By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- New Orleans Police Department leaders announced that violent crime declined in the city for a third consecutive year in 2025.
- The annual crime statistics were released less than a week after National Guard troops began patrolling parts of the city.
- Murders and other violent offenses fell significantly compared with 2022 figures, police reported.
- Officials said the city had 121 criminal homicides in 2025, down from 266 in 2022.
- The deployment and crime trend drew comments from local and federal leaders as the city continues planning future public safety strategies.
NEW ORLEANS, LA — New Orleans Police Department leaders said violent crime in the city fell for a third consecutive year in 2025, officials announced Monday, shortly after National Guard troops began patrolling portions of the city.
David Grunfeld/AP
Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick presented the 2025 crime statistics at a news conference, showing declines in murders, shootings, armed robberies and carjackings compared with previous years.
The department reported 121 criminal homicides in 2025, down from 266 in 2022 when the city was considered among the highest per-capita murder rates in the nation.
National Guard troops began patrolling the French Quarter and other areas under a federal deployment authorized in late 2025, and officials said the presence could support overall public safety efforts.
Local leaders noted that crime had been on a downward trend prior to the deployment, and discussions continue about future strategies to sustain reductions amid staffing challenges for the city’s police force.