Crime, as we know it

While we now know the NOPD is not reporting all the crimes in the 8th District--nor reporting them fully and accurately, either--we do have reports on the following recent crimes. There doesn't seem to be any particular pattern. Some of the perps are white, some are black; some with a gun, some without; some wearing hoodies, some not; the victims (though often unspecified by the 8th District) are male and female, some young, some old, some white, some black.

The one thing that is apparent: The French Quarter and surrounding neighborhoods are dangerous places to be if you don't pay attention:

• Thursday (3.8.12) 8:10 p.m.: A 24-year-old black woman had her purse snatched near Baronne and Girod streets in the CBD by a perp described only as a black guy with a medium build wearing a white shirt and black pants.

• Sunday (3.11.12) 4:15 a.m.: A 25-year-old white fella whose judgment had been impaired on Bourbon Street tried to flag down a cab on Canal Street when a black chick in a Chevy Tahoe stopped and offered to drive him to his hotel for $20. He hopped in and a black dude in the back seat popped up, saying he had a gun and wanted him to withdraw cash from an ATM in the 200 block of St. Charles Avenue. He did and his friends in the Tahoe fled.

Police later identified the perp as Keyron Ross, 28, who was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery. He is being held in OPP on $40,000 bond.

• Tuesday (3.13.12) 9:25 p.m.: A 38-year-old white man walking near Chartres and Iberville streets was jumped by 2 black guys who knocked him to the ground and cleaned out his pockets. He was unable to give the police a description of his attackers.

• Thursday (3.15.12) 1:25 a.m.: A 47-year-old white man walking in the 1000 block of Royal Street (between Ursulines and St. Philip streets) was robbed by 3 white thugs, one of whom stuck a knife up to his chest and demanded money. He gave up his credit card and cash. He could only described one of them in detail: In his mid-20's, 5'11" all, wearing camouflaged pants and a dark shirt.

• Thursday (3.15.12) 4:09 a.m.: A 27-year-old white guy was walking near Burgundy and Conti streets when a black dude pulled a gun and robbed him of his cellphone and cash. Inadequate police reports listed no description for the perp.

• Thursday (3.15.12) 5:00 a.m.: A woman (no age or race given) was raped in the O'Keefe Plaza Hotel, 334 O'Keefe Ave., in the CBD. The rapist, caught on grainy video that showed little, is believed to be a black man who frequents bars in the French Quarter.

• Thursday (3.15.12) 10:40 p.m.: A 24-year-old white guy got into a fight with another white dude inside The Swamp bar (or whatever they're calling it now), 516 Bourbon St. His opponent picked up a barstool and hit him in the head with it. His assailant was described as 5'8" tall, wearing a light-colored button-down shirt and light-colored shorts. Sounds like a couple of young frat boys on vacation.

• Friday (3.16.12) 2:35 a.m.: A 21-year-old white man was withdrawing money from the Chase Bank ATM at Royal and Iberville streets when another white guy tried grabbing the cash from his hand. He held on and mounted police who observed the scene galloped off after the perp.

They arrested Dustin Baker, 21, and charged him with attempted robbery and aggravated assault. He is being held in OPP on $25,000 bond.

• Saturday (3.17.12) 12:10 p.m.: Cops nabbed a 15-year-old black boy after he grabbed a woman's purse from her hand in the 1000 block of Canal Street near Rampart Street.

• Saturday (3.17.12) 2:30 p.m.: Cops have issued an arrest warrant for Samuel Hechel, a 65-year-old white guy, who pulled a knife and swung at a salesclerk during an argument inside a store at 637 Canal St.

• Saturday (3.17.12) 7:30 p.m.: A white thug went into the Subway shop at 2500 St. Claude Ave., pulled a knife on the counter help, and demanded money. They fled the shop and he jumped over the counter and took an undetermined amount of cash from the register. The best description they could give of the robber was that he was white, wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans. Hope they're better at telling the baloney from the salami.

• Sunday (3.18.12) 7:00 p.m.: A 35-year-old white man, a local attorney, walking down Bourbon Street near Dumaine Street with a friend was jumped by 2 black boys, 14 to 15 years old, who came up behind them and grabbed his iPhone from his hand. They fled and the victim and his friend gave chase. the victim jumped into his car parked nearby and continued the pursuit. A couple on bicycles assisted him and had the 2 young punks cornered in the Cathedral School parking lot at Dauphine and Dumaine streets. When cops arrived, they found an open door to the school and no other escape route from the parking lot, but could not find the thieves.

• Monday (3.19.12) 10:05 p.m.: A 24-year-old white man thwarted an armed robbery by yelling for help after a black robber brandishing a pistol came up to him at Burgundy and St. Philip streets and demanded his ATM card and pin number. He gave him the card but not the pin and began hollering. The thief fled. He was described as in his 20's, 5'9" tall, weighing 160 pounds, wearing a green sweatshirt and long pants.

• Tuesday (3.20.12) 3:45 p.m. and Thursday (3.22.12) 4:50 p.m.: The Riverwalk at 1 Poydras St., which rarely sees many robberies was hit twice within 2 days. In the first, a 40-year-old white woman had her iPhone stolen by a black guy, described as in his early 20's, 5'10" tall, with a thin build, wearing a white shirt and black pants. In the second, a 64-year-old man had his iPhone stolen by 3 black punks. The victim gave chase and caught one of them, a 14-year-old, who the police took in to custody.

