Monday, December 20, 2010

Open Letter to the City of New Orleans: Crime in the Streets - Part 1

To whom it may concern; I'm writing because I have seen no trace of these crimes reported in the news. There are articles about street repaving & the Saints, of course. Even a blurb with Superintendent Serpas telling us the best thing to do is get out on our porches. Considering this rash of brutal home invasions and violence, maybe it's not a great idea. I have also searched for news of these events on every New Orleans Crime Map I could find. There has been nothing listed on any of these, to date: http://spotcrime.com/la/new+orleans http://groups.google.com/group/NOPD5-EmailBlast http://www.nola.com/crime/orleans/ My concern is that others living in these communities will not have any warning whatsoever that this is going on. My calls to the 5th District were futile at best, as every question was answered with a question, as though I were trapped in an Abbott & Costello routine. Never did the answering officer tell me they couldn't comment on an ongoing investigation or make any professional comment, but asked me repeatedly, "Well, do you THINK its safe?" and things of that nature. I find this sort of one-up-manship and rudeness useless, juvenile & not at all the professional attitude required to police our city streets. The idea that NOPD officers would engage in such tactics when citizens within their district are being robbed, raped, kidnapped & tortured is beyond criminal. It's an offense to civilized humanity and largely unforgivable. If measures are not to be taken to 'protect & serve', then we are merely being occupied by an armed force whose mission is other than our protection. Why is it that as Mayor Landrieu & Superintendent Serpas push for a more transparent NOPD, this behavior & direct obstruction of that pact with the citizenry of New Orleans is so obviously in violation? Have we not the right to know that these threats are at our doorsteps? Is there an investigation even under way, or has it been withheld from the general information pool of the New Orleans Police Department altogether? Those of us who live in the Marigny/Bywater area attract thousands of visitors a year, with the Times-picayune calling it New Orleans New Bohemia. Prospect 1.5 brings dozens & dozens of out of state visitors daily. Are they to be subjected to this danger, only to return home with tales of rape & torture? Are they to become victims themselves, along with our locals? Is that really how our city should be depicted, and, in fact, is that how we are to live? I've included a partial list of these events below. Please check for yourself, as to whether these crimes have ever been investigated, and what their current status is. As for myself & my neighbors, we are becoming used to the failure of our local police force, and the future of our neighborhood in the City of New Orleans. That commentary alone, is saddening beyond measure. Sincerely; Lord David Writer & Artist Marigny, New Orleans All of the incidents listed below are believed to have been reported to the NOPD 5th District. Last week (Wed. the 8th?), St. Anthony & Villere Streets; a woman was kidnapped, blindfolded & driven around the city, told she would be killed. She was taken to several ATMs & made to withdraw money. She was eventually dumped, alive, from the car. Monday, 12/13; St Ferdinand & Villere Streets; A couple, new to town, leaving to go out to dinner. The man starts to return for some reason. Couple is kidnapped & taken prisoner in their own home. Woman is repeatedly raped & tortured while man made to watch. Couple forced to use credit cards, call friends to procure money. Cell phones were stolen & continued being used. Cell phones also contained active GPS devices. Neither phone numbers nor GPS were used by 5th District according to those close to victims. They are leaving town immediately. I have been assured this was reported to NOPD 5th District the night it occurred. Saturday, 12/18; St. Claude & Press St.; 16 year old girl abducted, kidnapped & raped. Later released. I have been assured this was reported to NOPD 5th District. Saturday, 12/18; Marigny & Villere Streets; 5 people at local residence, single robber enters through back unlocked door. Robs everyone in the house @ gun point. Leaves with money & cell phones, etc. I have been assured this was reported to NOPD 5th District the night it occurred. *PLEASE NOTE* It has also been brought to my attention that while the NOPD had stepped up patrols in the St. Roch area, directly adjacent to these crimes, a new local 'Citizens Group' crafted a small petition claiming the police were bothering them by patrolling. Some have refused to sign it, as it contained the signatures of many who are known as thugs &/or criminals in the neighborhood involved. This petition was offered up @ a citizens meeting with the 5th District, & much to the disappointment of the regular citizenry, the patrols were canceled immediately. Those opposing the petition were not allowed to see it by Commander Kelly, reports say.

17 comments:

protector said...

If we can get a report number to these crimes, we will map them. - SpotCrime

Lord David said...

That's just the point;
No report numbers are available.

No evidence of them being reported AT ALL exists, although I've been assured by several sources that they have been called in to the 5th District and reports have been made.

Why the hell this is being kept quiet is beyond me.

As for the New Transparency, there hasn't been an update on the 5th Districts Google email crime report SINCE AUGUST OF 2010.

The People said...

I wonder who the magical person is that needs to have such horrors visited upon them before there will be a serious attempt to fix these ills. I wish I had answers to these issues...

Lord David said...

No one deserves this.
No one.

The fact that it goes on, and not even a single official remark is made, the police who patrol this area are combative with inquirers, and none of us would have even known of the danger without our own network, only proves that the 5th District NOPD is part of the problem, & certainly not anything like a solution.

How do these officers forget that they work for us, we pay their salaries & their job is to Protect & Serve, not to bully, intimidate and keep secrets from us?

We are not cattle to be herded, nor collateral damage in some game.

