January 6, 2026
In 2022, New Orleans was considered the country’s per-capita “murder capital,” with 266 murders. That number was sliced in half to 121 in 2025.
New data shows that violent crime in New Orleans is continuing to decline. Local police officials revealed that violent crime fell for a third year in a row, despite President Donald Trump taking credit for it after ordering National Guard members to patrol the city.
In his latest target against Democratic-led cities, Trump approved sending 350 National Guard members to Louisiana following a deployment request from Republican Gov. Jeff Landry to fight crime. Landry claimed that troops were needed in New Orleans because of “elevated violent crime rates,” despite local officials saying crime has been dropping for years in the city.
As the Associated Press reports, Trump credited the Guard deployment with New Orleans’ drop in violent crime.
“We have crime down to almost nothing already,” the president stated during a news conference. He adds, “I cannot imagine why governors would not want us to help.”
So far, Trump has deployed or attempted to deploy National Guard members to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Portland, Oregon, Chicago, and Memphis. A Democratic mayor runs each city.
Violent Crime In New Orleans
New data released by New Orleans police shows that since 2022, murders, shootings, armed robberies, and carjackings have significantly decreased city-wide. In 2022, New Orleans was considered the country’s per-capita “murder capital,” with 266 murders. That number was sliced in half to 121 in 2025, which includes the 14 people who were killed in a vehicle-ramming attack on Jan. 1 last year in the French Quarter.
New Orleans police classify murders as criminal homicides. These numbers do not include suspected suicides, accidental deaths, justifiable deaths, or suspected manslaughter.
National Guard troops have only patrolled the historic French Quarter so far. But Anne Kirkpatrick, the current superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department, said she would continue to welcome Guard members into crime hot spots beyond this touristy area, since the city’s police force is understaffed. She also welcomes National Guard troops ahead of New Orleans Mardi Gras season, which officially kicks off on Jan. 6.
“If they prevent a crime by their presence, I’m all for the safety of the city, as long as it’s constitutional and ethical,” she added.
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