NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – Louisiana state troopers have spent nearly 200 days with the NOPD. They’re an added perk on city streets and Colonel Mike Edmonson says the additional police presence is helping.
In fact, the state trooper/NOPD partnership will last at least through January 10, 2016.
“I think for Louisiana to be successful, New Orleans has to be successful, the people who want to come here, who want to visit this city, they want to do so knowing they’re going to be safe,” says Colonel Mike Edmonson with the Louisiana State Police.
Edmonson says stop-and-frisk has proven to be a beneficial tactic for police. “I’ve heard some politicians here lately talking about the fact that, ‘Hey, there ought to be stop-and-frisk in New Orleans.’ We’ve been doing that for 200 days now.”
He says officers need to be proactive when it comes to crime and violence and says troopers and police alike will continue to stop and frisk suspects when appropriate.
But opinions vary when it comes to the constitutionality of stop-and-frisk.
If police have a reasonable suspicion that a crime was or is about to be committed, or If they suspect the person in question is armed and dangerous, can police stop a suspect and pat them down?
“If they think they need to do it, if they see somebody who looks suspicious, I mean they’ve got the right to do it, they should do it,” says Mark Parsons who works in the French Quarter.
“They just come on you and start patting you down like that? That’s not how it’s supposed to happen so I don’t agree with that,” says New Orleans resident Mercedes Andrews.
Colonel Edmonson says they’ve made 1,200 arrests, seized 115 illegal weapons in the French Quarter alone and recovered 158 stolen vehicles since partnering with the NOPD.
But are city streets really that much safer?
Again, much like the stop-and-frisk policy, people are split.
“I saw two policemen there, two policemen in the bar. I’ve never been here before so I don’t know if you need policemen, but it looks like you probably do,” says Patty Decker who is visiting New Orleans from Georgia.
“It’s completely safe. I feel safe at all times,” says Alice Cook who is visiting New Orleans from Australia.
“We want them to enjoy themselves here, we want them to feel safe and we want them to come back,” says Edmonson.
