Fighting Crime In Post-Katrina New Orleans

New Orleans Is On Track To Lead The Nation In Per Capita Murders For Second Year In A Row

(CBS)  Two years after Katrina, the "New Orleans sound" is a familiar melody of music, rebuilding and crime.

Gun sales remain brisk in a city with a deadly distinction: It has the highest per capita murder rate in the nation with 137 killings, so far this year, and counting.

Even those trying to rebuild New Orleans are under fire, reports CBS News correspondent Byron Pitts. In the past month, three contractors have been murdered.

"I like to think I'm not paranoid, but I'm scared," says Brian LeBlanc.

These days, LeBlanc works with a hammer in hand and an assault rifle at the ready.

What prompts him to have to bring gun to work?

"That's an act of desperation, no meanness intended," he says. "That's all self-defense."

Self-defense is forcing contractor Pablo Mejia to arm himself and his workers. His son, Pablo Mejia Jr., was at a house installing a lock when he was kicked, robbed and shot in the head.

"By us arming ourselves and arming our people, we are going to create a war in New Orleans. And that is what we don't want," says Mejia.

But Mejia says he has no other choice.

His son was a third-generation New Orleans resident. Soon, his widow, Luisa, will deliver a fourth generation, a little girl to be named Marianna.

Luisa Mejia says the murders are destroying the very people the city needs most.

"My husband was working, trying to make an honest living, supporting his family, trying to rebuild the city," she says.

Contractors like Mejia work in some of the hardest-hit areas and meanest streets of New Orleans. Many are newly arrived Latino workers who are often here illegally. Police say they have become prime targets.

Street thugs call the Hispanic contractors "Walking ATMs." New Orleans Police Chief Warren Riley says it's because the contractors often carry large amounts of cash. But Riley insists, "We are making progress."

The police academy is about to graduate its largest class ever, and the Justice Department has made $30 million available to rebuild the city's criminal justice system.

"If New Orleans is going to get better, this is the time for it to get better," Riley says.

Is it better yet?

"We're working on it," he says.

But that is little comfort for Luisa Mejia. She's moving now. Thieves took her husband and their dreams.

"They destroyed my life and my daughter’s life," she says.

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New Orleans' health care system is still in shambles. Tomorrow, as we continue out series, we'll introduce you to a nurse who's had to become doctor, social worker and detective.

[oakishpines]

'' ... putting women in mens armys did not turn men into gardenets, it turned women into rapists of husbands and children ... putting children into armys does not turn women and men into gardenets, it turns children into parent rapists ... if men are to treat children with respect, then men are to start acting like children ... and are to start treating two year olds like two year olds ... ''

'' ... all the front pages would have been covered in photos of local children dancing get well feed world songs rallied around the sick beds drifting the farm trails, except a terrorist warned against it ... ''

[my2centss]

They don''t want to rebuild it, and want to kill those that are rebuilding it. I say release the *****. Its not worth rebuilding a city below sea level anyway.

[nexgen99]

80 percent of New Orleans was a cesspool before Katrina and if Ray Nagin has his way, 80% will be a cesspool again.

[slim1h2o]

New Orleans'' health care system is still in shambles. Tomorrow, as we continue out series, we''ll introduce you to a nurse who''s had to become doctor, social worker and detective.

UUmmm, look around, rest of the country aint much better.

Hardly anybody does thier jobs any more, our health care is in shambles, justice system, I could go on but why bother.

[mitywhity]

This is just sensationalism at best, but we know this, as the improper use of statistics to make a point. Sort of like the lack of evidence of the deleterious effects of secondhand smoke, but there are numerous media reports of this unproven effect, but no valid statisrics to back it up.........................................How''s this for a valid "statisric"...I am deaf in one ear from all the filthy secondhand smoke I breathed for 17 years growing up. The pain was nightly and now I wouldn''t feel it if you hit me with a brick - numbed. I can''t wait for my cancer because my selfish mother had to have her smoke..............New Orleans is a lot like Philadelphia and all other major cities. Why do allow the trash of our society to congregate and dominate our most valuable acreage? I appreciate the murder statistics - I wonder what happened in m''66? Hmmmm?

[mitywhity]

I wonder WHO is doing all the killing? Maybe it''s those Irish 80 year-olds they pat down in the airports. Hmmm?

[leoson80]

You fail to see the difference in size between the two cities??? What? can you count?

[philacal]

When I watched this story on the TV, it was stated that there were 137 murders to date in New Orleans and that this was the most for any city this size in the US. Well, here in Philadelphia we have had over 250 murders to date and I fail to see a difference in the size of the 2 cities. This is just sensationalism at best, but we know this, as the improper use of statistics to make a point. Sort of like the lack of evidence of the deleterious effects of secondhand smoke, but there are numerous media reports of this unproven effect, but no valid statisrics to back it up. Yet we see the banning of smoking everywhere for the wrong reasons. Why not say its just nasty and smells bad.

[tburzio]

New Orleans Historical Murder Rate Numbers
1962 - 79
1965 - 87
1966 - 113
1985 - 152
1986 - 197
1987 - 205
1988 - 228
1989 - 251
1990 - 304
1991 - 346
1992 - 279
1993 - 395
1994 - 424
1995 - 363
1996 - 351
1997 - 267
1998 - 230
1999 - 158
2000 - 204