Citizen Crime Watch Blog

Plan swaps sounds of gunfire for jazz
Youth asked to trade violence for creativity
The Times-Picayune
Saturday, August 16, 2008
By Bruce Nolan

A group of churches and nonprofits Friday announced a novel plan to steer young people away from violence and into the teaching hands of some of the city’s best jazz musicians and artists. The price of entry: a gun.

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NO mayor, police to discuss summer camp program
by The Times-Picayune
Thursday June 26, 2008, 9:00 AM

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Police Superintendent Warren Riley will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. today to discuss the “Cops for Kids” summer program, a character development effort serving more than 400 children.

The event will take place at the New Orleans Recreation Department’s St. Bernard Center. Now in its 12th year, the summer program offers athletics, academics and socialization training, with participation from police officers, psychologists and other mentors. The camp began earlier this month and ends July 25.

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March honors fallen officer
by Molly Reid, The Times-Picayune
Saturday June 21, 2008, 10:45 AM

More than 70 marchers are making their way from City Hall to a Central City elementary school to protest street violence and honor fallen New Orleans police officer Nicola Cotton, who was killed January in the line of duty.

After a brief prayer, the marchers set off from City Hall down Loyola Avenue, with several children holding a banner proclaiming “Youth Against Violence.”

When they reach their destination — Mahalia Jackson Elementary on Jackson Avenue — the group will dedicate a playground erected by the nonprofit builder KaBOOM! in Cotton’s memory.

“We want children to learn other ways to solve conflict,” said Travis Lyons, founder of Central City Youth Against Violence, which organized the march.

Cotton, who was 24 when she died, “was one of the people who mentored the kids on the street,” Lyons said. “If she saw them out, she ran them off, got them off the corners. And she was young. She was just a kid herself.”

Saturday’s event marked the Central City organization’s ninth annual non-violence march. In addition to members from several community groups, including the Central City Partnership and the Central City Comeback Committee, City Council members Stacy Head and James Carter participated in the march.

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New advertising campaign targets sex offenders
by Allen Powell, The Times Picayune
Friday May 02, 2008, 9:30 AM

Local police agencies and a watchdog group have teamed up to launch an advertising campaign seeking the public’s help in locating sex offenders who have failed to keep up with the requirements of Louisiana law.

The New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Kenner Police and Crimestoppers today announced the new campaign, meant to publicize the names, pictures and charges for nearly 60 sex offenders who have failed to meet the registration requirements set by law.

An ad detailing that information will run in the Times-Picayune on Monday, the group said.

The agencies estimate that about 231 sex offenders in the three jurisdictions currently are not in compliant. Often, these individuals do not notify law enforcement agencies about their current addresses or give addresses that turn out to be incorrect.

Darlene Cusanza, the executive director of Crimestoppers, said the organization is using the ad as a pilot program based on similar programs in other cities. She said that the agency is offering residents a $500 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.

“This is an important project for us and we hope that the citizens will take this seriously,” Cusanza said.

Inmate grateful for chance to learn
The Times-Picayune
Friday, January 18, 2008
By Laura Maggi

When Michelle Lopez “rolled out” of jail in April, she was just two days shy of taking the GED exam at the alternative school set up in the South White Street facility that houses female inmates awaiting trial at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.

After she was arrested again in December on a prostitution charge, Lopez, 33, thought that at least she would have a second chance to take the test. A crack addict constantly drawn back to the streets, Lopez said she is ready to change her life when she next finds herself on the outside. She said she wants to get help to quit drugs and wants to use a GED to get a job.

“I love to get high. That is one of my biggest problems,” said Lopez, who added that she is working with a social worker to find someplace to go when she gets out of jail this time. …

Lopez is one of 280 students in New Orleans jails studying for the GED or attending basic literacy classes to prepare for the high school equivalency exam, said William Delaney, principal of the Alternative Learning Center, at a Wednesday open house for the program.

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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.

