to support the outcomes the agency presented, but more importantly, residents joined in the endeavor voluntarily to address juvenile crime. Interestingly, academicians were key players and admittedly they also used qualitative data as well as quantitative data in their research in support of the initiative, and by the way were also a part of the team approach. So, whereas, I am not a consummate criminal justice practitioner, actually more involved as a forensic social worker, I submit that when using COMPSTAT or any analysis for increasing support for police services; it is best served when we take an inclusive than an exclusive approach.

Dale R. Landry, MSW

CEO, Village Architects Incorporated
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