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

What's Serpas hiding?

This report's longer in coming than most because I've been scratching my head trying to figure out what's going on with the NOPD. While I've been asking "where's the crime?", the Times-Picayune managed to wheedle figures out of the NOPD that showed crime was actually higher last year, rather than lower as I thought.

But the T-P got the official figures the NOPD had to accurately report to the FBI, and not the anecdotal incidents supplied to NOcrimeline. That (and other incidents outlined below) leads me to believe that Police Chief Ronal Serpas--a veteran of the old-time NOPD--was using old-time NOPD tactics: He is cooking the books, fudging the figures, whatever you want to call it. He is reporting crimes--if at all--as minor offenses rather than as serious as they really are.

Many crimes are not even making the NOPD's online Crime Map that Serpas bragged would keep citizens informed of crimes in the city. Remember the murder and robbery of the Slidell optometrist in the French Quarter last fall? That crime never has appeared on the Crime Map. Remember the 2 fights (one this winter and one last fall) at Jax Brewery that left a couple of guys beat senseless? Both of those were first listed as "simple battery" until the public reported details, and then--and only then--did the NOPD upgrade the crimes and make reports available.

More recently, there's been mystery surrounding cops shooting to death 2 felons. In the first case, where the felon emptied his pistol while trying to kill 3 cops, the NOPD pretty well explained what happened. But in the second, where a cop shot an unarmed felon during a drug raid on a house, many questions remain. Serpas blamed it on the cop/shooter not giving investigators a statement of what happened (never mind that constitutionally he had the right not to). What about the other cops involved in the raid? Didn't they see anything? (Personally, if I saw a half-naked, 6'3" tall, young, athletic guy bounding down the stairs toward me, I too would shoot first and ask questions later.) But the lack of information in both cases leaves the public wondering what happened.

Cover-ups: Other recent crimes the NOPD refuses to talk about:

• Minimized crime: Krewe du Vieux parade, 1900 block of Burgundy Street in the Marigny Triangle, 2.4.12--A fight broke out in a melee involving at least 4 guys that the police categorized as "disturbing the peace." They ignored the fact that 2 guys were knifed and had to be hospitalized.
  

• Sloppy police work: Last Call Bar, 806 Conti St., 3.12.12--Neighbors report a loud ruckus among several women in front of the bar around 8 a.m. Before cops arrive, up to 7 witnesses view one woman brandishing a gun. The cops write it off as a drug violation, never asking the witnesses about the reported weapon. The 8th District refuses to issue a report; citizens wonder why this gun wasn't taken off the street.

• Down-graded assault: Verti Marte, 1201 Royal St., 3.17.12--A gutter punk, impatient for his food around 3 a.m., smashes a young girl in the face when she tries to calm him down. "Split her face open, broke bones and her nose, knocked her out cold," is the way our informant described it. Cops describe it as a "simple battery" (remember the Jax Brewery brouhahas?) and refuse to issue a report on the crime.

• Report refused: Royal and Dumaine streets, 3.18.12--Two guys get beaten up badly, it's all over TV, but the NOPD refuses to issue a report.

Those are just a few recent cover-ups that are becoming more and more prevalent. In each case, the 8th District refers us to the Public Information Office, which stonewalls us despite its mandate "for gathering pertinent news worthy information from all commands for dissemination to the news media." When one of the officers there is courteous enough to respond, it is to direct us to the NOPD's Record Room where there is a $20 fee for each "public" report issued.

What else is Serpas hiding from the public? Read on.

Not public information: Chief Serpas was caught with his hand in the cookie jar again when he assigned a take-home city car for Remi Braden (left) to use when he hired her at $91,000 to work directly under him as commander of the NOPD's Public Affairs Division or Public Information Office (or whatever they're calling it at any given time).

Her illegal use of the car came to light after she had a minor traffic accident with it last month. Serpas' chief of staff, Maj. James Treadway, couldn't quite cover it up, though he tried: He didn't require her to take a mandatory drug/alcohol test after the accident, and the damage recorded in the official report was more severe than indicated. So when she was outed, Super Chief Serpas had to take her Crown Vic away.

After noting earlier the difficulties in getting Braden's office to divulge public information, it seemed odd to look back at the NOPD news release noting her hiring in March of last year. It said Braden's duties would include "...helping to ensure the NOPD’s commitments to transparency, accountability, collaboration and integrity in the service to the people of New Orleans." Perhaps she hasn't been on the job long enough to look up what those big words mean. To the people of New Orleans, they mean nothing, coming from the NOPD.

