(The Center Square) — Major crime in New Orleans is down by double digits this year even as the city prepares for Gov. Jeff Landry to possibly send National Guard troops to support local police.
A City Council crime dashboard updated through Nov. 2 shows 10,883 major crime incidents so far this year, a 17.6% drop from the same point in 2024. Compared with two and three years ago, incidents are down 41.1% and 36.8%, respectively. Murders stand at 93, 7.0% below last year’s pace (100) and far below 2023 (170) and 2022 (226).
There have been significant declines in auto theft (1,956, -31.5%), vehicle burglary (1,590, -18.4%), burglary (1,024, -18.1%), armed robbery (136, -23.2%), carjacking (51, -23.9%) and firearm homicides (66, -26.7%). Notable increases include stabbings (150, +8.7%), rape/sexual assault (645, +3.7%) and non-firearm homicides (13, +30%). A long-term chart on the dashboard shows a steep decline in rolling incident totals through 2025.
Beyond incidents, enforcement indicators are softer this year. NOPD has made 220 arrests for illegal possession of a firearm, down 41% from 372 over the same period in 2024. Gun seizures in criminal investigations totaled 1,530 as of Oct. 27 — an 18% decrease from 1,857 last year.
Separately, New Orleans recorded 4,734 felony arrests in 2024, a figure confirmed by the New Orleans Metropolitan Crime Commission.
Amid staffing shortages across Louisiana police agencies, Landry has asked the federal government to authorize up to 1,000 Louisiana National Guard personnel through the end of the 2026 fiscal year to supplement local law enforcement, according to a letter dated Sept. 29. Anne Kirkpatrick, New Orleans police superintendent, previously said she expects troops to begin deploying statewide in November, though specific dates and locations weren’t disclosed. It’s unclear how many would head to New Orleans.
Crime in Shreveport, another Louisiana city expecting National Guard troops, has also seen a steady decline. Shreveport police said there has been a 29% decline in the city’s homicide rate as of Sept. 23.
“Stationing military troops in our city is something we must handle with care, to make sure that it does not infringe on the rights we hold dear as Americans or jeopardize the trust we are trying to create between our police officers and the community,” Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said in a statement.
Kirkpatrick made similar remarks, saying she does not want “a takeover attitude.”
“I respect the arguments of each side, but I’m about safety and I will do anything to keep the people safe in this city,” Kirkpatrick told WWL.
