New Orleans, Louisiana – A data analyst in New Orleans has reported a decrease in murders across the city in 2023 compared to recent years. According to Jeff Asher, a data analyst who analyzes crime statistics for the New Orleans City Council, the total number of people killed in New Orleans in 2023 was 193, down from 266 in 2022.
Asher noted that crime surged following the coronavirus pandemic, making him hesitant to credit local crime-reduction initiatives for the decrease in murder. “It’s good news couched within bad news,” said Asher. “We had 200 plus murders from 2020 to 2022, so 193 is an improvement.”
The years 2020 through 2022 were the nation’s highest for murder rates. In 2022, there were 266 killings in New Orleans. Asher attributed the decrease in crime in 2023 to the low number of murders in December, with only five reported. According to him, this is one of the lowest counts in murders since Hurricane Katrina.
The reduction comes as Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick was hired by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, making her the first full-time female Superintendent of the NOPD. The NOPD continues to suffer from a shortage of officers, with roughly 900 on the streets, far below the ideal number of 1,500 officers. Asher also mentioned that the low murder count in New Orleans follows a national trend, as homicides are down in most major urban cities.
In conclusion, in 2019, New Orleans had an almost 50-year low in murders, totaling 121. The decrease in murders in 2023 is a positive development, and while it is unclear what specific initiatives or factors contributed to the decline, it is a trend that mirrors those in other major urban cities.