Lee Brown to rescue New Orleans from its crime problem (or work on his book)

Lee Brown, a former Houston mayor who also was police chief of Houston, Atlanta and New York, is on the way to help rescue New Orleans from its vicious crime problem.  Unlike that other Mr. Brown who worked for the U.S. Government, this Mr. Brown is experienced.  He's written the book on community policing.  Well, actually, he was supposed to write it when he was the scholar-in-residence at Rice University but he just couldn't manage to get it done. "It's long overdue," Brown said. "I would not give you a deadline. I've passed all the past deadlines."

Okay, so come on down to New Orleans and help us with our crime problem.  I'm sure these are the perfect conditions for you to overcome that pesky writer's block.  Fellow blawger and longtime Houston resident, Tom Kirkendall, is speechless and asks "does New Orleans really need this?"  Probably not, but our local leaders don't know seem to know what we need.

What do we need? 

First, we need to reassess from top-to-bottom how we deal with crime, from prevention to prosecution.  Community policing makes sense, and maybe we need some guidance on how to implement this. But I'm suspicious about whether Lee Brown is the right guy (how much is he going to charge us for his services?)

What about the problems we have with prosecuting serious crimes? I recently had lunch with a friend of mine who is a prosecutor, someone I know to be a conscientious lawyer.  He echoed something I've heard from many other lawyers who do criminal law: the way that our D.A.'s office prepares cases is seriously deficient.  In most other cities, so I'm told, when there's a serious crime an assistant D.A. is sent to the crime scene to help coordinate the gathering of evidence.  That same D.A. is then primarily responsible for the case as it moves through the system.  Obviously this is the optimal way to prepare cases.  So why doesn't New Orleans do this?  According to my friend, it is because a long time ago D.A. Harry Connick decided that having D.A.s at crime scenes might impair their immunity. 

Is this really the best way and is that story about Harry Connick true?  I don't know.  And I've certainly never been asked to write any books about crime-fighting, and I'm not a scholar-in-residence anywhere.  Still, I get this sense that our leading crime-fighters, scholarly and unscholarly, are not coming up with any effective solutions. 

Comments

[Chuck Newton]

Being from Houston, I personally think Lee Brown rocks. Although controversial at times, I lived through his three terms as Mayor. He has an amazing ability to organize, build structure and lead. Toward of the end of his administration as Mayor, there was some scandal with some his staff being indicted and pleading to bribery. Nothing seemed to indicate he was involved.

[Adrastos]

Brown's contract is for $100K, which if it produces something worthwhile is not exorbitant. We've already had community policing and it worked fairly well. The only reason is was dropped is because federal funding dried up and City Hall was too lazy to look for other sources. So, Im not sure that we need to reinvent the wheel. Brown was brought in for PR purposes.

The story about Connick is true but he used the word "objectivity."

[Charlie]

Neighborhood Watch Needs YOU

September 11 ****INTRODUCTORY MEETING****7 PM
McDonogh #28 City Park Academy 2733 Esplanade

Be Concerned, Be Careful, but most of all, Be Involved

Neighborhood Watch is a citizen's involvement program where citizens, in cooperation with the New Orleans Police Department, directly participate in the detection and prevention of crime in their neighborhood. Citizens involved in Neighborhood Watch are trained how to recognize suspicious or criminal activities and how to report these activities to the N.O.P.D. Neighborhood Watch Groups are trained by District Crime Prevention Officers focusing on particular crime problems in their neighborhood.

Neighborhood Watch works because people want to assume a more active role in making their community a safer place to live. Residents within a neighborhood are aware of who belongs there and who doesn't and what activity is suspicious. The most important reason Neighborhood Watch works is that citizens began working with, instead of relying on, law enforcement to combat crime in their community. You can do something about crime in your neighborhood by becoming involved in NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH.

Sponsored by the Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association

***********************************************************************

FSJNA Board Meeting
FSJNA Board meeting 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Monday September 10, 2007

Fair Grinds Coffee House - Upstairs - on Ponce de Leon
All are welcome

Charlie

http://katrinafilm.wordpress.com