Every time I am in New Orleans, residents tell me how concerned they are about crime in the city we love. People are scared to take a walk in their neighborhood, spend five minutes pumping gas into their tank or enjoy a night out in the French Quarter.
Criminals feel as if they can commit violent crimes in broad daylight without consequence.
It’s past time for action.
For over a year, the New Orleans Police Department has been barred from using certain surveillance technology and predictive policing tactics to catch criminals. I support Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s request of the New Orleans City Council to consider an ordinance to roll back these restrictions. I am sure the council will agree, given the urgency of the problem.
To stop the crime and violence terrorizing our city, law enforcement needs every tool at its disposal. Current facial recognition technology is not perfect. Knowing this, it should be used with an understanding of its shortcomings. However, eliminating this resource and others entirely from our police’s toolbelt does more harm than good. The New Orleans Police Department is understaffed, having lost 150 officers in 2021.
It’s clear the NOPD needs the support, resources, and ability to fully do its job. We all demand better. The men and women of the NOPD serve New Orleans, keep us safe, and fight crime.
My office is ready to support our community, the NOPD, city officials, and the mayor in getting criminals off of our streets. At the federal level, I’ll soon be introducing a package of bills aimed at deterring crime and strengthening law enforcement.
A first step should be giving our law enforcement all the tools to fight crime.
BILL CASSIDY
U.S. senator
Baton Rouge