The big cover-up

Not a "quirk" at all: A number of days ago we said it was a quirk in the law that required the police to charge home invaders with "aggravated burglary" rather "armed robbery," but now we find that's not so.

What is so, according to Maj. Edwin Hosli, commander of the 8th District, is "that's how we're told to charge it." I'm presuming that comes from his bosses in the NOPD; if it was coming from the DA, she'd probably reduce it to something like "illegal use of a doorknob."

What difference does it make? To the bad guy, it's the difference between 1 to 30 years in Angola for "burglary" versus 10 to 99 years for "robbery." For the NOPD, it allows them to report the incident to the FBI as a more benign "property crime" by calling it a burglary; if they report it as a robbery it's classified a "violent crime." And "property crimes" pall in comparison to "violent crimes" when Big Chief Warren Riley tries to brag about crime figures. (Keep on eye on this site--we'll soon have an analysis there of the just-released FBI figures for 2007.)

A few years ago, there was a big brouhaha about crimes being downgraded in the 1st District, which made the commander there look like he'd really improved the crime rate there. When it came to light, then-Chief Eddie Compass fired the commander and his lieutenants (since reinstated).

A few weeks ago, a producer for CNN called me and asked if that's what was happening with the NOPD refusing to release reports to the public. At that time, I told her no, that we seemed to be getting accurate reports of all the crimes from Maj. Hosli. I wish she'd call again.

In the case that raised this issue, 5 black boys--armed with a gun--entered a house at 831 Touro St. and robbed 2 Hispanic workers there of their wallets. An arrest warrant for "aggravated burglary" rather than "armed robbery" was put out for one of the punks, but sloppy police work botched that.

Now we have 2 more "aggravated burglaries" reported by the 8th District as happening last Saturday (6.7.08). See if you think these should have been classified as something else instead:

• A Hispanic woman was returning to her room at 1630 Canal St. at 7:20 a.m. As she opened the door, a black man and black woman came up behind her and pushed her into her room. The 2 perpetrators took cash from the room and fled.

The man was described as 30 years old, 6' tall, weighing 150 pounds, wearing a red polo shirt and black shorts. The woman was described as 5"3" tall and weighing 180 pounds.

Ofc. Donald Nides, of the 8th District's Canal Street Squad, issued a warrant for Joy Armond, 27. She was arrested last December for armed robbery, but in February the DA (surprise, surprise) refused to prosecute her. (If the cops are really serious about catching these fugitives, why don't they put out a picture of them to the public? Any one of us might have seen her walking through the French Quarter.)

• 3 men were in a store at 635 Decatur St. that was closed for the night at 11:55 p.m. when a black dude burst in with a pistol and removed cash from the victims' pockets and fled.

The robber (or, according to the cops, "burglar") was described as 5'7" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with a dark complexion and gray beard, wearing a white chef's coat, black pants and black shoes.

Actual armed robberies: But there were some robberies the NOPD classified as such:

• Tuesday (6.3.08), 1:05 a.m., Canal and LaSalle streets: A black man walking on Canal was accosted by another black man who pulled a knife and demanded money. The victim complied and the robber fled toward the river.

The robber was described as in his 20s, 6' tall, weighing 180 pounds, with short twists in his hair, and wearing a black T-shirt and cut-off blue jeans.

• Friday (6.6.08), 4:49 a.m., Elysian Fields and St. Claude avenues: A black man sitting in his car was robbed by another black man who pulled a shotgun and demanded money. The victim complied and the robber ran across the street to a gold-colored car which sped away on St. Claude to St. Bernard Avenue.

The robber was described as wearing a red hat, red bandanna, and white T-shirt.

• Sunday (6.8.08), 1:55 a.m., Tchoupitoulas and Gravier streets: A white man standing on the corner was accosted by 3 black thugs, one of whom pulled a knife while the other 2 removed cash from victim's pockets.

One robber was described as 5'10" tall, thin build, with corn rows in his hair, light complexion, clean shaven, wearing a white T-shirt and black pants; another was described as 5'10" tall, thin build, with dreadlocks and a mustache, wearing a black shirt and black pants; the other was described as 6' tall, thin build, short haircut, wearing a white shirt and blue shorts.