One of the things she did do, though, was "unsubscribe" from NOcrimeline. Guess she didn't want to hear anything bad said about her boss. Hope she sees this column.

Another Crown Vic cover-up: No more had Braden's woes been exposed than another NOPD cop ran afoul of the law (maybe), though the NOPD again characteristically won't reveal any details.

Apparently a police cruiser driven by an unnamed 8th District cop ran down 2 pedestrians a week ago Saturday night (3.17.12) at St. Joseph Street and St. Charles Avenue in the CBD. According to Jason Williams, an attorney who's representing the injured couple who are in their 30's, said they were walking near the intersection around midnight when the cop car--without flashing lights or siren--ran the red light, careened around the corner from St. Joseph onto St. Charles, hit a taxicab, jumped the curb, struck the couple, and came to rest against a sign in the parking lot on the corner.

The NOPD made no comment on the accident until 3 days after Williams disclosed it, and then issued only a one-paragraph statement that said it was investigating. A cop on the scene tried to prevent a passer-by from snapping pictures, but the man, a lawyer, basically told him to go to hell and kept on snapping. Another black mark on the NOPD's "public" information dismal effort.

Different online: Apparently Serpas doesn't consider running down citizens with a cop car as serious as an officer expressing his opinions online. When 8th District Det. Jason Giroir (right) posted some dumb thoughts about that shooting in Florida, Serpas immediately suspended him without pay--never mind his First Amendment rights--then fired him the next day.

To most, Giroir's comments might seem inappropriate, insensitive, and even racist, but if making dumb comments was a crime, most of us would be doing life-without-parole. And consider that Girior--less than a month ago--was the target of a thug who tried to gun him and 2 fellow officers down. Those 2 were hit by gunfire, Girior missed being wounded when his taser gun caught a bullet intended for him.

Got to think things like that make you a lot more sensitive to who might be a thug. And if wearing a hoody shouldn't indicate someone's a hood, go back and read recent robbery reports from the French Quarter and see how many of the robbers were wearing a hoody.

What now, Serpas?: In January there was nearly a murder a day. Then there was the hubbub over Serpas releasing the criminal records of murder victims (which essentially showed that, in most cases, those who "act like a thug, die like a thug.") Then his plan to plaster a bright orange sticker on houses searched for drugs--which could be easily and legally removed immediately--ended before it started, sticking CrimeStoppers with 5,000 of the useless signs.

Caught clueless on stopping the killings, being forced to discard the policy on revealing criminal backgrounds, and stopping the stickers before being stuck with the program, Serpas lost much of the swagger he brought with him when he became chief in May, 2010. Now, in press conferences, he looks much humbled by the experience and too much like a deer in the headlights. And after the latest mishaps, he's looking more and more like a dog slinking away with his tail between his legs.

NOcrimeline was among the first to champion choosing Serpas as New Orleans new police chief. Now we might have to be among the first to suggest that he's overstayed his welcome.

In the 2 years since he's been chief here, the crime problem hasn't improved, his cops are still seen as racists, he's jettisoned many good cops over minor infractions that could have been remedied, and now citizens must endure his lack of candor.

He could improve the situation immensely and immediately by demanding his commanders come clean and tell the public what's going on in their neighborhoods. Forget words like "transparency," "accountability," "collaboration," and "integrity." Just tell citizens what's happening, where, when and how, so they can protect themselves from crime.

Serpas keeps reiterating that he's death on lying ("If you lie, you die")--he needs to remember that a lie is not only what you say, it's also what you don't say.

It's time for Serpas to tell citizens what they want to know about crime in their community.

If you want the NOPD to end the cover-ups and supply more information to the public, make your voice heard:

• Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas: Rwserpas@nola.gov or Nopdchief@nola.gov

• 8th District commander Jeffrey Walls: Jhwalls@nola.gov

• Public Information Officer Remi Braden: rabraden@nola.gov

(Please copy NOcrimeline@gmail.com with your message to them)

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If you want NOcrimeline to continue, go to the upper right corner and make your contribution in support of this effort. It takes a lot of time and agony to try to pry this information out of the NOPD.

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

Thom Kahler