Earlier this morning, I wrote about the New Orleans Saints — a story of success and hope in the larger tale of a struggling city.
For forty years, the Saints have been part of the rich gumbo of New Orleans’ soul — one of many crucial elements that, when mixed together, created an utterly unique culture. They’re neither the only ingredient nor the oldest, but they’re the team we loved in spite of its flaws — just like the city itself.
I wrote that post for three reasons: 1) I’m a die-hard Saints fan, 2) I’m a former New Orleanian with a broken heart, and 3) to provide something upbeat to balance this:
Crime, that old menace of the old New Orleans, is back, and it’s bedeviling a city trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina. There have been 147 people killed in New Orleans this year, police say, down from 204 by this time in 2005. But the city’s population is about half what it was before Katrina flooded 80% of the city, forcing an almost-complete evacuation.
That means New Orleanians are murdering each other at a rate of 73.5 murders per 100,000 residents. That figure is above that of the nation’s most murderous city — Compton, Calif., whose rate was 67 murders per 100,000 people in 2005, according to the latest FBI statistics.
Because many traditionally violent areas flooded and remain nearly empty, crime has moved to upscale, high-traffic areas such as the Marigny, the French Quarter and Uptown, leaving residents with one more reason to question their decision to remain in the city.
There’s an aspect of this new-found concern that makes me very angry, because as the article points out, violent crime is not new to New Orleans. It’s merely been swept under the rug for as long as I can remember.
In these difficult post-Katrina days, the rugs are up and blinders are off. Even Mayor Nagin, who has been confoundingly mute on this subject, finally seems to understand that all the hope, love, and money in the world won’t help the city with this long-standing problem:
But the real power behind the badge is the people of this city. Active, involved citizens are critical in this fight to stop the violence and make our neighborhoods safer. I urge our residents to reorganize strong neighborhood watch groups and people who are willing to stand up against crime and say enough is enough. As your mayor, I have drawn a line in the sand and ask the citizens to join with us in making this, a safer city.
There are few things dearer to Polimom’s heart than a vibrant, healthy New Orleans. However, levees and wetland restoration, a functional school system, and rebuilt neighborhoods will not replace communities that care about one another.
Some things have to come from within.