Some arrests, or warrants for arrests, too:

• Patrick Porter and David Cobarruviaz, both black and 21, were arrested 6.2.08 at 4:48 a.m. by Officers Brandon Ludwig and Billy Tregle for breaking into a car at Decatur and Conti streets. the duo share a birthday on 12.18.86 but apparently don't share finances--Porter posted $5,000 bond to bail out of OPP before we could get his picture; Cobarruviaz is still there.
  

• Kendal Russ, a black punk, 17, 5'5" tall, weighing 120 pounds, is wanted for snatching the purse of a white woman at 5:09 a.m. on 5.25.08 in the 300 block of Bourbon Street.

• Michael Merrill, a black dude, 28, 5'10" tall, weighing 150 pounds, is wanted for punching a white man in the chest and taking his wallet on 5.26.08 at 4:15 p.m. at St. Ann and Dauphine streets.
  

The rest of the story: When Maj. Hosli began sending his redacted crime reports directly to citizens in late March, he was sending an email almost every day, including mostly violent crimes (but not burglaries). Now the reports have tapered off to, on average, only one report a week, which usually has little in it.

(It would be nice to assume that means crime has tapered off, but probably not. I would suspect he's being curtailed by Chief Riley again. Riley has managed to stifle his command staff more effectively than Archie ever did Edith.)

Here's what we've gleaned the past week from the Times-Picayune that hasn't appeared in the 8th District reports:

Assault and battery

• 5.30.08, 12:30 p.m., 1000 block of Ursulines Avenue
• 6.1.08, 5:40 a.m., Bourbon and Conti streets
• 6.1.08, 3:51 a.m., 100 block of Royal Street
• 6.2.08, 12:11 p.m., French Market Place
• 6.2.08, 10:40 a.m., 700 block of Canal Street
• 6.2.08, 6:00 a.m., 800 block of Bourbon Street
• 6.2.08, 3:16 a.m., Bourbon and St. Louis streets
• 6.2.08, 12:06 a.m., 400 block of Bourbon Street
• 6.3.08, 11:48 p.m., 800 block of Convention Center Boulevard
• 6.3.08, 11:00 p.m., 300 block of Bourbon Street

Burglary

• 6.2.08, 9:32 p.m., 1000 block of Annunciation Street

Theft

• 5.30.08, 9:19 p.m., first block of Canal Street
• 5.30.08, 2:17 p.m., 200 block of Poydras Street
• 5.30.08, 11:01 a.m., 800 block of Chartres Street
• 6.1.08, 3:55 p.m., 800 block of Iberville Street
• 6.1.08, 12:56 p.m., 100 block of Decatur Street
• 6.2.08, 6:08 p.m., 300 block of Camp Street
• 6.2.08, 5:34 p.m., 700 block of Iberville Street
• 6.2.08, 10:57 a.m., 200 block of St. Charles Avenue
• 6.2.08, 3:50 a.m., 300 block of Bourbon Street
• 6.2.08, 10:38 p.m., 500 block of Decatur Street
• 6.3.08, 6:48 p.m., 700 block of Bourbon Street
• 6.3.08, 5:15 p.m., 900 block of Convention Center Boulevard
• 6.3.08, 6:38 p.m., 900 block of Convention Center Boulevard
• 6.3.08, 1:54 p.m., 900 block of Iberville Street
  

Robbery (pickpocketing)

• 6.2.08, 11:55 a.m. 600 block of Bourbon Street
• 6.3.08, 12:11 a.m., 700 block of Bourbon Street
  

Riley reneges: As you can note from the above, the Times-Picayune is still running a week behind on publishing crime reports from the NOPD. Chief Riley agreed on 4.23.08 to begin providing the reports within 3 days, as required by law, to settle a suit brought by the Big City Daily. Now, from what I hear, he's saying he doesn't have enough manpower to do that job either. In truth, he has more officers per capita than New York City does.

NONPAC: The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Thursday (6.12.08) at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, 1001 Toulouse St. (at Burgundy Street), in the Renoir Room.

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As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.com.

Thom Kahler