Crime update 6.22.07

Everybody talks about crime, but...

Nobody does anything about it, to paraphrase Mark Twain: You might say that applies to video surveillance cameras. At last week's NONPAC meeting, Lt. Eddie Selby told how valuable the NOPD has found video cameras mounted outside businesses or residences to be in solving crimes, noting he'd like to have a database of citizens in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle who have surveillance cameras. NOcrimeline agreed to poll our subscribers to try to compile such a database. Out of nearly 500 subscribers, we got exactly ONE response locating a camera.

Does this mean no one really cares about crime? Does it mean they're too lazy to respond? Or are we all overestimating the number of video surveillance cameras in the Quarter? One person suggested that owners are reluctant to come forward because such cameras are prohibited by the Vieux Carre Commission.

That may have been true at one time, but in April the VCC, recognizing that "security cameras have proliferated" in the Quarter and "serve a wide variety of security functions, and, if selected and located properly, will intrude minimally upon the historic streetscape," adopted a policy "designed to limit the intrusive nature of these fixtures and to outline compatible equipment and methods for their proper installation."

The regulations don't seem to be too onerous, but Lary P. Hesdorffer, executive director of the VCC, notes that "a permit is required BEFORE cameras are installed (or replaced)." (That "or replaced" sounds like an out for those who put up cameras before obtaining VCC permission.) The easiest way to go if you want to install surveillance cameras might be to look in the Yellow Pages under "Security Control Equipment" and hire a contractor who could supply and install the equipment, after first getting the necessary VCC permit for you. If you're handy and want to do it yourself, one person who does have a camera installation in the Quarter says Wal-Mart has a good system. If you want a of copy the VCC regulations, NOcrimeline can send you those in PDF format--just email us your request.

But if you ALREADY have surveillance cameras installed, how about letting us know so we can supply that information to the 8th District NOPD. Your cameras might help solve a crime--isn't that what this is all about?

Another saying...: You know how they say a criminal always returns to the scene of the crime? Well, that did one crook in the other night.

It had been one of the quietest weeks in recent memory, crimewise, until Wednesday evening (6.20.07) just after 9:30 p.m. A man and woman, who live in the 1200 block of Esplanade Avenue, were walking on Esplanade Avenue near Royal Street, when they were robbed. Three black boys, all 16 years old, rode up behind the white couple on bicycles and surrounded them. One of the punks told them, "Y'all know what this is about--give it up!" The woman gave one of the kids her wallet and another kid asked the man for his wallet. The man said he didn't have anything other than his cellphone.

The perpetrators fled on their bikes with only the woman's wallet, but one quickly turned around and came back and asked the man for his cellphone so he couldn't call the police. He didn't have to--an off-duty sheriff's deputy arrived on the scene and nabbed the crook who came back to the scene of the crime.

The other two robbers were picked up later in the 200 block of Bourbon Street. They were all charged with simple robbery, and one was found in possession of crack cocaine. All were from Uptown (2400 block of Louisiana Avenue, 2400 block of Amelia Street, and 200 block of S. Johnson Street). What the hell were they doing in the Quarter? And at what time does the curfew law kick in? It seems like an awfully lot of perpetrators are using bicycles to rob and run--maybe it's time for "bicycle checkpoints" to nab some of these punks.

Rough and tumble robbery: A man is in serious condition at University Hospital with a fractured skull and possible broken neck after being robbed just after 3 a.m. Friday morning (6.22.07) in the 300 block of Bourbon Street. He and several friends (Capt. Hosli, please fix the computer so we can get more information about victims) were walking on Bourbon toward Canal Street when they were approached by 6 or 7 black men who tried to sell them Ecstasy. The victim started to walk away when one of the men pick-pocketed his wallet. The victim tried to get it back when the perpetrator slugged him with his fist on the left side of the head. The victim fell backward and landed on the concrete, suffering the injuries that landed him in the hospital.

The robber and his accomplices fled with the man's wallet. The attacker was a black man, described as 18-20 years old, 5'11" tall, 185 pounds, with ear-length dreadlocks, wearing blue jeans with a white T-shirt that had a colored print logo on it.

Be careful out there: You hate to be suspicious of everyone who doesn't look like you--but you know who the robbers are. If you see a driver in a car with temporary tags, or boys cruising aimlessly on bicycles, or someone following you while you're walking, don't hesitate to call 911 and have them checked out. Some might tell you to use the NOPD's non-emergency number--but it's better to assume you have encountered the enemy and stop them before harm's done.

