Crime in Louisiana

This article refers to crime in the state of Louisiana.

State statistics

In 2011 there were 194,150 crimes reported in Louisiana, including 513 murders, 1,260 forcible rapes and 168,744 property crimes. Property crimes include burglary, larceny/theft and motor vehicle theft.^[1] Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate among U.S. states. In 2011, Louisiana's prison population stood at 39,710 for an incarceration rate of 867 per 100,000 persons.^[2]

Homicide statistics

Louisiana has a high per capita murder rate, leading all states for 24 consecutive years (1989–2012) according to Bureau of Justice Statistics.^{[citation needed]} Louisiana averaged 14.0 murders per 100,000, compared to the U.S. average of 6.7 murders per 100,000 from 1989- 2012. ^{[citation needed]}

Crime statistics: 1995–2011 (non-homicide)

Crime totals by offense in the state of Louisiana from 1995 through 2011 as recorded by the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports.^[3]

By Location

New Orleans

In 2011 there were 16,761 crimes in New Orleans including 200 murders, 163 forcible rapes and 14,013 property crimes.^[5] With a murder rate of 57.6 per 100,000, New Orleans had the highest murder rate of any U.S. city with a population of 100,000 or more in 2011^[6] and ranked 21st in the world.^[7] New Orleans has held the distinction of having the highest murder rate of any major American city in 2000 (42.1 per 100,000 people) 2001 (44.0 per 100,000) 2002 (53.1 per 100,000) 2003 (57.7 per 100,000) 2004 (56.0 per 100,000) 2006 (70 per 100,000) 2007 (81 per 100,000) 2008 (63.6 per 100,000) 2009 (52 per 100,000) 2010 (51 per 100,000) and 2011 {57.6 per 100,000} as well. The city has had an annual murder rate at least seven times the national average for the past 30 years.The city's 58 per 100,000 average annual murder rate from 1990-2012 is nearly 20% higher than any other major U.S. city.^[8][9] New Orleans had the eighth highest crime rate in the U.S. in 2011 for cities of 100,000 to 499,000 population.^[10] As of September 2011, the NOPD has 1,353 sworn officers.^[11]

Baton Rouge

In 2011 there were 15,134 crimes committed in Baton Rouge including 64 murders, 51 forcible rapes and 12,666 property crimes. The murder rate in Baton Rouge for 2011 was the 8th highest in the nation among large cities at 27.6 per 100,000.^[5][12] Baton Rouge also had the 25th highest violent crime rate in the U.S. in 2011 with a rate of 1,065.7 violent crimes per 100,000, surpassing New Orleans at 792 per 100,000.^[13] The Baton Rouge Police Department currently employs 789 police personnel (police officers, dispatchers and specialty positions).^[14]

Capital punishment laws

Capital punishment is applied in Louisiana. Executions are carried out by lethal injection at the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Also known as Angola) and the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women at St. Gabriel.^[15]

The first recorded execution in Louisiana occurred on September 24, 1722 when an unnamed man was hanged for theft.^[16] The most recent execution took place on January 7, 2010 when Gerald J. Bordelon was put to death for the murder of his stepdaughter, Courtney Leblanc. It was the first execution in Louisiana since 2002^[17]

On June 29, 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Furman v. Georgia which halted capital punishment in the United States. Prior to this moratorium, however, Louisiana had not carried out an execution since Jesse James Ferguson was put to death in 1961.^[18] Capital punishment was reinstated in Louisiana in 1976 following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Gregg v. Georgia. The first execution to occur in the state following the lifting of the moratorium was on December 14, 1983 when Robert W. Williams was electrocuted.^[18] In total, Louisiana has executed 660 people. Eight convicted death row inmates have been exonerated in Louisiana since 1976.^[15]

Notable criminals

• Ronald Dominique - Louisiana's worst serial killer with at least 23 victims.
• Sean Vincent Gillis - Serial killer of eight women.
• Derrick Todd Lee - Nicknamed the "Baton Rouge Serial Killer", he has been linked to seven murders.
• John Allen Muhammad - Born in Baton Rouge, the "Beltway Sniper" killed ten people around the Washington D.C. area during the Beltway sniper attacks. Muhammad and his accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, are also linked to shootings outside of Washington D.C. including two in Louisiana.
• Elmo Patrick Sonnier - Convicted murderer and rapist who became the inspiration for Sister Helen Prejean's best-selling book Dead Man Walking.
• Angola 3 - The Angola 3 refers to 3 inmates, Robert Hillary King, Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace, who were placed into solitary confinement at Angola after the death of a prison guard, Brent Miller. Their case led to several high-profile documentaries and legal interest concerning solitary confinement.
• Corey Miller - Better known as C-Murder, the rapper and actor is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Steve Thomas at a nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana
• Clifford Etienne - Also known as the "Black Rhino", Etienne is a former professional boxer who fought many notable boxers including Lawrence Clay Bey, Lamon Brewster, Mike Tyson, Calvin Brock, and Nicolay Valuev. He is currently serving a 105 year prison sentence for armed robbery, kidnapping, and the attempted murder of a police officer.
• Jean Lafitte - Early 19th century French pirate who operated in and around New Orleans and Barataria Bay, Louisiana. Lafitte and his fellow privateers fought in the Battle of New Orleans after receiving a full pardon from Andrew Jackson.
• Samuel Israel III - Born in New Orleans, Israel was founder and hedge fund manager of Bayou Hedge Fund Group. He was convicted of defrauding investors out of $450 million in one wall street's biggest recent frauds.^[19] His crimes and subsequent manhunt has been featured on Dateline, America's Most Wanted, and American Greed.
• Edwin Edwards - Former Governor of Louisiana (1972–1980, 1984–1988 and 1992–1996) convicted of seventeen counts of racketeering, extortion, money laundering, mail fraud and wire fraud.
• Clementine Barnabet - Leader of the Church of Sacrifice, Clementine is considered the first African American female serial killer^{[citation needed]} having reportedly confessed to orchestrating and participating in 35 murders in southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas.^[20]

References

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