New Orleans Reports 70% Drop in Violent Crime Since 2022, Building Momentum for Citywide Renewal
 New Orleans - The New Orleans Police Department today announced that citywide violent crime to include homicides, nonfatal shootings, carjackings, and armed robberies combined; have fallen 70 percent since 2022, comparing the first six months of each year. Reported incidents dropped from 816 in the first half of 2022 to 247 in the first half of 2026, including a 15 percent decline in the past year alone.
NOPD data shows sustained, district-level declines through mid-2026, as public safety gains align with Mayor Moreno's new Canal Street Renaissance Initiative.
The reduction spans every major violent crime category tracked by the Department:
- Homicide: down 72% (156 to 44 victims)
- Nonfatal shootings: down 65% (237 to 82 incidents)
- Armed robbery: down 67% (269 to 88 incidents)
- Carjacking: down 79% since 2022, though incidents ticked up slightly over the past year.
The 7th District, historically the city's highest-volume district for violent crime, posted the largest long-term reduction — down 74% since 2022 — while continuing to improve year-over-year, including a 61% drop in nonfatal shootings compared with 2025 alone.
NOPD leadership attributes the sustained decline to a set of intentional strategies put in place beginning in 2023 — including data-driven district-level deployment, expanded investigative capacity, and a deliberate investment in community engagement — that have continued to build through 2026.
"This progress didn’t happen by accident. Since 2023, our officers, our command staff, and our community partners have executed deliberate strategies, district by district, and the results speak for themselves. We are not declaring victory — we are continuing the work, because every one of these numbers represents a New Orleanian who is safer today than they were four years ago,” explains Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.
The Department's public safety gains provide a foundation for the City's broader efforts to reinvest in its commercial corridors.
NOPD will continue working alongside the Mayor's office, the City Council, and the Canal Street Renaissance Director to ensure the corridor's revitalization is built on a foundation of sustained public safety.
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