section_path: Crime
section_name: Crime
paragraph_text: Crime
  
  Crime is a notable ongoing problem in New Orleans. As in comparable U.S. cities, the incidence of homicide and other violent crimes is usually highly concentrated in certain lower income neighborhoods. Arrested offenders in New Orleans are almost exclusively black males from lower income neighborhoods: in 2011, 97% were black and 95% were male; 91% of victims were black as well. The city's murder rate has been historically high and consistently among the highest rates nationwide since the 1970s. From 1994 to 2013, New Orleans was the country's "Murder Capital", annually averaging over 200 murders. The first record was broken in 1979 when the city reached 242 homicides. The record was broken again reaching 250 by 1989 to 345 by the end of 1991. By 1993, New Orleans had 395 murders: 80.5 for every 100,000 residents. In 1994, the city was officially named the "Murder Capital of America", hitting a historic peak of 424 murders. The murder count was one of the highest in the world and surpassed that of such cities as Gary, Indiana, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. In 1999, the city's murder rate dropped down to a low of 158 and climbed to the high 200s in the early 2000s. Between 2000 and 2004, New Orleans had the highest homicide rate per capita of any city in the U.S., with 59 people killed per year per 100,000 citizens.
  
  In 2006, with nearly half the population gone and widespread disruption and dislocation because of deaths and refugee relocations from Hurricane Katrina, the city hit another record of homicides. It was ranked as the most dangerous city in the country. By 2009, there was a 17% decrease in violent crime, a decrease seen in other cities across the country. But the homicide rate remained among the highest in the United States, at between 55 and 64 per 100,000 residents. In 2010, New Orleans' homicide rate dropped to 49.1 per 100,000, but increased again in 2012, to 53.2, the highest rate among cities of 250,000 population or larger.
  
  The violent crime rate is a key issue in every modern mayoral race. In January 2007, several thousand New Orleans residents marched to City Hall for a rally demanding police and city leaders tackle the crime problem. Then-Mayor Ray Nagin said he was "totally and solely focused" on addressing the problem. Later, the city implemented checkpoints during late night hours in problem areas. The murder rate climbed 14% in 2011 to 57.88 per 100,000 rising to No. 21 in the world. In 2016, according to annual crime statistics released by the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), 176 were murdered. In 2017, New Orleans had the highest rate of gun violence, surpassing the more populated Chicago and Detroit. In 2020, murders increased 68% from 2019 with a total of 202 murders. Criminal justice observers blamed impacts from COVID-19 and changes in police strategies for the uptick. In 2022, New Orleans' homicide rate skyrocketed, leading every major city, hence the city again being declared as the "Murder Capital of America". The 2022 city homicide count increased to 280 which was a 26-year high. The NOPD dropped to under 1,000 officers in 2022 which meant the department was severely understaffed for the city's population. NOPD is actively working to reduce violent crime by offering attractive incentives to recruit and retain more officers.