New Orleans on pace for lowest murder count in decades
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The New Orleans Police Department is on pace for one of the lowest homicide counts in decades. Photo: Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images
New Orleans is on pace to record its lowest number of murders since at least the 1960s, according to crime analyst Jeff Asher.
Zoom in: That's a remarkable turnaround for a city long plagued by a violent reputation.
The big picture: New Orleans has been improving its violent crime statistics for several years, a testament to "precision policing," better tech and community participation, police chief Anne Kirkpatrick has said.
By the numbers: Police data shows ongoing decreases in the number of New Orleans carjackings, homicides with and without firearms, nonfatal shootings, rape and sexual assaults, and robberies over at least the past three years.
- So far in 2026, the city has seen 33 homicides, a decrease compared to 39 at this point last year.
Yes, but: Calls for service have remained about the same since mid-2022, the data show.
Between the lines: Still, the improvements, according to NOPD spokesman Reese Harper, have freed up resources for "proactive policing rather than primarily responding to violent incidents."
- "That includes expanded traffic enforcement, intelligence-led operations, targeted crime prevention initiatives, and increased officer visibility throughout the city," Harper said in a statement. "Officers now have greater capacity to focus on preventing crime before it occurs while continuing to aggressively investigate violent offenses."
Zoom out: It's not just New Orleans that's making strides to reduce murder rates.
- "Murder fell in the United States in the first half of 2026 pointing to a fourth straight large decline to likely a new lowest level ever recorded," Asher wrote for his crime analysis newsletter.
- The decline may be a smidge smaller than last year's, he notes, "but would be considered record-setting in any other year in recorded history."
Between the lines: President Trump has repeatedly sought to claim some credit for New Orleans' improved violent crime stats, pointing to the National Guard deployment as a key factor.
- Gov. Jeff Landry extended that deployment by six months in March.
- The announcement included quotes from Kirkpatrick and Mayor Helena Moreno and noted their "strong support" for the move.
What we're watching: New Orleans City Council recently voted to expand a "first responder" drone program to the French Quarter to improve response times by surveilling a scene before officers arrive, Verite reports.
- But there's not yet a go-live date for that new drone program, an NOPD spokesperson tells Axios New Orleans. The department is still working to get the right equipment and training before launch.