NEW ORLEANS – Mayor Mitch Landrieu and New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Superintendent Michael Harrison attended the Summit on Violent Crime in Washington, D.C. yesterday, hosted by Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
The summit is bringing together law enforcement and federal, state and local government leaders from across the country to discuss effective violence reduction strategies. Landrieu and Harrison are attending at the invitation of the Attorney General.
“Violent crime is an epidemic in this country, and it is senselessly taking too many loved ones from their families,” said Mayor Landrieu. “Public safety is New Orleans’ top priority and it has been a consistent focus of my work as mayor. I commend President Obama and Attorney General Lynch for not only raising awareness on this issue, but also bringing people together from all over the country to stop the violence and stop the killing. Just as we have a comprehensive, fully coordinated effort to fight terrorism at all levels of government, we must have the same to address the terror that is afflicting the streets of America.”
“We never stop learning and improving at NOPD, and this summit is a meaningful opportunity to do both,” said Chief Harrison. “Crime of any nature, but especially violent crime, will not stand in New Orleans. NOPD is using every tool, resource and partner at our disposal to hunt down those who commit violent crime and throw them behind bars. NOPD is implementing a tougher, smarter crime reduction strategy with the goals of increasing police presence on the streets, improving police response times and reducing crime across the city. With this comprehensive strategy, we are taking a daily, relentless approach to making New Orleans a safer city to live, work and visit.”
As part of this summit, the Justice Department said the participants will engage in discussions with Attorney General Lynch; Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates; the heads of the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service; and, other senior Obama Administration officials. U.S. Attorneys from participating jurisdictions, such as Ken Polite, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, will also be in attendance.
“We look forward to meeting with our colleagues from across the country, with the goal of developing both short- and long-term solutions to spikes in violent crime,” said Kenneth A. Polite, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The Department of Justice said the summit will help leaders identify and examine effective violent crime reduction strategies that have contributed to the historic decline of crime and violence. It will also help serve as an opportunity to discuss the root causes of violent crime and discuss strategies to combat it. Leaders will also discuss the nature and potential causes of recent upticks in violence in some jurisdictions, including identifying any commonalities, discuss collaborative efforts to tackle violent crime, and explore potential Department of Justice resources that could be used to assist in efforts to reduce crime.
Following the summit, Landrieu and Harrison will continue to work closely with the Department of Justice and local federal law enforcement offices, including U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite, to implement comprehensive and coordinated strategies that improve public safety and build a stronger New Orleans.
