Another day, another "plan"

Plan, plan, everybody's got a plan: Let's see, first there was Super Chief Ronal Serpas' 2012 Crime Fighting Strategy he released the second day of January, then there was the "Milwaukee" plan (was that before or after, and who remembers what it was about), then there was the "St. Louis" plan Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced this week that he'd like judges to raise the bond on defendants arrested on gun charges to $30,000 to keep them in jail. How about just getting some cops on the street and getting the guns off it?

Here's what Jefferson Parish does to get guns off its streets: During a parade a couple of weeks ago, a sheriff's deputy saw a 17-year-old kid walking along, behaving suspiciously. He was constantly adjusting his waistband--a sign officers look for that indicates he might be concealing a weapon. The deputy approached the boy and told him he was going to search him. Sure enough, the boy had a handgun concealed in his waistband. He was arrested and is jailed in lieu of a $5,000 bond.

Mayor Mitch seems to forget a bond is to make sure a defendant shows up in court when he's supposed to, not a preemptive punishment. And Chief Serpas says most of the gun arrests by his officers are misdemeanors that end up in Municipal Court where a slap on the wrist is customary punishment.

Well, who the hell's fault is that? C'mon, Chief. Crack the whip and get your officers to pay attention to the goons around them. I'd bet you'd find a lot of punks packing heat that belong in jail for illegally carrying a weapon. And when they come out--regardless of the bond--it'll be sans their weaponry.

A big problem with NOPD officers is that they don't seem real observant: on their patrols (they do have patrols, don't they?) they don't notice abandoned cars, burned out street lights, or folks who just don't belong in that neighborhood, or who might be armed. If you really want to curtail homicides, get the guns gone. It's like kids: you can't stop them from running, but you can take away the scissors.

Toughen up: The state's gun laws are fairly tough; it's the prosecutors and judges who let those charged with gun offenses skate through. An assistant DA might tell a defendant, "We'll drop the weapons charge if you'll plead to the robbery"; well, yeah, who wouldn't want to escape that extra time.

The criminal court judges, though, typically sentence a defendant on felony illegal weapons charges to 6 months in jail--and then suspend it, so to the criminal its like getting off free.

State law calls for first offenders to be fined up to $500 and/or get 6 months in jail; almost a slap on the wrist.

But for second offenders, it starts to get serious: up to 5 years in prison; for 3 or more offenders, it's 10 years without parole.

If they possess or use a gun in a crime of violence (shooting, robbery, etc.), the penalty is a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years, without parole.

If they're already a felon and are caught with a firearm, the sentence is a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20.

Chief Serpas will tell you that most murder victims and their killers have prior arrests for illegal gun possession. So, it seems if you want to keep these murderers off the streets, be tougher earlier on:

1) The NOPD should slap a gun charge on any offense where a gun's present;

2) the District Attorney should stop using the charge as a bargaining chip or declining to prosecute it (by definition, a conviction for illegal weapons ought to go with any conviction for armed robbery);

3) Criminal Court judges should stop allowing pleas to lesser charges and handing out suspended sentences for weapons charges that call for stiffer sentences.

If you agree, email these people--the judges' addresses are at the lower right. Write them!

They ARE catching some of them: Always amazed at the arrests NOPD cops do make in robberies--particularly considering how scanty most victims' description of perps are. Here are the latest take-downs:

• Anthony Green, 17, was already in Central Lockup on attempted murder charges when Sgt. Nick Gernon and his squad of 8th District detectives linked him 1.22.12 to the armed robbery of a young black couple 1.5.12 in the 800 block of Commerce Street. The best description the victims could give of the robber was that he was a black boy in his late teens, 5'6" tall, wearing a dark hoodie. Nevertheless, the detectives made the connection and charged Green with 2 counts of armed robbery with a firearm.

• Authur Shaver, 31, made the mistake of not paying for a meal her ordered in a restaurant and was arrested 1.16.22 on that minor charge. Police found he was also wanted on a warrant from Tennessee for robbery. Then 8th District detectives made him on the armed robbery of Ditcharo's bar on Carondelet Street on 1.10.12. He's booked on armed robbery and is being held on $200,000 bond, including the out-of-state warrant.

• Torrey Hooks, 20, and David Blackledge (pictured), 19, were arrested after allegedly terrorizing the Lower Quarter on Thursday night (1.26.12)

A 44-year-old white man walking in the 1000 block of Barracks Street (between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets) around 9 p.m. was knocked to the ground by 2 black guys who then cleaned his pockets before running off.

Nearly 2 hours later, a 55-year-old man walking near Dauphine and St. Philip streets around 10:50 p.m. was knocked to the ground by the same 2 thugs who took his iPhone and ran.

By Sunday (1.29.12), 8th District detectives identified Hooks and Blackledge as the culprits and they were arrested by St. Bernard Parish sheriff's deputies. Blackledge was transferred to Orleans Parish where he was in and out of OPP in less than 24 hours on $10,000 bond.

Hooks is still in St. Bernard, where arrestees are often not heard of again. (Note the case of Desmond Woodbury, 20, who was arrested there last November for a carjacking in the Marigny Triangle; indications were that he would be quickly extradited to Orleans Parish, but he hasn't been heard of here since.)

