NEW ORLEANS – Even though many kinds of violent crime are up in the city, the NOPD says it’s making progress to quickly solve cases thanks to a multiagency team.
The NOPD, FBI and State Police joint violent crime abatement investigation team is two months old, but in that time, Superintendent Shaun Ferguson says they’ve made some notable arrests.
Ferguson says New Orleans is under tremendous stress and investigators are not seeing normal motives.
“We’re seeing an increase in domestic violence homicides, an increase in road rage shootings,” Ferguson said. “It takes more than law enforcement in this. The offend, the arrest, the release is going to have to stop. At some point in time, we’re going to have to hold individuals accountable.”
Ferguson said COVID-19 has “fractured the justice system.”
“Courts cannot be held, therefore prosecution cannot be done, defense attorneys cannot defend,” Ferguson said. “What is left to the due process when there is no accountability.”
The VCAIT says they need the public’s help as they pursue the most egregious offenders and cases.
“The goal is to disrupt the persistent criminal activity and help dismantle criminal networks from the bottom up,” said Bryan Vorndran with the FBI.
NOPD says since the inception of VCAIT, they have seized 11 guns, made eight felony arrests for suspects involved in armed robberies and in possession of stolen property, along with felons in possession of firearms.
The team has also arrested suspects in car jackings and recovered stolen vehicles.
