New Orleans murders down about 40% this year
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Murders in New Orleans are down about 40% so far this year, part of the nation's quickest homicide rate decline pace in decades.
Why it matters: Just two years ago, New Orleans' homicide rate was the country's highest.
The big picture: The U.S. is on track to see one of the lowest levels of violent crimes and homicides since President Obama was in office, according to local, state and FBI data gathered by crime analyst Jeff Asher's criminal justice consulting firm, AH Datalytics.
- The numbers show crime has been steadily declining since 2022.
Zoom in: New Orleans officials give credit for the drop to new partnerships and data analysis that has officers focusing on particularly vulnerable neighborhoods, according to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune's Missy Wilkinson.
- Year over year, nearly every tracked category of violent crime has dropped by at least 22%, city data shows.
The intrigue: It's not yet clear how new, tough-on-crime state laws may impact that progress.
Reality check: Baton Rouge isn't faring as well, according to Asher's numbers.
- The Louisiana capital has doubled its murder count year over year, from 16 to 33 so far.
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