• A 14-year-old black boy was arrested Tuesday (1.31.12) after he and 2 of his buddies rode up on bicycles and grabbed the iPhone from the hand of a 22-year-old white woman on Chartres Street near Madison Street. Of course, since he's so young and precious, you'll never learn whether or not he got justice.

(Think juveniles aren't dangerous? Over the weekend, cops arrested a young boy on N. Robertson Street, just north of Esplanade Avenue, who had in his possession 1.6 grams of crack cocaine that he was selling. When police checked his record, he already had 4 felony and 4 misdemeanor arrests as a juvenile--and he's not even 17 yet!)

Caught on cam: The female half of a white couple who robbed another white couple on Sunday (1.15.12) around 2:30 a.m. wound up on surveillance video as she tried to ditch her weapon on Dauphine Street.

The victims, a man 36 and woman 42, were walking on Toulouse Street near Dauphine when they were confronted by the man/woman team of robbers. The robbers demanded the victims' money and after they got it, fled on Dauphine toward Canal Street. A pedestrian who witnessed the robbery confronted the woman who tried hiding her gun under a parked car. The witness retrieved the gun and then got in a struggle with the gunwoman, who broke away and jumped into a silver-colored Ford Taurus and fled.

The video shows a remarkably clear image of the female robber.

The rest of the robberies:

• Wednesday (1.18.12) 7:10 a.m.: A 56-year-old white lady walking in the 300 block of Baronne Street in the CBD nearly lost her purse to a snatcher but held on while a bystander came to her aid. The would-be robber was described as a white guy (boy?), 5'4" tall, weighing 140 pounds, wearing a dark-colored hoodie.

• Wednesday (1.18.12) 7:15 p.m.: A 56-year-old white lady (let's hope it wasn't the same one who thwarted a robbery 12 hours earlier) lost her purse to 2 black boys who snatched it as she was walking near Gravier and Magazine streets in the CBD. One of the punks was described as 16 years old, 5'7" tall with a thin build, wearing a dark hoodie and dark pants; the other was 14 to 16, 5'11" with a thin build, wearing a dark-colored jacket.

• Tuesday (1.24.12) 9:15 p.m.: A 42-year-old white man getting into his car on Barracks Street near Decatur Street was struck by 2 black thugs who took his money and iPhone from his pockets. One is described as tall and muscular, wearing a gray sweatshirt and dark pants; the other as skinny, wearing all black.

• Wednesday (1.25.12) 9:05 p.m.: In the 700 block of St. Roch Avenue (yeah, it's part of the 8th District now, so its officers are spread even thinner), a 30-year-old Asian woman was walking along when a black guy on a bike swooped down and demanded her purse. He rode off on Dauphine Street toward Franklin Avenue. He was described as 20 to 25, 5'9" tall, weighing 160 to 170 pounds, wearing a black hoodie and dark pants.

• Sunday (1.29.12) 3:53 a.m.: What's it with taxicabs all of a sudden? A driver for American Taxi was carjacked by a fare he picked up at Dauphine and Conti streets. Cops later found the Toyota Sienna van abandoned in the 1500 block of N. Derbigny Street. Two nights later, another black thug carjacked a United Cab after hailing it in front of Armstrong Park; it was found later around the corner in the 1100 block of St. Philip Street.

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Recent crimes in the 8th District

Sunday (1.15.12)

Pickpocketing, 511 Bourbon, 1:21 a.m.
Armed Robbery, 900 Toulouse, 2:24 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 2200 Decatur, 5:21 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 600 Baronne, 5:03 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1000 Bourbon, 7:48 p.m.
Auto Theft, N Rampart & Toulouse, 10:25 p.m.

Monday (1.16.12)

Theft, 239 Bourbon, 1:33 a.m.
Auto Theft, 500 Elysian Fields, 3:41 a.m.
Theft, 600 Decatur, 4:08 a.m.
Theft, Bienville & Bourbon, 4:29 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 333 Baronne, 8:08 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 300 Burgundy, 8:46 a.m.
Shoplifting (attempted), 232 Bourbon, 10:32 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 300 O'Keefe, 11:41 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 922 St Louis, 11:46 a.m.
Theft, 600 S Maestri, 12:29 p.m.
Auto Theft, 100 Bourbon, 12:55 p.m.
Theft, 1150 Convention Center, 2:03 p.m.
Theft, 145 Elk, 3:12 p.m.
Theft, 1150 Convention Center, 3:41 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, Chartres & Frenchmen, 9:24 p.m.

Tuesday (1.17.12)

Theft, 739 Canal, 7:59 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 1025 Bienville, 11:12 a.m.
Theft, 701 Bourbon, 12:28 p.m.
Theft, 739 Canal, 2:29 p.m.
Theft, 225 Decatur, 4:47 p.m.
Residence Burglary, 815 St Ann, 6:34 p.m.