***

Please forward this message to anyone interested in the quality of life in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. To be added to our email list, send your FULL NAME and HOME ADDRESS to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 6.15.07

Notes from NONPAC

Sound familiar?: One lady wondered (via an email to NOcrimeline) why she should bother to go to NONPAC (New Orleans Neighborhood Policing Anti-Crime Council) meetings when so much of the information she heard Thursday night (6.14.07 ) from Lt. Eddie Selby sounded like what she'd already read in NOcrimeline emails. The reason it sounded familiar was because Lt. Selby and Sgt. Teri Meunier have been doing such a good job supplying the information to NOcrimeline.

As it stands now, we get an updated crime map DAILY listing the location and time of major crimes (those reported to the FBI); if we want more information on any particular crime, we request it and usually have the report within hours. Now if the NOPD can just get the computer glitch fixed so we have a better idea of who the victims are, it'll be darn near as good as it can get.

As Lt. Selby proudly told the group of 30+/- 8th District residents Thursday night, "You're getting more information faster now than anyone in the city ever has" (or words to that effect).

What do you see?: Noting the value that video surveillance has been in cracking a few recent cases, Lt. Selby said, "We'd like to know who has cameras" to form a database of citizen's who have video cameras mounted on their residences. Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, has instructed all his detectives to canvas crime scenes for any nearby video surveillance cameras that might have recorded the crime. While cameras on commercial buildings are fairly obvious, those on residences may not be.

For whatever reason, those crime cameras Mayor Nagin has been blabbering about and giving his cronies contracts for, aren't making their way to the French Quarter or Marigny Triangle. So we're on our own.

We agreed to ask you, our subscribers, to send information to NOcrimeline if you have video cameras mounted on your residence or business in the Quarter and Triangle. We'll compile the information into a database for the 8th District NOPD to use; none of the information you supply will be shared with any other person or organization.

Send the following information about your surveillance camera to NOcrimeline@gmail.com with the word "Video" in the subject line:

• Location (your address, including nearest cross street)
  
• Target (what's it aimed at? your doorway? the street? more than one street?)
  
• Direction (toward the lake? the river? Canal Street? Esplanade Avenue?)
  
• Range (how far away can it clearly pick up images? to your driveway? to the end of the block?)
  
• Storage capacity (how many hours of action is stored? how long do you retain tape? can you make a tape or digital copy?)
• Contact person and phone number, along with best time to call.
• Additional information you think is pertinent (neighbors with surveillance systems?)
  

This is a real opportunity to help create a crime-fighting tool for the cops who are endeavoring to solve--and prevent--crimes in your neighborhood. The more participation we have from citizens, the more effective the tool will be.

Film at 9: Natasha Robin of WVUE/Fox8 news did a nice piece on NOcrimeline's efforts to relay information from the 8th District to the public. Fox8 shot footage at the NONPAC meeting and aired the piece Thursday night on the 9 o'clock newscast.

FBI looking at car thefts: Auto thefts (9 plus 12 car break-ins in the past 4 days) continue to bedevil motorists in the Quarter and CBD. Asked if there was anything citizens could do, Lt. Selby revealed the frustration in trying to curb one of the most difficult crimes to solve. One thing he did suggest was keeping your porch lights on to create better visibility to spot thieves stalking cars.

Without wanting to reveal too much detail, he said NOPD detectives are now working with the FBI's Major Case Detail in investigating the dozens of auto thefts that are plaguing the 8th District. There is some suspicion that tow trucks may again be hauling away cars favored by chopshops.

Patrols: Officers riding around in patrol cars with the windows rolled up and talking on cellphones is a perennial complaint.

Lt. Selby acknowledges, "We've become detached," but adds, "The scooters should combat that." Once officers are on the streets of the Quarter and Triangle on motorscooters, they'll be on eye-level with citizens and moving slower to interact with them.

The 8th District continues to add to its fleet of scooters to patrol the neighborhood. Training cops to use them suffered a setback this week when the Traffic Division officer who trains them to use the scooters was killed in a one-car accident over the weekend.

For those who doubt cops on patrol in cars are doing their job, Lt. Selby said any citizen willing to sign a "hold harmless" release form can ride along with an officer. Some citizens after the meeting said that might be a good way to keep officers on their toes--or at least off their cellphones.

Oops: If your name is Horton Driskill, we apologize. In our last crime update on 6.13.07, we had a guy by that name arrested for several business burglaries. Remember the thirsty thief? Turns out suspect's name is really Driskill Horton. Who knew? Confusing...as bad as a boy named Sue.

