By Sky News SkyNews - Wednesday, January 2 02:19 pm

New Orleans, which has seen a rise in crime as it continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina, is set to be named the murder capital of the US for the second year running.

Louisiana's biggest city registered 209 murders last year, nearly 30% more than the 161 recorded in 2006.

The FBI's official rankings for 2007 will not be out until much later in the year.

But New Orleans' population is thought to be 295,450, which would mean a rate of about 71 homicides per 100,000 people.

Even the most generous population estimate in 2006 put the number of people in the city that year at 255,000.

That meant a real homicide rate of 63.5 per 100,000 residents. That is far higher than the rate for other notoriously violent cities, such as Gary, Indiana (48.3) and Detroit (47.1).

The killings are drug-related or retaliatory for the most part, police have said.

Known as the Big Easy, New Orleans has for decades been known as one of the party capitals of the world. However, reports of widespread looting and muggings in the wake of Hurrican Katrina tarnished its image.

The upswing in crime comes despite continued patrols by the National Guard and state police and the addition of two new classes of police recruit in the past year.

But Rafael Goyeneche, executive director of the Metropolitan Crime Commission of Greater New Orleans, says beefed-up policing efforts can only do so much.

He said: "The police and the criminal justice system is expected to clean up the mess, but they didn't create the mess.

"They aren't responsible for the social problems of the city, the failure of the school system, the degeneration of the family unit. And until the city does something to rectify those problems, crime and murder will continue to be a problem."

There are hopeful signs, however, Mr Goyeneche said, pointing to improved schools in the city since the 2005 storm, grass-roots efforts to tackle crime and a growing effort to upgrade city life.

New York and Chicago's 2007 homicide totals were the lowest in more than 40 years.

In Philadelphia, murders dipped slightly after reaching a nine-year high in 2006. But in several other big cities, the murder rate increased, including in Atlanta, Miami, Dallas and Baltimore.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080102/twl-new-orleans-to-be-named-us-murder-ca-3fd0ae9.html

Geez, a lot of angry, crazy people down there. However, with the Katrina disaster who wouldn't be angry or a little nuts? If anybody was offended by what I said I'm sorry.

By Sky News SkyNews - Wednesday, January 2 02:19 pm

New Orleans, which has seen a rise in crime as it continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina, is set to be named the murder capital of the US for the second year running.

Louisiana's biggest city registered 209 murders last year, nearly 30% more than the 161 recorded in 2006.

The FBI's official rankings for 2007 will not be out until much later in the year.

But New Orleans' population is thought to be 295,450, which would mean a rate of about 71 homicides per 100,000 people.

Even the most generous population estimate in 2006 put the number of people in the city that year at 255,000.

That meant a real homicide rate of 63.5 per 100,000 residents. That is far higher than the rate for other notoriously violent cities, such as Gary, Indiana (48.3) and Detroit (47.1).

The killings are drug-related or retaliatory for the most part, police have said.

Known as the Big Easy, New Orleans has for decades been known as one of the party capitals of the world. However, reports of widespread looting and muggings in the wake of Hurrican Katrina tarnished its image.

The upswing in crime comes despite continued patrols by the National Guard and state police and the addition of two new classes of police recruit in the past year.

But Rafael Goyeneche, executive director of the Metropolitan Crime Commission of Greater New Orleans, says beefed-up policing efforts can only do so much.

He said: "The police and the criminal justice system is expected to clean up the mess, but they didn't create the mess.

"They aren't responsible for the social problems of the city, the failure of the school system, the degeneration of the family unit. And until the city does something to rectify those problems, crime and murder will continue to be a problem."

There are hopeful signs, however, Mr Goyeneche said, pointing to improved schools in the city since the 2005 storm, grass-roots efforts to tackle crime and a growing effort to upgrade city life.

New York and Chicago's 2007 homicide totals were the lowest in more than 40 years.

In Philadelphia, murders dipped slightly after reaching a nine-year high in 2006. But in several other big cities, the murder rate increased, including in Atlanta, Miami, Dallas and Baltimore.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/skynews/20080102/twl-new-orleans-to-be-named-us-murder-ca-3fd0ae9.html

well according to the philly daily news, we should win the murder title for 2008 since we had our first murder on new years day. So philly is in the lead-LOL

Not suprised. Where i live, we had hurricane Rita, i know several people who lost their homes and we get NO publicity for that. Guess what though, we don't murder each other because of what happened. People need to stop using hurricane Katrina as an excuse for people to act like animals. The ones making trouble are all just morons who think the world owes them something and i don't care if i offend anyone over this because it's true.

I thought Cleveland would be high....Is it?

Not suprised. Where i live, we had hurricane Rita, i know several people who lost their homes and we get NO publicity for that. Guess what though, we don't murder each other because of what happened. People need to stop using hurricane Katrina as an excuse for people to act like animals. The ones making trouble are all just morons who think the world owes them something and i don't care if i offend anyone over this because it's true.

its the news media here in the UK and US who use hurricane katrina as an excuse for the city's problems. so if anyone is to blame, it should be them and their negative news coverage of the city

yep, you are right too. My family and I have first hand experience of these Katrina "victims". Our city accomodated many of the evacuees and they trashed our facilities, started brawls, all kinds of things and they acted like nuts because they feel they have the right too. They think just because they had to evacuate from a hurricane, that we owe them.

Most of my fiance's family lives in california, and his cousin wants to visit New Orleans because she has a warped mind of how that city is lol. She assumes it's all fun and partying, but i told her she shouldn't go unless she wants to get shot or mugged...lol.

I seriously, highly doubt people in New Orleans are "using" Hurricane Katrina as a reason to commit murder. That occurred TWO YEARS AGO. To say that people are killing one another in New Orleans because of a natural disaster gives too much responsibility to an "act by God" when murders are committed by people for reasons that range from domestic violence, racial hatred, drug use, alcohol abuse, revenge, etc. I feel confident saying that those problems EXISTED PRIOR TO HURRICANE KATRINA and will continue to be around for a very, very long time. Hurrican Katrina was just one symptom of a big problem in New Orleans. :rolleyes: