We don’t keep tabs, but I reckon most of our readers live in relatively safe neighborhoods. If true, some of the best armed Americans live in places where their odds of a violent attack are relatively low. By the same token . . .
People who live in high crime ‘hoods, people who need a gun for self-protection, often don’t have them, whether due to culture, economic circumstances, gun control (e.g., New Jersey) or some combination thereof.
Here’s a report on a typical Friday night in New Orleans [via theadvocate.com] that highlights this problem:
• Two men said they were walking in Mid-City just after noon on Friday when they were forced to the ground and robbed at gunpoint. The men, 51 and 48, said they were in the 3300 block of Palmyra Street when the incident occurred. The armed man fled in an unknown direction, NOPD said.
• A 35-year-old woman said an argument with an ex-boyfriend in New Orleans East ended with him beating and robbing her. The incident occurred in the 7500 block of Sandy Cove Drive about 3:15 p.m.. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Travis Smith, 39, who allegedly entered the home after the argument and striking the woman before stealing her cell phone, NOPD said.
• A 36-year-old man said he was inside a renovated property in xxxx about 4:30 p.m. when an unknown man approached and robbed him. The incident occurred in the 2500 block of N. Rampart Street. The victim said the armed man ordered him to the ground, went through his pockets and fled with cash.
• A 36-year-old man said he had arrived at his residence in Marigny about 4:44 p.m. when he was approached from behind and robbed. The incident occurred in the 1600 block of St. Roch Avenue, according to the NOPD. The victim said the armed man ordered him to the ground, then fled in an unknown direction with the victim’s wallet.
• One man entered an O’Reilly Auto Parts in New Orleans East armed with a shotgun and made off with cash, NOPD said. The store is located in the 9600 block of Chef Menteur Highway. Two employees said they complied with the man’s request, who then fled. The incident occurred about 7:49 p.m. on Friday.
• A 33-year-old woman said she was walking her dog in the 7th Ward when a man arrived on a bike and threw her to the ground before stealing her purse. The incident occurred about 7:44 p.m. in the 2100 block of Frenchmen Street. The woman said the man had asked her for a lighter, but when she reached into her purse for one he threw her to the ground. The woman said the man fled down Frenchmen Street in the direction of N. Miro Street.
• A 45-year-old man said he was walking in the Central Business District when he was robbed at gunpoint. The incident occurred about 1:41 a.m. in the 100 block of Burgundy Street. The man said a black Nissan Altima pulled out, and two women exited. He said as he started to back up, two men approached — one armed — and demanded his possessions. He complied, and the people then fled in an unknown direction, according to NOPD.
Another issue worth raising: people in high-crime neighborhoods are more likely to have a run-in with the law than people in low-crime neighborhoods. Those convicted of non-violent felonies lose their gun rights forever. That ain’t right, right?
Sounds like the New Orleans I know. A lot of blatant crime in broad daylight and a little of I-don’t-give-a-shit law enforcement presence. And that’s the French Quarter. The outlying areas are much worse, only subtly improved by an exodus of post-Katrina evacuees heading to Houston. New Orleans is definitely one of the “Stupid Places”.
I want videos about:”gut shot(multiple times) dead body of known robbers being found every places these days, 100’s of times ever day”
I am pretty sure that Louisiana is shall issue, but for some reason few people (who are legally allowed to) do so.
Well, for starters – they’re broke… Bad neighborhoods aren’t known for their affluence.
New Orleans is high crime down to its DNA. Even Katrina couldn’t fix it. I used to go there all the time on business. I never see crap happening anywhere, but go to New Orleans and you can be on the news. A friends son had to drop out of college for over a year due to a beating he took in a parking garage – for no good reason. Iyyeah presume being white is not a good reason.
As a former slave holding city, there are no “safe neighborhoods” in New Orleans. The reason is because all the rich white folk lived in their big houses on all the main streets, and the “help” lived in shacks out behind them. Consequently, you have these large blocks fronted with nice houses, but go back a block and you have a bunch of low and middle class housing. Except for the Ninth Ward, which is all bad.
New Orleans is one of the cities and PDs featured on the TV show “The First 48.” The show portrays the Big Easy as a dangerous places with not only a lot of crime but a lot of people being killed weekly. I have been to NO three times in my lifetime and two of those was when I was a young college student. I have no desire to ever go back!
i took the train down a week before carnival. 18hrs from union station. sleeper cab, bring what you want.
the seafood was great and there are lots of friendly pretty girls around.
a fairly singular american city experience. not for everyone.
drive up liquor windows as in, “would you like that opened?” directed at the driver of the vehicle.
open container is legal virtually everywhere.
pretty decent carry laws.
Pre-Katrina honeymoon (1st. husband) Had cameras every where! Great food, good drink. At that time it would be fine. But we didn’t get drunk and back to hotel before Midnight.
Only complaint is in summer smells like a dead cat. The people were very nice. Did a contact job there across the lake in Covington. Told one of girls who had grown up there, she just laughed and said “you’re right”
Only thing, got used to eating what was in the bag at fast food restaurants, I could not understand them and they could not understand me!
Would I go there again. Nope, a lot of police never came back to work there!
This post should have been titled “7 more reasons to avoid New Orleans”.
It was a hole before Katrina….now it’s condensed into a finer vintage of cesspool.
It is not “gun-friendly”, because the gun statutes are enforced by cops who believe they are “THE LAW”.
Avoid it if you can. You will thank yourself one day.
PS-I thought we cleared-up the “should have been a defensive gun use” thing. There are NO crime-free zones in New Orleans. This sounds more like victim/resident blaming for the cretins who prey on others.
New Orleans is worth visiting solely for the National WWII Museum. One of the most complete and moving experiences chronicling the war from a macro level down to the everyday lives of the US soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines from that greatest of generations.
Other than that, it’s pretty lawless and backwards.
There are many great historical places to visit there. But don’t forget the food. It is the one thing I miss the most.
Yup. Had to go find a drink after seeing it.
“Other than that, it’s pretty lawless and backwards.”
i noticed that to. sort of a you’re responsible for yourself vibe. i’m pretty sure there’s a word for it.
not anarchy.
freedom?
I haven’t been to the Big Sleazy since just after K-Paul opened. The food there was utterly transcendent. Bourbon St. was a great dive. I had a fantastic time on the company dime, since I was in NOLA on business. I never felt endangered, but then again, I wouldn’t, would I?
Maybe I’ll go back some day. But maybe I won’t. There are a lot of other things on my bucket list.
I worked at commander’s Palace when Paul Prudhomme was the executive chef. Not only was he a great chef, he was a real gentleman. It is sad that he has passed on.
Commander’s Palace and K-Paul’s were and remain two of the greatest restaurants in NOLA, the South, the US and the world. I love them both.
I’m originally from St. Louis City which has a reputation for violence and crime, but NO was the only place my Pop ever told me to be careful in.
New Orleans is worth seeing in the day, once the sun hits the deck , get out.
I actually live in a bad neighborhood. But yeah a lot of us folk in the hood have to deal with over zealous officers who enforce their version of the law. Making up all sorts of ridiculous weapon laws on the fly and confiscating weapons as they go. Typically it has to be settled in court and a working poor person has to lose wages to do so.
I cannot count how many times someone out here in Houston has told me their pocket knife was taken by an officer because it was longer than half the officer’s palm. I tell them the law states 5.5 inches blade length and they look at me crazy.