His was a case where surveillance cameras gave him away. An officer saw the video of the Esplanade Mini-Mart break-in and recognized the burglar as a guy who hung around Jackson Square.

***

Please forward this message to anyone interested in the quality of life in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. To be added to our email list, send your FULL name and HOME address to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com .

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 6.13.07

Hang on...

...to your purses: The biggest threat to tranquility in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle in the past week has been purse snatchings. One suspect in the four incidents which occurred between 6.5.07 and 6.10.07 has been arrested and charged with simple robbery. He is Brandon L. Scott, a 21-year-old black man with shoulder-length dreadlocks, whose last known address was 4809 Francis St. He apparently was stupid enough to attempt his crime in full view of a Louisiana State Police trooper patrolling on Bourbon Street near Bienville Street on Thursday, 6.7.07, about 11:50 p.m. The trooper reportedly saw the suspect attempt to forcibly remove a woman's purse from her shoulder. After a brief foot chase, the trooper apprehended the suspect who was positively identified by the victim.

The next night a woman fell victim to a perpetrator who circled her like a buzzard. The woman (age, race, address unknown), who had just gotten off work shortly before 11:30 p.m., was sitting on some steps in the 900 block of Dauphine Street between St. Philip and Dumaine streets waiting for her daughter to pick her up. A black man approached and asked her what time it was. He continued to the corner, turned around and walked back toward the woman. Then he turned away and walked back to the corner. Then he walked back to the woman once again--but this time grabbed her purse and ran to St. Philip Street. A witness pursued the perpetrator on foot but lost track of him when he got to North Rampart Street.

The lesson is: if a buzzard is circling, don't lay there and play dead. Instead of taking her cellphone out of her purse and calling 911 when the man began acting suspicious, the victim lost the phone, her credit cards, ID, keys, and lots of other stuff when this bird grabbed her purse.

The perpetrator was described as a polite and soft-spoken, light-skinned black man, in his early 20s, 5'11", medium build, clean-cut, with close-cut hair. He was wearing a blue and white baseball cap, large white shirt, possibly sleeveless, and basketball-style jersey shorts, and black jeans, carrying a
messenger-style bag.

I guess if you get that many chances to see a robber before he strikes, it's easier to give a good description.

A 23-year-old black woman's purse was snatched Sunday, 6.10.07, at about 6 a.m. as she was sitting in her parked car in the 900 block of Canal Street talking with several men. Another man reached in the driver's side window and grabbed the woman's purse, which contained her cellphone, driver's license, and untold amount of cash. No one could give a description of the perpetrator.

Another suspect was arrested after he allegedly asked a 29-year-old white woman for $1 and then snatched her wallet when she opened her purse in the 300 block of Bourbon Street just before 5 a.m. on 6.7.07. Charged with simple robbery is Kenneth L. Wiley, a 48-year-old black man, whose last known address is 2418 1/2 D'Abadie St. He has a rap sheet going back to 1991. In recent court cases, lunacy hearings have debated whether or not he was competent to stand trial, with conflicting conclusions.

Thirsty, not greedy: 8th District cops arrested a suspect Tuesday for 3 business burglaries over the past month. Driskill Horton, a 42-year-old white guy, was linked to early morning break-ins at La Peniche restaurant, 1940 Dauphine St., on 5.14.07, the Pelican Club restaurant, 312 Exchange Alley, on 5.19.07, and the Esplanade Mini-Mart, 839 Esplanade Ave., on Sunday, 6.10.07.

The MO was similarly simple in each case. The perpetrator always came in the front way and left the same way, breaking through the front door in two cases and a picture window in the other. Nothing was reported missing from La Peniche, but from the Pelican Club the burglar took two bottles of rum valued at $20 (must have been the well brand) and from the Mini-Mart he took a bottle of Bacardi Superior Rum valued at $22.99 (his taste is improving) and a bottle of Ketel One vodka valued at $29.99 (maybe he has a friend).

What may have done him in was the video at the Mini-Mart which showed a white male, with green shirt and dark pants, break the glass door, enter the store, take the two bottles of liquor and--before exiting-- "one white cup".

Waste of cops' time: An 8th District officer had to drive all the way out to East Jeff hospital early Sunday morning to investigate what might have been a case of aggravated battery. The "victim", a 27-year-old black man, told the officer he had been drinking at several places in the French Quarter and was trying to get home by walking up Bienville Street toward North Rampart Street. The next thing he knew, he woke up in the East Jeff emergency room. His cousin picked him up at Bienville and Basin streets and drove him there after getting a phone call from the man, who received 15 stitches for a head wound and had other wounds and abrasions all over his head and body. There was no indication how the man sustained the injuries.