Wednesday (1.18.12)

Auto Theft, 817 Common, 8:41 a.m.
Pursesnatching, 346 Baronne, 8:56 a.m.
Theft, 231 Carondelet, 10:09 a.m.
Auto Theft, 400 Dauphine, 12:37 p.m.
Theft, 333 St Charles, 1:37 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 145 University, 4:09 p.m.
Theft, Decatur & St Philip, 5:19 p.m.
Theft, 739 Canal, 6:21 p.m.
Shoplifting, 400 N Peters, 6:23 p.m.
Pursesnatching, Gravier & Magazine, 7:12 p.m.
Theft, 739 Canal, 7:44 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1500 Poydras, 9:52 p.m.

Thursday (1.19.12)

Theft, 700 S Peters, 12:45 a.m.
Theft, 100 Iberville, 2:29 a.m.
Theft, 620 Chartres, 4:54 p.m.

Friday (1.20.12)

Auto Burglary, 700 St Philip, 12:10 a.m.
Theft, 127 Elk, 9:36 a.m.
Theft, 301 Camp, 9:45 a.m.
Theft, 711 St Peter, 2:28 p.m.
Theft, 711 Canal, 6:47 p.m.
Shoplifting, 400 N Peters, 9:18 p.m.

Saturday (1.21.12)

Auto Theft, Elysian Fields& N Peters, 5:47 a.m.
Business Burglary, 1025 Bienville, 7:35 a.m.
Theft, 226 Carondelet, 9:47 a.m.
Shoplifting, 928 Canal, 1:38 p.m.
Theft, 221 Carondelet, 3:49 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1500 Poydras, 9:57 p.m.

Sunday (1.22.12)

Theft, 733 Bourbon, 12:34 a.m.
Theft, 300 Canal, 12:04 p.m.
Theft, 1136 Decatur, 1:08 p.m.
Theft, 501 Decatur, 1:09 p.m.
Theft, 614 Canal, 7:40 p.m.
Theft, 100 Iberville, 11:24 p.m.

Monday (1.23.12)

Auto Theft, Chartres & Toulouse, 10:19 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 2423 Burgundy, 10:39 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 2005 N Rampart, 10:48 a.m.
Theft, 936 Royal, 2:06 p.m.
Theft, 1238 Dauphine, 2:38 p.m.
Aggravated Assault, 8 Canal, 7:30 p.m.
Theft, 739 Canal, 7:46 p.m.
Auto Theft, Burgundy & Orleans, 9:11 p.m.

Tuesday (1.24.12)

Theft, 214 Royal, 1:17 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 900 Orleans, 1:52 a.m.
Auto Theft, 400 Elysian Fields, 5:22 p.m.
Simple Robbery, 500 Barracks, 9:18 p.m.

Wednesday (1.25.12)

Theft, 439 Dauphine, 12:43 a.m.
Theft, 519 Decatur, 12:48 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 2434 Chartres, 7:28 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 700 St Roch, 9:06 p.m.

Thursday (1.26.12)

Shoplifting, 1100 Bourbon, 12:37 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 100 Baronne, 2:21 a.m.
Theft, 123 Baronne, 5:22 a.m.
Theft, 301 Camp, 8:07 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 300 Decatur, 8:51 a.m.
Shoplifting, 1011 Tchoupitoulas, 9:34 a.m.
Theft, 124 St Charles, 10:31 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 927 Poeyfarre, 10:43 a.m.
Auto Theft, 334 Royal, 1:02 p.m.
Theft, 300 Bourbon, 1:46 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 1555 Poydras, 5:47 p.m.
Theft, 555 Canal, 8:16 p.m.
Simple Robbery, 1000 Barracks, 10:32 p.m.

Friday (1.27.12)

Auto Burglary, 600 Burgundy, 1:40 a.m.
Simple Robbery, Dauphine & St Philip, 2:44 a.m.
Theft, 227 Bourbon, 3:24 a.m.
Theft, 813 Frenchmen, 8:52 a.m.
Auto Theft, Mandeville & N Peters, 2:44 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 715 St Peter, 3:40 p.m.
Theft, 900 Convention Center Blvd, 3:57 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 2200 N Peters, 4:18 p.m.
Shoplifting, 232 Bourbon, 11:26 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 2200 N Peters, 11:53 p.m.

Saturday (1.28.12)

Auto Burglary, 800 Royal, 1:27 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 600 St Ann, 1:44 a.m.
Theft, 544 Bourbon, 1:57 a.m.
Theft, 500 N Rampart, 3:10 a.m.
Auto Theft, Royal & Ursuline, 5:25 a.m.
Theft, 123 Baronne, 6:57 a.m.
Theft, 936 St Charles, 8:30 a.m.
Pickpocketing, Bourbon & Canal, 8:36 a.m.
Business Burglary, 91 French Market Pl, 9:02 a.m.
Theft, 921 Canal, 12:51 p.m.
Shoplifting, 725 Magazine, 1:13 p.m.
Theft, 718 St Peter, 8:29 p.m.
Auto Theft, 611 O'Keefe, 10:01 p.m.
Auto Theft (attempted), 611 O'Keefe, 10:53 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Girod & LaSalle, 11:26 p.m.

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

Thom Kahler