Treatment Falling Short
By Allen Johnson, Jr.
Gambit Weekly
1/15/08

Violent crimes get the headlines but they constitute a minority of cases at Criminal District Court. More than half the courts’ dockets are filled with drug cases. Last week, experts at two nonprofit drug-treatment centers said there were 226 treatment beds available for the city’s drug addicts, a population estimated at more than 10,000. Another 104 additional beds will be available within four months, says Kevin Gardere of Bridge House, but New Orleans will still be far short of the drug rehabilitation services it needs. “If you really wanted to have a big impact, you need 1,000 treatment services for about 10,000 people” for a “full continuum of case, ” says Ed Carlson, a spokesperson for Odyssey House. Greg Rusovich, chair of the New Orleans Crime Coalition, says the group is seeking federal funding for more drug rehab services.

Silence is Violence and the Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund are hosting a benefit at Tipitina’s tonight with the Hot 8 Brass Band, Soul Rebels Brass Band, Rebirth Brass Band, Shamarr Allen, and the Rabouin Marching Band.

Tickets cost $15 and will benefit the Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund.

Friday, 1/11/08, 9 p.m., Howlin’ Wolf

Location information is critical:

· Observe where you are and the exact location of the crime. Try to remember if you have ever seen the suspect in the area before.
· Note the time as precisely as possible.
· Observe if the suspect is carrying a weapon and, if so, what type-revolver, handgun, shotgun, knife, etc.
· If the suspect leaves the scene, note the direction of flight.
· If the suspect is in a vehicle , note as much of the following information as possible: vehicle type (auto, truck, van, etc.); color; make and model; condition (dirty, damaged, etc.); and license plate numbers. Note also if the vehicle has no license plates or a “license applied for” sticker in the rear windshield.
· Watch for decoys or accomplices.

A variety of general description information about the suspect should be noted:

· Sex
· Race or national origin
· Age (estimated)
· Height: use comparisons with your own height, a door, or some other standard measure
· Weight (estimated)
· Build: fat, husky, slim, muscular, etc.

Facial information is also important:

· Hair: note the color, texture, hairline, style; also possible dyes or wigs
· Forehead: note forehead height, and whether the skin is smooth, creased or wrinkled
· Eyes: note the color, shape (round, slanted), whether clear or bloodshot, and the heaviness of eyelashes and eyebrows
· Nose: overall shape (long, wide, flat, etc.) and nostrils (wide, narrow, flared) are important
· Cheeks: is the flesh sunken, filled out, dried or oily? are there wrinkles around nose or mouth? are cheek bones high or low, wide or narrow?
· Ears: note size and prominence (protruding or flat against head)
· Mouth: are lips thin, medium, full? do corners turn up, turn down, or level?
· Chin: what is the shape (round, oval, pointed, square)? double chin, dimpled, cleft?
· Neck: note protruding Adam’s apple or hanging jowls
· Complexion: note pores, pockmarks, acne, razor rash, bumps
· Facial hair: clean shaven? unshaven? beard, mustache, goatee, sideburns?
· Tattoos: shape and style; on what part of the body

Clothing information is also very important:

· Hat: note color, style, ornaments, how it is worn (bill forward, backward, to one side)
· Coat: note color and style (suit coat, jacket, topcoat, overcoat)
· Shirt/blouse/dress: note color, design, sleeves, collar
· Trousers/slacks/skirt: note color, style, cuffs
· Socks: note color, pattern, length
· Shoes: note color, style, brand name for sneakers (if possible), condition
· Accessories: sweater, scarf, gloves, necktie
· Jewelry: rings, watches, bracelets, necklaces
· General appearance: neat or sloppy? clean or dirty?
· Oddities: look for clothing too large or too small; odd colors; patchwork

Other physical features or peculiarities:

· Voice: pitch, tone, rasp, lisp
· Speech: articulate, uneducated, accent, use of slang
· Gait: slow, fast, limp

You will never be able to remember all of these details about any one suspect you may see. But remembering as many as possible can be particularly helpful to the police and to your community.

Thom Kahler, NOcrimeline