Keep an eye on your car: Car thefts--and a growing number of car break-ins--continue to be the bane of motorists in the French Quarter. Maybe the crooks are getting lazy in the heat of summer, but now the crooks seem more intent on breaking into autos than bothering to steal them. In the last 10 days, there have been 13 auto thefts, but 21 cars broken into. And they seem to be targeting the Quarter more, where most of the thefts had been in the CBD.

"Not Guilty" says robbery suspect: The suspect charged with the knife-point robbery of Bill Norris at his St. Philip Street home and 15 other crimes ranging from armed robbery to pursesnatching elsewhere in the city, pleaded not guilty in criminal district court on Tuesday. The attorney for Gary Lindsey is trying to get the court to suppress evidence, statements and identification in what might wind up being a long, drawn-out process to try to put this guy away for a long time. Besides the 16 charges Lindsey faces in court, 10 other charges the police had arrested him for where refused by the district attorney.

Reports flowing: Captain Edwin Hosli and his 8th District crew, including Lt. Eddie Selby and Sgt. Teri Meunier, have kept the reports of activities in the neighborhood flowing. NOcrimeline gets a map of all the crimes in the district virtually every day, with detailed reports following as requested. The glitch that redacts the victims' names and information hasn't been solved yet, but the Captain is working on it.

We should be thankful that the 8th District is being so forthcoming. It's hard to figure out what the NOPD, in general, is doing with information from headquarters or who's in charge of dispensing it. The Times-Picayune reported the other day that Lt. Bruce Adams was in charge of the Office of Public Affairs, but the NOPD website still lists Capt. Juan Quinton as commander. And have you noticed lately that Deputy Chief Marlon Defillo, who's head of the Public Integrity Bureau, has been the one giving sound bites to TV after major crimes? The last time the NOPD put out more than a trickle of information was when Defillo, from the time he was a lieutenant until he made chief, headed Public Affairs.

Be there: Try to attend Thursday's monthly NONPAC (New Orleans Neighborhood Policing Anti-Crime Council) meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m., 6.14.07, at the Omni Royal Orleans hotel, 621 St. Louis St.

Residents of the Quarter and Triangle seem to have all sort of excuses for not dragging themselves out to this meeting every month, but I'd argue that if you're really serious about crime prevention in our neighborhood, you owe it to yourself and the police to be there. It's a great opportunity to quiz Capt. Hosli and his staff on issues facing the 8th District. You might ask him about what's being done about that reported crack house in the 2100 block of Burgundy Street; or about the suggestion for a "Slow Down Police Patrol"; or what you can do to prevent car thefts and break-ins.

Or you could thank him for supplying information for the NOcrimeline updates or just be there to show your support for the cops who there when they could be at home enjoying dinner with their families.

***

Please forward this message to anyone interested in the safety of the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. To be added to our mailing list, send your name and email address to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 6.7.07

Be on the lookout for...

Armed robber: Early Sunday, 6.3.07, the victim (the computer glitch is still not yielding information as to age, sex, address, etc.) walking home at 3:30 a.m. from the Bourbon Pub Bar at 801 Bourbon St. made it 7 blocks before he was robbed at Bourbon and Pauger streets in the Marigny Triangle.

He noticed a dark colored sedan pass him on his right, park, and a black man get out. The victim kept walking and the black man pulled a semi-automatic handgun and demanded "give me your wallet and your money." The victim complied. Then the perpetrator asked if he had a cellphone, and when he replied "yes", the robber took that too. But, showing that all things are negotiable, as the robber was walking away the victim asked if he could at least have his credit cards. The robber took only the victim's cash ($35) from the wallet and threw the wallet to the ground. The robber got back in his car and drove off.

The robber was described as 18-25 years old, 5'8" tall, weighing 160 pounds, wearing dark pants, a red polo shirt, and dark cap. No detailed description of the robber's car was reported.

Purse snatcher: Showing it's never too early in the day to look out for bad guys, a 23-year-old white woman walking in the 700 block Ursulines Street toward Bourbon Street was accosted by a purse snatcher at 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday, 6.5.07. A black man on a bicycle came up behind her and grabbed her purse from her arm. The perpetrator peddled on, turning up Bourbon Street toward Esplanade Avenue. The victim said her purse contained about $240 and her wedding ring.

