National Guard to stay in New Orleans 6 more months
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Louisiana National Guard troops have been stationed throughout the French Quarter since late December. Photo: Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images
The National Guard isn't leaving New Orleans anytime soon after Gov. Jeff Landry on Monday announced a six-month extension of the federal deployment.
Why it matters: The move deepens federal involvement in local policing even as city leaders tout significant drops in violent crime.
The big picture: Landry says the Department of Defense extended the "security mission" through the summer, well past its planned Feb. 28 exit.
- About 120 Louisiana soldiers — down from 350 the past two months — will focus on "crime reduction, enhanced responsiveness, and maintaining a visible presence to deter criminal activity," the statement says.
- The feds will pick up the tab for the deployment, AP reports. Specific numbers for New Orleans haven't been released, but the Congressional Budget Office estimated all the troop deployments last year cost taxpayers nearly $500 million.
Zoom in: Landry says the deployment will "combat violence in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana."
- He didn't say where else in the state they may go.
- During the first two months, the Guard says it focused on the French Quarter and NOPD's 8th District.
Driving the news: The soldiers will work during upcoming festivals and events and "ensure a daily presence to safeguard the city from crime," the Guard said in a statement.
- The Guard previously said its "impact on crime is primarily as a force multiplier, enabling law enforcement to make arrests."
Between the lines: The governor's press release included statements from Mayor Helena Moreno and NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick and described the extension as having "strong support" from both.
- When asked whether that was an accurate characterization of her feelings, Moreno in a statement said she supports the partnership with the Guard "to assist in our major events, and there are several coming up in the next few weeks."
- Beyond that, she says, the governor's office told her the Guard will be deployed "around Louisiana in a strategic manner" for the next six months.
- Kirkpatrick, in a separate statement, says the Guard is a "valued partner" during major special events and high-demand periods, while NOPD remains responsible for day-to-day policing.
Zoom out: President Trump has talked publicly twice about the deployment, most recently during last week's State of the Union.
- He called New Orleans and Memphis "our most dangerous cities," adding that the deployment was a "big success."
- In January, he told reporters in the Oval Office about a meeting with Moreno where he said she "thanked me so much" and said crime was down more than 50% "in just a few weeks."
- But Moreno said in an Instagram video she talked with the president about "our efforts really over the past year and a half" that have led to a 50-year low in the homicide rate.
The bottom line: It's unclear what benchmarks will determine whether the extended deployment is working — or when it will end.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.