and you thoughtnewark was bad...| NEW ORLEANS

Pretty random..but every year I check for the worst places/most dangerous cities in the U.S..New Orleans is at the top of the list almost every year...check it out


Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities in America 2008

1. New Orleans
2. Camden, NJ
3. Detroit
4. St. Louis
5. Oakland
6. Flint, Mich.
7. Gary, Ind.
8. Birmingham, Ala.
9. Richmond, Calif.
10. North Charleston, SC

NEW ORLEANS — The crime wave that hit New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina shows little sign of abating, more than two years after city officials said taming the outbreak was among their top priorities.

The rates of killings and most types of property crime have kept pace with the city's population increase, according to police records. Sporadic violence also marred the city's famed Mardi Gras celebration since Saturday, with at least nine people wounded by gunshots, including some that were fired near a parade route Tuesday.

Recent crime figures show that the number of thefts reported in the first 10 months of 2007 was 51% higher than the same period in 2006; the number of robberies increased 54%, according to police records.

Such crimes are increasing despite an aggressive federal, state and city campaign that includes patrols by the National Guard and state police. For instance, more than 1,000 officers, state troopers and National Guardsmen were positioned along Mardi Gras parade routes this year.

Among the reasons for continuing problems:
FIND MORE STORIES IN: New Orleans | Hurricane Katrina | Mardi Gras | Hurricane | Michael Andrews | Crime Wave

•Turf wars between drug dealers who are vying for a smaller pool of users. An overwhelming number of killings revolve around selling and buying drugs, police spokesman Sgt. Joe Narcisse said.

•Burglars taking advantage of near-empty neighborhoods to steal lumber and copper wiring from half-built homes.

•A police force that says it is still struggling to restore its ranks after hundreds left post-Katrina. New Orleans had 1,720 officers before Katrina, when the city's population stood at 455,000. The force has fewer than 1,500 today. Population figures in New Orleans vary widely, but the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center estimated in December that there were about 320,000 residents. The non-profit group estimates population by analyzing postal data.

Based on population estimates, there are more police officers per 100,000 residents in New Orleans now (469) than there were before the storm hit (378.)

City police say they are making progress. The department is recruiting more officers and last month moved into its headquarters after more than two years working out of trailers.

"NOPD and the city (have) experienced challenges beyond belief when we consider what we have to deal with," Narcisse said.

Some critics say the city's police force would be more effective if it spent less time on minor crimes.

More than half of the 58,000 arrests made by New Orleans police last year were for traffic offenses or minor infractions that could have been resolved with citations rather than arrests, according to a study done by the Metropolitan Crime Commission, a local watchdog group. - USA TODAY

I also found out that New Orleans has a murder blog..this place may be hell on earth.. http://neworleansmurderblog.blogspot.com/