The perpetrator was described as 20-25, 5'10" tall, weighing 180-200 pounds, wearing dark shorts and a dark T-shirt with yellow lettering on the back.

What goes around comes around: Two crackheads got into a verbal altercation early Monday morning, 6.4.07, at Burgundy and Frenchmen streets, apparently debating whether a local crack cocaine dealer was ripping off users. The dispute became physical at 1:35 a.m. when one of the crackheads broke a bottle and swung both it and a knife at the other one. The victim, a black man, fell to the ground and the perpetrator continued to stab the victim in both the legs and arms. The victim grabbed a stick lying nearby and fought off his attacker.

The victim called the police and described his attacker as a Hispanic male known to him as "Amigo", who is heavy set, 5'10", short hair, 30-35 years old, and speaks very little English. He said Amigo typically purchases his crack cocaine from a man who lives in a house in the 2100 block of Burgundy Street, which police describe as a known drug haven. The police report said "(the drug dealer) may be able to provide more information about the subject, although his cooperation with the police is not likely."

Later in the day, at 6:30 p.m. near the same location, the "victim" turned "attacker' when he again encountered Amigo and beat him with a baseball bat. A warrant was issued the next day for "Amigo" who was identified as Virgilio Oliva, 43.

How you can help: After we reported in the last update that the 8th District needed $3,000 to repair its air conditioning system, Rob Ramsey, a NOcrimeline subscriber, called the station house and was referred to B.B. St. Roman, who heads up assistance to the homeless and is president of COPS 8 (Citizens Organization for Police Support--8th District). According to Rob, you can make tax-deductible donations for the benefit of the 8th District to her organization, and if you wish you can designate what you want that specific donation to go toward ( i.e., in this case, air conditioning repair. You can call her at the station (658-6080) or on her cell (723-7332). You can deliver a check to her attention at the station or mail it to the station at 334 Royal St., New Orleans, LA 70130.

This just might work: Everyone talks about more police patrols in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. But Karen Baker, a NOcrimeline subscriber, has an idea that be very potent against crime: "We are grateful that there appears to be more police cars driving around and in evidence, often with lights on. I believe that is a big help. However, most of the time they appear to be in a hurry and driving at regular speed. I'm sure at times
they are on their way to do something else rather than patrol.

"However, how about the patrol cars going much slower and stopping from time to time, even in the middle of the street, if only for a very short time, as if they had seen something or were looking for something. I often try to give a friendly wave or smile but they don't have time to see it. If they were going slower, they could even slow down a bit more, to exchange a few words with us residents. At times we may have seen something we don't consider important to report and it would give us a chance to mention it.

"It may be that people who are getting ready to, or in the process of committing a crime, might see this exchange and increased vigilance and not know if we had noticed them and were reporting it, etc. I'd hope the people who are committing crimes would notice all this "new surveillance" and hopefully it could hold down some of their activities.

"It may even help to have a campaign followed up in the newspapers, TV, etc., called "Slow-Down Police Patrol" or some catchy phrase to inform not only residents but criminals of a better plan against crime and let them know their chances of getting caught are greatly increasing."

What do you think, Captain?

***

Please forward this message to anyone interested in the safety of the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. To be added to our mailing list, send your name and email address to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 6.4.07

Mystery solved...

About victims' names, that is: My apologies for wrongly insinuating that Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the NOPD 8th District or his staff were dropping victims' names from the crime reports he's been supplying to NOcrimeline. Because he stated publicly that he is opposed to using victims' names when we report on crimes, I made the assumption he was redacting them from the crime reports he gives us. In a cordial meeting last week to discuss NOcrimeline, Capt. Hosli said he was willing to release all the victims' information, including names, and was surprised it was not showing up on the reports. At first he attributed it to the detectives who write the reports getting lazy about including the information and said he would instruct them to include the names, addresses, ages, sex and race on the reports. Then he reported: "We found out that the officers were entering the victims names in their reports. For what ever the reason, the system is not printing the field. We have requested that the lieutenant that developed the program address the problem."

So, soon we should again have information about crime victims in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle at our disposal and in our reports. Knowing the address, age, sex and race of a victim helps the community view the victim as a human being and not a statistic. We'll continue our policy of not naming the victims unless it's crucial and germane to our report, and the victim or the victim's family makes the name known to us.

Believe me when I say Capt. Hosli is dedicated to being open and transparent about the information he supplies to the neighborhood. Again, I apologize for assuming he was being anything less in his dealings with NOcrimline.

