Here are the highlights of his highlights, with a few quotes. I took these from an audio recording I made, so you may cite the figures and quotes safely. I worked seven years at a TV news station, so I know a thing or two about accurate reporting. I also assume the Roundtable has been or will be broadcast on public access television, so you can check me.
The sound quality of my recordings is not broadcast quality. Otherwise, I would post the audio. But, if you really want to hear it, you can email me (email address is in the sidebar) and I will send it to you.
Police Superintendent Warren Riley’s Update at the Crime Prevention Roundtable IICommentary to come later.
In-car camera system – 70 cameras have been installed out of 109
Attrition rate – lost 500 police officers after the storm; were losing 18-19 police officers a month; two weeks ago, largest recruit class in NOPD history started; 160-170 officers are back on the streets; right now, losing about 11 officers a month; before Katrina, losing 10 officers a month; “We’re beginning to stabilize that situation.”
Check points – “have been highly effective”; placed in high crime areas and highly trafficked areas where drugs come in; “It’s been successful in us taking over 70 hardcore wanted subjects off the streets of New Orleans.”; “Our largest drug bust this year came from a traffic check point.”; 14 officers on check points
Statistics for 2007 – will be released next week comparing last six months of 2006 and 2007; “And one thing that we have made some progress in, but we still certainly have a long way to go, is that you will see that our murder rate has dropped by 8.75%.”
Training – officers have been trained in what the D.A. wants; D.A.s went through same training
10-point plan with D.A. – meet every two weeks with D.A. staff
Crime Lab – “Our crime lab is now up and running.”; at UNO; about 40% of equipment is in; have run some drug and ballistics tests
Evidence Room – two weeks ago signed a new lease on a property to store evidence
New interoperable radio system – “We should never ever have a problem handling an emergency with the radio system like we had during Katrina.”
Neighborhood Watch organizations – 155 total; 36 are new
NONPAC meetings – well attended by citizens
Focus on youth – over 500 kids in Cops for Kids summer program
Focus on domestic violence – Domestic Violence Unit went from 4 to 7 officers
Mental illness – trained over 125 officers to deal with mental illness; NOPD handles 200 mental illness transports a month to hospitals
Schools – officers at certain schools at bus stops; officers will check places where truants hang out; working with RSD Superintendent Paul Vallas to open a truancy center; “Last year, truants were brought back to the schools. It is not a successful way to deal with truants because, basically, they go back to school and they leave out again as soon as we leave.”
Partnership with federal government – since February, 85 cases have been turned over to the U.S. attorneys office; “Of those 85, 75 have been indicted, 40 have been convicted.”
Reaching out to Hispanic community – handing out pamphlets (I assume in Spanish, although Riley did not specify); identifying and using officers that speak Spanish; “Right now Los Angeles has a major gang war between the Hispanic community and the African-American community. A very violent situation. We’re trying to get ahead of that.”
Sex Crime Unit – located 912 out of 1350 that were registered pre-Katrina
New Crime Mapping Tool on website – info goes back to Jan 2005; some information is on it within 24 hours; every crime is reported within ten days
RAND study on officer retention – adopted recommendations; “The New Orleans Police Department is now the highest paid police department in the state. That has a lot to do with our highest recruit class ever that we started two weeks ago. That has a lot to do with our attrition rate dropping from 18 to 11 a month. And, within that 11 a month, 5 or 6 are retiring because they have 28, 29, 30 years on. But they are no longer just leaving for other departments.”
Working with juvenile court – Judge David Bell and the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative
$6.6 million from the State Appropriations Committee – will begin ordering equipment over the next couple of weeks
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