It’s the kind of number you read, then stop and reread to make sure you understood it correctly the first time.
That’s how stunning the news is that the long-understaffed, overworked and, at least sometimes, overwhelmed New Orleans Police Department has racked up an astonishing 98% clearance rate on homicide cases so far this year.
The near-perfect score is more than double that of just four years ago, when the city ranked as the nation’s murder capital and police cleared just over 40% of homicide cases.
The figure doesn’t directly reflect all killings that happened this year. but about two-thirds of investigations into the 49 murders logged as of mid-August have resulted in arrests. The clearance rate also takes into account seven older murder cases dating back as far as 2021 that were cleared in this calendar year.
No matter how you count it, though, NOPD investigators are seeing remarkable success these days. We congratulate them, and also the city and department leaders and state, federal and community partners who have crafted and carried out effective policies to drastically reduce violent crime.
In an interview with reporter Missy Wilkinson, CEO of the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation Melanie Talia spread the credit widely.
“The strategies that (NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick) and her team have put into place are working,” she said. “They’re working with local, state and federal partners, with the Department of Health and the community.”
The good news on homicide cases coincides with an overall drop in violent crime in the city. While the number of calls for service has remained consistent, reports of violent crimes have fallen 36% over the last three years, and the homicide rate is the lowest it’s been in half a century.
That’s freed up investigators who spend more time and energy on each investigation. Whereas many NOPD homicide detectives once worked 15 or 16 cases a year, now they generally have three or four. And that itself has helped break the cycle of violence.
“Solving these (cases) has a bit of a compounding effect,” said Matthew Stone, a former NOPD detective and spokesperson for the NOPJF. “The faster they solve them, the harder it is (for individuals) to seek retribution or escalate when they are already locked up.”
Experts point to a host of policy initiatives and partnerships that helped bring the city to this point. District Attorney Jason Williams’ prosecutors work closely with detectives to build strong cases. Technology has provided new surveillance and investigative tools and leads. Close relationships with the Louisiana State Police’s Troop NOLA and the F.B.I. are paying off.
As always, though, accountability starts at the top. There was never a question that Mayor Helena Moreno would ask Kirkpatrick, who was first hired by former Mayor LaToya Cantrell, to stay on.
We’re certainly glad she did. These remarkable numbers show, once more, that Kirkpatrick’s brand of leadership is working.