Robbery down, but still hold ups: Robberies in the 8th District have been down in the last couple of weeks, but there's still always some nut running around with a gun. Last Wednesday, 5.30.07, two men were looking at a vehicle at Dauphine and Touro streets at about 11:30 p.m. when a black man popped out from behind a truck, brandishing a Glock handgun. He demanded their money, but when they shouted they didn't have any, the perpetrator became nervous and fled on Touro toward Rampart Street. The would-be robber was described as 25-30 years old, wearing dark bluejeans, a white T-shirt, and black baseball cap. That narrows it down to, oh say, 1,000 or so potential perps.

Just a half-hour earlier, at about 11 p.m., a 28-year-old woman from Uptown was walking from Decatur Street to her car in the 500 block of Ursulines Street when she was accosted by a black couple walking toward her. The man tried grabbing her purse from her shoulder and a struggle ensued. The man punched the victim in the face and threw her to the ground. He dumped some of the contents of the purse on the victim while she was on the ground. The perpetrator and his accomplice got in the victim's vehicle, but he was unable to start the car because it was out of gear. The man fled on foot with the victim's purse and dropped it at Ursulines and Decatur after removing the victim's wallet containing 3 credit cards, her driver's license, and $100 in cash. The man escaped down Decatur while the female suspect fled on foot on Ursulines then down Chartres Street. The male suspect was described as being in his early 20s, 5'8" tall, weighing 150 pounds. The female suspect is in her late teens, 5'4", 140 pounds (kind of chunky, you might say).

A couple of tourists were robbed in broad daylight by unarmed assailants. At 10 a.m. on 5.25.07, a man was confronted by 3 black men while he was walking on Canal Street near North Peters Street. Two of the men stood in front of him to block his path while the other went behind him and took the wallet from the victim's pocket. The police report didn't say what the wallet contained nor gave a description of the perpetrators.

Another tourist was robbed of his $700 digital camera at 4:05 p.m. Saturday, 6.2.07, after leaving Jester's Bar at Iberville and Bourbon streets to walk back to his hotel. He managed to get as far as across the street under the Mango Mango sign on the corner when a black man came up behind him and grabbed the camera by its strap off the victim's shoulder. The perpetrator, in his early 20s, 5'6"-5'9", thin build, short hair, dark complexion, wearing a l ong baby blue T-shirt, baggy white wind pants, fled on foot down Bourbon toward Bienville Street. Though 3 businesses on corners near the crime have security cameras, none were aimed on the exact location where the tourist was robbed.

(Footnote: Capt. Hosli has instructed his detectives to comb the area of crime scenes for security cameras that might have captured images of the crime and to include that information in their reports. Sounds like a smart move to me.)

Do you know where your car is?: There doesn't seem to be any stopping the car thieves. In the past week, 19 vehicles were stolen; the week before it was 10. Most are stolen from the CBD (21 of the above total) and the other 8 from the French Quarter. Add to that 24 car break-ins in the past two weeks and it takes the fun out of car ownership. That's about 2 a day--I'd like to hear some ideas on how to thwart these thieves.

Bad guys go inside: Even though 8th District cops nabbed a suspect in the burglaries of businesses on Decatur Street recently, 7 businesses in the CBD and Marigny Triangle have been hit in the last couple of weeks, including La Peniche restaurant and Cafe Brasil bar.

Residential burglaries aren't very common in the neighborhood, but maybe this ought to be under the heading of "If you don't lock it, they will come": a woman left her apartment in the 1100 block of Chartres Street at about 5 p.m. on 5.23.07 and when she returned about 8 p.m. found the living room in disarray. Missing were $35 in cash, silverware, jewelry, and clothing. She told police she never locked her doors because her complex was gated and she felt secure. Yeah, right--you're not from here, are you?

16 charges and what do you get?: Well, you get your bond set at $780,000, which generally means you better get used to Sheriff Gusman's hotel. And that's after 10 other crimes you were charged with were refused by DA Eddie Jordan. The accused in this case is Gary Lindsey, the 38-year-old black man, charged with--among other things--the knife-point robbery of Bill Norris (who was identified as the victim by his son) in the driveway of his home in the 1000 block of St. Philip Street on 3.31.07 in broad daylight.

Lindsey is due for arraignment 6.12.07 on 3 charges of armed robbery, 2 charges of armed robbery with a firearm, one charge of attempted armed robbery, and 10 charges of purse snatching. The charges dropped included 4 charges of purse snatching, 2 charges of aggravated assault, and one each of aggravated 2nd degree battery, armed robbery, simple robbery, and flight from an officer.

