NEW ORLEANS — Concerned about the rise in violent crime in New Orleans, nearly 200 business, civic and nonprofit leaders have formed an alliance called the Nola Coalition to help find solutions. The group announced its formation and plans at a July 12 press conference at the Youth Empowerment Project headquarters in Central City.
“It is truly inspiring to see New Orleanians of all backgrounds come together for the good of our city and our children,” said Michael Hecht, CEO of GNO Inc., before the event. “While this coalition was born of the current challenge of violence in our city, I am hopeful that we will not only make a meaningful impact on safety, but also have a group that can move forward, and address other important issues in New Orleans, together.”
Other speakers at the event included Melissa Sawyer, founder and CEO of the Youth Empowerment Project; retired Judge Calvin Johnson, YEP’s board president emeritus; Ronald Coleman, an NAACP representative; Melanie Talia, CEO of the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation; Dawn Hebert, a member of the East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission; Michael Williamson, president of the United Way of Southeast Louisiana; and Dr. Takeisha Davis, president and CEO of New Orleans East Hospital.
In their remarks, representatives of the group proposed a two-part plan to “create a safer and more prosperous New Orleans for all residents” that includes urging city leaders to implement crime-fighting strategies and raising funds for a $15 million investment in social services. Several from the alliance said they hope city leaders apply to crime-fighting initiatives the same level of energy and organization seen during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Crime is not a problem without a solution,” said Talia. “Every day across the city of New Orleans, people are saying we want to see more police, we want to see more patrols. So the first order of business has got to be a full court press to retain the highly trained, dedicated women and men of the New Orleans Police Department that we have right now. And as we work to retain those officers, we need to continue to aggressively recruit. And part of our recruiting process has got to be removal of systemic barriers to the hiring process.”
The group is endorsing NOPD pay raises, increased recruiting efforts, implementation of crime-fighting technology as a “force multiplier,” increased accountability for the criminal justice system, and more community support. It also endorses monitoring, assessment and accountability via public reports every 60 days, and public-facing dashboards. More information for each of these strategies can be found at NOLAcolaition.info
In a mission statement, the group says the “nonprofit, civic and business communities have an acute interest in helping to address crime and quality of life, for reasons of both life and livelihood. We support near-term actions to reduce violence, paired with social services to drive generational change. We stand ready to invest – our time, our people, our expertise, and our money – to help make a difference for New Orleans.”
The coalition’s member organizations are diverse in size, demographics and location. The state’s biggest private employer, Ochsner Health, is on the list, as are Jones Walker and many big downtown law firms. It includes banks, restaurants, engineering firms and communications companies. Nonprofit organizations include chambers, economic development groups, social services providers, neighborhood watch groups and many others.