WE ARE THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. DO YOUR JOBS, NOPD, OR LET US FIND THOSE WHO WILL.

Anonymous said...

Not sure if this is the same kidnapping and ATM grab...but it is eerily similar.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/12/new_orleans_overnight_crime_re_3.html

mardiclaw said...

I will say, while "patrolling" the st roch neighborhood, a shooting went down within a half block of the officer on patrol. while sitting in patrol car, glued to the internet, a kid murdered another kid. she heard nothing. we called it in, and another officer responded. she finally saw the lights, and got involved. I don't find myself any safer, knowing that she was DEAF and heard nothing... while parked less than half a block away.

Anonymous said...

My friend was robbed and kidnapped this past weekend from the same area. (Mandiville & Rampart) She is safe now at a friends house and is now seeking a new apartment. I hope the nopd and community immediately do something to better protect everyone living in that neighborhood.

Lord David said...

@Anonymous; Did she report this? I would really like to know if a report was filed & is being held, or if she just didn't report it.

If crimes go unreported, there's nothing anyone can do....

Anonymous said...

Yes I reported it. Mine happened on dec 18/2018. I was held at gunpoint at my front step in the marigny, forced into a vehicle where there was another guy waiting 11:50pm. Then kidnapped and driven around to metarie to an ATM, then they made me call my friends and lie and ask for more money and then they taunted me in which I kept changing the subject to money and finally they dumped me off after taking my phone and threatening me. - I have sketches of these men and know exactly what they look like! I reported it on 12/18/10 the night it happened and have been working w the police daily .

Lord David said...

@Anonymous Poster; Thanks for that. My concern here is that there has been no mention of any of these crimes in the press, the crime maps, the online reporting that the NOPD has made such a big deal about.

Had you heard reports of earlier crimes, perhaps you would have been more attentive, or the perps less bold.

Kidnapping & extortion are very serious crimes. I can't help but wonder why they are being kept from the public eye.

Unless maybe it happens to a famous local rapper. That seems to garner headlines for days on end, while We The People get robbed, raped, tortured & kidnapped without so much as a peep.

Anonymous said...

I used to live in the 8th ward and about 2 years ago saw a man die of gunshot on St. Roch. Nothing was ever reported about this crime as if nothing ever happened. I complained on Nola.com because it also took the 5th district police an hour to get there (3 blocks). The only response I got was from the 5th district station who said I was the type of person to complain about anything.

Lord David said...

Go to this site to get crime alerts sent to you by email or text message.

Sign up for areas of most interest.

Please repost.

www.NOLAReady.info

Anonymous said...

I'm not trying to be mean here but you're a White person living in the Marigny/ 9th Ward, What do you think you're living around? What type of environment do you expect when you live in a majority 3rd world population?

New Orleans will never be safe like St Tammany, the Demographics in Orleans Parish just simply don't support it, NOLA has been a very dangerous city since the late 60's and it will be 50 years from now.

Lord David said...

Wow. That's a downer.

Personally, I've been in the third world, & been the only white guy for miles.

Nobody tortured me or raped me.

I grew up in the inner cities of the east coast, also one of the few white people around.

Nobody kicked in my door & tortured my girl friend while I watched.

I've only been in New Orleans about 16 years. And yeah, it's been violent. I've been robbed at gun point more than a couple of times. It happens.

While playing the race card comes more easily here than the violence you seem to find normal, it is beyond all my experience & comprehension that the Government & Police force of the City of New Orleans would treat a part of this city exactly the way the Bush Administration treated New Orleans after The Federal Flood:

As though we were less than human.

Anonymous said...

The Justice System in NOLA really stinks, really bad. Most cities cops are rather loopy but New Orleans is worse than anywhere I've ever lived.
I know that there are cases of which crimes were reported and then, retaliation from the perps' family and/or thug buddies was done to the already victimized person(s).
I, myself, was a victim of a carjacking. Happened during rush hour, right downtown @ the corner of Gravier & St. Charles. Thank God it wasn't @ gunpoint. Still, it was very traumatic and my car was completely totaled. That is after the jacker hit a lady waiting for the streetcar on Canal, drove on the neutral ground and against traffic, and then hit a pole before the car decided ENOUGH. Oh yes! NOLA's "finest" were called. Reports were made. Hell, we were @ the station on Royal until after 10 pm! Did they really do anything about it? No
I am appalled about my experience. But, these are horrifying! How In The Hell Can These Just Happen and NOTHING be done!!!!?????!!!!! My heart and prayers go out to the folks who have been made victims by this.
What is the answer? Time to get VERY Proactive!!! I no longer live in the city that was always my dream to move to. New Orleans is a magical city...I miss her. But, it has become even more dangerous to reside in. Sad.

Cousin Pat said...

Caught this off the local feed on MSNBC. Has any of this news made it to the community?

Lord David said...

We just saw this in the news when you did.
I have NO IDEA why the community wasn't alerted to a series of rapes, home invasions & robberies.

Had word been put in the local news, instead of the ongoing story of what famous people came to Magnolia Shorty's funeral, Jonathon might still be alive today.

I'm not IN ANY WAY, slighting the tragedy of Magnolia Shorty's shooting & death.

I'm really pissed off that the local 'news' didn't bother to warn it's readers about a deadly crime spree in progress.