Lindsey was apprehended after a neighbor, alerted by Norris' son, pursued the alleged perpetrator's car and called 911, to map the getaway car's location until NOPD officers could arrive on the scene. Still no word on whether CrimeStoppers saw fit to give a sizable reward to that citizen who helped apprehend a suspect police think was responsible for over 2 dozen crimes. If he doesn't deserve a reward, who does?

Hot stuff: I knew that several businesses made generous donations of motor scooters to the 8th District. What I didn't know is that each NOPD district is responsible for its own expenses, which means if the air conditioning goes out in your building and you have no money left in the budget, you sweat. That was exactly the case last week when one of 2 of the units that cool 8th District headquarters gave out. Capt. Hosli figures it might cost $3,000 to repair but there's not that much left in his budget. Perhaps there's someone out there in the neighborhood who's in the A/C business and could contribute their expertise. It takes more than bullets to fight crime.

***

Please forward this message to anyone interested in the safety of the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. To be added to our mailing list, send your name and email address to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler

Crime update 5.24.07

Cops and Robbers

They've got their guns out again: The bad boys are running lose again, robbing three people in the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle in the last 3 days. Again, these are expurgated accounts, since Capt. Edwin Hosli, commander of the NOPD's 8th District, continues to censor the victim's name, address, age, sex and race (more on that later) from the police reports made available to us:

• Bienville and Clinton streets, Sunday, 5.20.07, about 2 a.m., a black man coming out of a bar said he was robbed by another black man who took $80 in cash from him and 2 silver chains, one valued at $4,000 and the other at $8,500. The report is so abbreviated it doesn't list a description of the perpetrator.

• 1917 Burgundy St., Monday, 5.21.07, at about 8:30 p.m. the victim, a deliveryman for China Wall restaurant, was making a delivery when he was approached by a black male, who pointed a dark handgun at him and stated, "Give me all the money". The victim complied and handed the perpetrator $5. A witness, who was awaiting the food delivery, came out of his residence and asked the perpetrator what he was doing. He heard the perpetrator ask the victim for money to eat. The perpetrator then looked at the witness and fled on Burgundy towards Pauger Street. The witness noticed the deliveryman was visibly upset and asked him what happened. The deliveryman, who spoke very little English, stated,"He had a gun, he took my money".

The perpetrator was described as a black male, 5'8" tall, athletic build, 19-25 years of age, short hair, dark skin.

A canvass of the area by police located a camera attached to the house at North Rampart and Pauger streets. A follow up revealed it was not working at the time of the incident. Duh? Great crime prevention.

• 700 block of Dumaine Street, Monday, 5.21.07, about 10 p.m. the victim was walking home when a black male on a mountain bike wearing all dark-colored clothing stopped along side of him and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at him and ordered the victim to empty his pockets. The victim took out less then $20 and some credit cards from his pockets and dropped them to the ground. The perpetrator picked up the money and told the victim to pick up his credit cards. The perpetrator rode off towards Rampart Street. The victim walked on home and called the police.

St. Mary's Church (?) purse snatching: There's conflicting information about this case: Lt. Eddie Selby reported a purse snatching at Ursulines and Chartres streets on Tuesday, 5.23.07, at about 1 p.m. Detective Elizabet Garcia's report said the incident occurred just after noon while the victim was walking in the vicinity of Gov. Nicholls and Chartres streets. Citizens on the scene reported a man had grabbed a woman's purse while she was standing on the steps of St. Mary's Church in the 1100 block of Chartres, which is between Gov. Nicholls and Ursulines.

Based on eyewitness accounts, police stopped a suspect in the 1100 block of St. Bernard Avenue, about 8 blocks from the scene of the crime, about 15 minutes later. One witness positively identified him as the perpetrator, but because the victim hadn't reported the crime, the suspect was released. When the victim reported the robbery 2 hours later, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Stephen J. Butler, a 39-year-old black man whose last known address is 1019 Kerlerec St., on a charge of simple robbery and he was booked into Central Lockup a little after 2 a.m. on Wednesday, 5.23.07.