• Thursday (3.22.12) 7:15 p.m.: A 66-year-old Asian woman was standing at Bourbon and Toulouse streets a black guy came up an snatched her iPhone from her hand.

• Friday (3.23.12) 2:00 a.m.: A victim (no age or race given) was walking near Burgundy and St. Philip streets when a black guy produced a pistol and demanded her "property" (whatever that was). He was described a 6' tall, wearing a gray hoodie.

• Friday (3.23.12) 2:13 a.m.: A 59-year-old white woman at Dauphine and St. Ann streets was held up by an "unknown male" (young? old? white? black?) who produced a "weapon" (gun? knife?) who got away with her money and his identity intact. More "great" police work.

• Friday (3.23.12) 2:30 a.m.: A victim (no age, sex, or race given) was walking in the 800 block of Bienville Street (between Bourbon and Dauphine streets) when he got into an argument with a cab driver. The cabbie produced a metal baton and began striking the victim.

Police arrested the cab driver, Mohamad Yousef, 25, and charged him with aggravated battery. He posted $20,000 bond and high-tailed it out of Central Lockup.

• Friday (3.23.12) 12:35 p.m.: A victim (no age or race given) was standing near Bourbon and Bienville streets when a black punk grabbed her iPhone from her hand. He was described as in his early 20's, with a thin build, wearing a navy blue hoodie and blue jeans.

• Saturday (3.24.12) 8:31 p.m.: A victim (no age or race given) walking near N. Rampart and St. Peter streets was jumped by 3 black thugs who knocked him down and went through his pockets. One was described as 5'7" tall with a stocky build, wearing a light-colored shirt and khaki pants; another as 5'9" tall, wearing a pink shirt and khaki pants; and the third as 6' tall, wearing a blue shirt and blue pants.

• Sunday (3.25.12) 4:50 a.m.: A victim (no age or race given) was walking in the 400 block of N. Rampart Street (between Conti and St. Louis streets) when she was jumped by 2 black guys. One held her while the other grabbed her purse from her shoulder.

Police apprehended Johndell Harris, 33, and charged him with pursesnatching. He is being held in OPP on $25,000 bond. His accomplice is still at large, so for goodness sake don't go walking on Rampart Street.

• Sunday (3.25.12) 3:45 p.m.: A victim (no age or race given) was walking in the 900 block of St. Louis Street (between Dauphine and Burgundy streets) when a black hoodlum grabbed his iPhone and ran. He was described in his early 20's, 5'8" to 5'10" tall, weighing 130 to 150 pounds.

• Friday (3.30.12) 3:50 a.m.: A 32-year-old white guy was standing near Bourbon and St. Louis streets when he was attacked by a black thug who pulled the victim's shirt over his head and pummeled him repeatedly. It wasn't until after the beating stopped that the victim realized he had been stabbed once in the neck and once in the back. He was hauled to LSU Interim Public Hospital. His assailant was described as 25 to 35 years old, 6' tall with a slim build, a low-fade haircut, wearing a red shirt and dark-colored gym shorts. Makes you wonder where all the cops were on the busiest block of Bourbon.

• Friday (3.30.12) 11:44 p.m.: A 42-year-old white man walking on Dumaine Street near N. Rampart Street was robbed by 2 black crooks, one who beat him while the other took his wallet and iPhone from his pockets.

The duo fled into Armstrong Park, but cops caught one of them: Keenan Bryan, 18, and charged him with simple robbery and illegal possession of stolen things. He is being held in OPP on $16,500 bond. His accomplice is still at large.

• Monday (4.2.12) 5:12 a.m.: Two white women, one 25, one 26, were walking on Magazine Street near Gravier Street when a white SUV pulled along side of them and a black guy jumped out brandishing a pistol, and demanded their wallets. He then got back in his vehicle and sped off down Magazine toward Poydras Street.
  

What can be learned from this?:

• The NOPD can't protect your iPhone from thieves. You can by waiting to use it in a safe place, and by activating the tracking device now in most newer models.

• Police could reduce the appeal of iPhones to thieves by detecting where these thugs are finding a ready market for their stolen goods. They did that in Washington, D.C. and phone thefts dropped dramatically. Of course, that would take some real police work by the NOPD, but the mentality of the police here is still that NOPD stands for "Not Our Problem Dude" and cops get paid the same whether they solve a crime and lock up a criminal or not.

• The reports the detectives write are woefully inadequate in describing the suspect, which makes you think they are lazy in their interrogation of victims. Victims I've talked to give a better description than what cops report. (Read "How to describe a suspect" from an earlier NOcrimeline column.)
  

• When cops figure out who they think did a crime and issue a warrant for his arrest, they get credit for "closing" the case. They don't bother to put out a mugshot of the suspect so the public might be able to help find him. If the perp never gets locked up, the cop could care less.
  

• Victims have become just "things" to the NOPD, not human beings. More and more lately, we see crime reports with no sex, age or race for victims, making them just an "it". When Capt. Ed Hosli commanded the 8th District he always included that information (at NOcrimeline's request). Since Lt. Jeffrey Walls took over as commander that information has faded from reports, except when a special request is made to Ofc. Brian Shubert who compiles the reports.
  

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

Thom Kahler