Irvin L. Magri, Jr's 10 Steps to Fight Crime
Irvin Magri, Jr is the founder and President Emeritus of the Police Association of New Orleans(PANO) and the current State President of CRIMEFIGHTERS and a native of New Orleans
1) 500 bed Juvenile Detention Facility-while this may be politically unpopular our city is in desperate need of increasing bed space for violent juvenile offenders. I would strongly suggest that this 500 bed facility be separated into 1st, 2nd and multiple offender levels. Psychological assistance should be made available 24-7 to these juvenile offenders. Additionally by incarcerating these violent juvenile offenders they would be taken off the streets of our city where they would not pose a danger to our tourists, citizens, law enforcement and themselves.
2) Mandatory narcotic education in our Public and Private Schools from K-12, it is extremely obvious to all Criminal Justice Professionals that we need mandatory and strong narcotic education in our schools. In this manner no individual can go before a Court of competent jurisdiction and/or Pardon or Parole Board and plead ignorance to the use of "gateway drugs" and no realizing that they could not lead to a life of crime and addiction.
3) Mandatory review by either a Magistrate or a Criminal Court Judge of any adult individual that has been arrested for more than (5) five separate times. In this manner we can have career and potential career criminals being reviewed and examined before they injure, maim or kill innocent citizens in our community.
Prompt intervention is the key word and key action that is needed here. Unfortunately we have criminals on our streets that have many more then five (5) and sometimes more than twenty (20) individual arrests roaming our streets and communities. This poses a direct threat to all law abiding citizens of all races, creeds and colors.
4) Mandatory review by either a Juvenile Court Judge or Juvenile Court Judge Ad-Hoc of any juvenile that has been arrested for more than five (5) separate times. Early and intense intervention and possible removal from the streets will greatly assist the juvenile in question by giving him/her professional assistance and protecting the general public form violent acts.
5) Increasing the base pay of Police Officers and possibly increasing State Supplemental Pay.
6) Increasing to 1700 commissioned officers the current manpower of the NOPD.
7) Strong development of a competent and dedicated reserve (auxiliary) department of the NOPD with a goal of 180 officers double our current strength of high caliber and completely clear arrest record to supplement but not replace NOPD officers especially in the areas of Administrative work which would free up our regular officers for better deployment especially in high crime rate areas.
8) The holding of regular "crime summits" with interested and knowledgeable parties within the framework of the Criminal Justice System.
9) Creation of a special unit within the framework of NOPD to concentrate strictly on violent and career criminals such as those that have in excess of fifteen (15) arrests. Development of a data base system that could be shared by the District Attorney's Office, State Attorney General's Office, Louisiana State Police and the NOPD, et al. In this manner all professional law enforcement agencies could share with their general intelligence knowledge on career and violent criminals that pose an immediate and direct threat to the welfare and safety of all of our citizens in both the Greater New Orleans area and the State of Louisiana.
10) Much closer cooperation between all aspects of the Criminal Justice System with special emphasis between the NOPD and the Orleans District Attorney's Office for the benefit of all our citizens