How rumors get started: A subscriber asked, " What's this I hear about assaults and robbery on females around the NOAC area? The truth is there was a lone purse snatching reported at Iberville and Burgundy streets, around the corner from the New Orleans Athletic Club on 5.12.07 at about 8 a.m. A 57-year-old white woman was walking from her home in the French Quarter to NOAC, which she does 2 to 4 times a week, when she was accosted from the rear by a black man who grabbed her purse and pushed her to the ground. He fled on Iberville toward Rampart Street. He was described as 25-30 years old, about 5'6"-5'8", approximately 165-185 pounds, short hair and clean appearance, wearing a black shirt and pants.

This is the only purse snatching reported recently in that area, but it is a neighborhood with perpetual problems and bears watching if you must walk in that area.

Pickpockets on the prowl: Black women, perhaps working in a team, are targeting late night denizens of the street, who may or may not be tourists (if only we had information on the victims!), offering sexual favors. Nothing particularly amazing in that, but here's how they operate: in one case, the woman perpetrator hollered at a guy near the casino and followed him into his hotel, where she grabbed his privates--while extracting his wallet from his pants. Another woman was even smoother as she approached a guy in the 300 block of Royal Street and offered her favors, which he declined. But when he got back to his hotel, he realized his wallet was missing.

Both of the women were black, one was described as age unknown, about 5'4" tall, weighing 100 pounds, wearing a light green tank top and blue jean skirt, and a blue "do" rag on her head. The other was estimated to be 32 years old, 5'4" tall, 130 pounds, wearing a red T-shirt, shorts, and white tennis shoes. Police are pretty sure they aren't dealing with college coeds, considering one of the perps reportedly shouted to her female accomplices, "he doesn't not want to" when the victim declined her advances.

Auto thefts abound: There were 13 more auto thefts last week, with most in the CBD or Upper Quarter. On top of that, there were 18 car break-ins. What's going to deter that? A good reason to show up at NONPAC meetings (second Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the Omni Royal Orleans) and query Captain Hosli.

Speaking of which: One disgruntled NOcrimeline subscriber, responding to my exhortation to attend NONPAC meetings, wrote:

"I have been going to the meeting month after month. I'm tired of hearing the same thing each month. I feel like the police are giving us the same old standard lip service. We complain about the same thing each month and get the same old response, yet nothing changes in the neighborhood. Sure, police react when called on 911, but you'd think that if they continue to be called out to the same corner for the same problems on a regular basis they might just make that one of the places the officers would patrol regularly. But they don't!

"I have done my part by showing up to make my complaints known. And the police respond. They should do their part by doing what they say they will do to address/correct the issues. But they don't! Sure ,Lt. Selby gave us his cell number to call him. But I feel that if I come to the meeting to address issues and he tells me this will be taken care of, then I shouldn't have to nag him by making calls at all hours.

"Sorry, I don't have time to waste and I'm just discouraged with the results."

Another subscriber feels the meetings are held too early:

"I would like to offer one suggestion about the NONPAC meetings. I would very much like to attend the meetings, but I do not leave my office until 5:30 p.m., sometimes 6 p.m. I am sure there are others out there who would also like to attend, but 5:30 is too early to be practical, especially for those of us that work out of the French Quarter, or who work past 5 p.m. Would it be possible to set the meetings for 6 or 6:30?

What subscribers think about details on victims: Several subscribers weighed in on Capt. Hosli's censorship of information about victims from the police reports the 8th District releases to NOcrimeline. Here's what they had to say:

• "I can understand not using the victim's name, but I agree with you that male or female, how old, what race, and whether a tourist or local makes a difference in how we evaluate the risk of certain crimes happening to us."

• "I think it is just as important as the descriptions of the criminals, i.e. whether a female was walking alone or with a group, whether couples, loners, or the elderly seem to be the targets of the criminal du jour, and as in Gregg & Belinda's (the Hubers) case, whether the targets are white women. It helps us to know that information, and I think most victims would not care if their descriptions and names were revealed (as you said, it makes it more human and in many cases advises friends and neighbors who may not know, and can offer aid to their friends). Perhaps Capt. Hosli should add that question to the report form: if it's okay to reveal their name in a crime email."
  

• "Stripping the name and addresses is fine, but the sex, gender and age is important, relevant data. This sort of data is what helps my girlfriend and I formulate safety policies for given streets and times. For example, if we know single women are targeted, but a women and man together are not, then we will modifier our behavior accordingly."

Still would like the input of other subscribers to let Capt. Hosli know what you think about the expurgated police reports with no information on victims, where they live, their age, their sex or race.

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Please forward this message to anyone interested in the safety of the French Quarter and Marigny Triangle. To be added to our mailing list, send your name and email address to: NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thom Kahler