For the last several years, citizens of New Orleans have heard Mayor Ray Nagin tout the benefits of crime cameras. Unfortunately, after millions of dollars in taxpayer waste and contracts with numerous incompetent vendors, the cameras are still not operating correctly.
The city council is rightly questioning whether these cameras should continue to be funded in the budget. If they cannot be fixed, what use are they? Just the other day a 22-year old New Orleans man, Kendrick Thomas, was killed near the corner of St. Roch Avenue and North Villere Street.
The intersection is in a high crime area, so the NOPD installed a crime camera. Unfortunately, it was not working at the time the crime was committed. If these cameras don't work, what use are they? Throughout New Orleans, broken crime cameras are not helping police solve crimes and are of no help in bringing down this high crime rate.
Broken crime cameras are of no use to the citizens or law enforcement officials. In fact, criminals know that the cameras are not operating correctly, so they are no deterrent to crime.
Crime cameras are a good idea, but only if they are placed in the right spots and are working. One spot that a crime camera should be installed is in the property and evidence room of the New Orleans Police Department. Attorney Rick Tessier reported that his client is missing $19,000 in cash from the property and evidence room.
Not only is cash missing, but other key evidence is being mishandled. According to an investigative report by Travers Mackel of WDSU-TV Channel 6, some pieces of key criminal evidence like weapons have completely rusted, bags of drugs are strewn in the corners of a room and delicate DNA samples are being stored in a common refrigerator. These charges are outlined in a report by a California based company, Evidence Control, which investigated how the NOPD is handling key evidence.
Clearly there is a problem in the NOPD, but Police Chief Warren Riley maintains that it understandable since much evidence was damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Yet, it has been over three years since the hurricane and the Katrina excuses can no longer work. It is time for an investigation by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.
This problem is critical because without properly maintained evidence, it is next to impossible for the District Attorney to prosecute cases. It will lead to the release of more hardened criminals back on to the streets of New Orleans. This problem needs to be corrected immediately as battling the high crime rate is still the worst epidemic facing the City of New Orleans.
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Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, "Ringside Politics," which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m.weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com
Jeff, are you insinuating that evidence can disappear? How can that be? That is almost the same as saying that evidence can be fabricated, or planted, and if that can happen, well then, I suppose crimes can be fabricated because evidence was 'created' and then someone does time or without for a crime that wasn't ever committed because 'authorities' decided that was expedient in order to further the cause of a hidden agenda????? Well then, perhaps we can start to understand multi million dollar boners like these bogus 'crime cameras', or even contracts being awarded for crappy flood protection, which after it fails, the same folks get to do it again, only with more money this time around.................... Written by
on 11/20/2008
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Observation, dear, you are so observant. Now insofar as those crime cameras, police records, evidence rooms, etc. are concerned, let's not simply blame this on Katrina. Let's simply look to the facts that the criminal justice system from the police department on has been in a state of decay for years, if not decades. Let's face reality, dears. We are almost back to the raw and wild days when this city was founded. I guess that means that like my ancestors, I will have to open a bar and bawdy house. Looks like we have to start all over again. Damnation and we just became respectable. Written by RhettsWife
on 11/20/2008
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Need to get rid of the cameras. Anyone can call them 'crime' cameras but the simple fact is they are an invasion of privacy, pure and simple. Written by Jim
on 11/19/2008
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The cameras are so GROSSLY OBVIOUS that all one would do is go around the corner to commit a crime or put a scarf on and blast it to bits with a bullet.
NOT ONE CRIMINAL HAS BEEN CAUGHT WITH THESE STUPID THINGS THAT MAKE THE CITY LOOK LIKE A CRAP PILE.
Even cameras like in Whole Food, don't do crap because they are TOO HIGH AND DON'T HAVE DEFINITION.
TO CATCH A CROOK CAMERAS NEED TO BE LOWER AND COVERT, LIKE IN A HIGH END JEWELRY STORE. Written by CamerasWaste of Money
on 11/19/2008
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Jeff, you're looking more and more like Stephen every day.... Written by just an observation
on 11/19/2008
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For the last several years, citizens of 
