NOPD ramps up traffic enforcement

The big picture: The pandemic seemed to mark a low for police department-issued traffic citations, according to a New York Times analysis, as folks stayed home. But when drivers started hitting the road again, traffic enforcement stayed low.

By the numbers: In the years leading up to the pandemic, for example, New Orleans police made well over 20,000 traffic stops each year, according to an Axios analysis of city data.

• In 2020, that number plummeted to 7,617, and didn't seem to fully rebound until last year.
• As of Oct. 5 this year, police have already made 19,651 stops.

Catch up quick: NOPD put a new focus on traffic enforcement in 2024 when chief Anne Kirkpatrick added five more officers to the effort amid frustration over ATVs on city streets.

• Plus, "traffic enforcement and officer visibility can aid in the apprehension of violent offenders as well as catch many other felons through routine traffic stops," Kirkpatrick said at the time.

Then, NOPD renewed that focus again this fall when residents asked for more enforcement, the department says.

• "Our residents have been clear—they want safer streets," Kirkpatrick said in a press release. "We're going back to the basics—visible, consistent enforcement in the areas that matter most."

• The department is going ahead with more "proactive patrols and targeted traffic operations" with focuses on "problem areas" and school zones.

Between the lines: The uptick in enforcement is not related to New Orleans' ongoing money troubles, Kirkpatrick said at a recent City Council meeting.

• "It is actually illegal to direct officers to write tickets for generation of income, and that's taxation without representation, and it is not going to happen under [me]," she said. "The officers in the police department will not be directed to make traffic stops to write tickets in order for income revenue."

The bottom line: Buckle up and watch your speed.

Axios' Carlie Kollath Wells contributed to this report.