(The Center Square) − Gov. Jeff Landry on Monday praised President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to crime-plagued cities, including New Orleans, saying Louisiana is prepared to welcome federal resources to combat violent crime.
“Let’s talk about times under which the National Guard did things like that,” Landry said, recalling the city’s response to the New Year’s Day mass casualty on Bourbon Street. “I said, how many soldiers can you give me? We had to secure the largest crime scene the city of New Orleans ever had. And what the National Guard does is it gives you a force multiply – people who are highly trained and highly disciplined.
“Our cities already war zones. Too many people already die. We leaned in on that way before, in anticipation, in hoping that President Trump would be and did get elected. Why? Because he supports law enforcement.”
The governor said the state is ready to partner with federal authorities across Louisiana, pointing to recent “violent crime crackdown” operations in Baton Rouge and plans to extend similar efforts to Alexandria and Shreveport.
“We’re going to do whatever we need to to stem the violence and to get our cities and our streets under control,” Landry said. “Why? Because you can’t have economic opportunity in the face of violence.”
He added that making neighborhoods safe is essential to attracting corporate investment.
“I can tell you what Mark Zuckerberg and corporate America is not interested in going to places that are dangerous,” Landry said. “When I want them to look at Louisiana, I want them to see safety.”
Landry also highlighted what he called the link between homelessness and crime.
“The homeless population is something else we’ve got to deal with that only allows criminal elements to hide inside of that same homeless population,” he said, adding that federal assistance could help move people off the streets and reduce lawlessness.
The governor said public opinion is on his side.
“I don’t get pushback from citizens who want safety,” he said. “I get pushback from people who live in houses that have alarms and big fences and probably safe neighborhoods. I don’t get pushback from people who live in dangerous neighborhoods.”
