Something stupid

You may have noticed on Sunday that only one news story happened in the City Of New Orleans. 

When the gunfire stopped, surveillance footage showed, those who ventured back out to the suddenly deserted street found at least two people lying wounded on the ground and rushed to their aid.

It was two “cowardly” men arguing about “something stupid” who were responsible for the wounds to the nine victims, Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said at an afternoon news conference at the scene.

Maybe if we let the vigilante stalker dude parade his "Minutemen" around the Quarter none of this would have happened, right?  No, of course it would have happened just the way it did because an incidence of sudden gunfire on a crowded street is just as likely to happen regardless of who how many vigilantes there are. All it takes is "two cowardly men arguing about something stupid."  And if you're going to make that illegal then.. well good luck shutting down Twitter.

The same is true with regard to NOPD manpower but that won't stop every city official who cares to comment from clamoring for MORE POLICE EVERYWHERE.

City Council members Jared Brossett, Jason Williams and Nadine Ramsey considered the shootings a clarion call to turn a more critical eye toward management of the New Orleans Police Department. Ramsey has demanded an audit of the 8^th District's on-duty roster that night to determine how many cops were working near the 700 block of Bourbon when shots were fired at 2:45 a.m.

"Chief Serpas needs to answer that," said Ramsey, whose district includes the French Quarter. Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said Sunday that 25 officers were in the vicinity.

"I'm not clear what the number is," Ramsey said. "The audit will tell us how many officers are assigned to the 8^th District and how many were out in the field on that day."

In their defense it really is hard to resist the temptation to jump up and say a thing into the microphone in these situations.  Notice the three councilpersons offering immediate comment were the rookies. (CM Gray also issued a statement but it wasn't an excited call for more cops.) They'll probably learn.

Or maybe they won't.  Retired professional communicator Norman Robinson didn't. 

The answer to the violence in the French Quarter and the rest of the city is simple but we are afraid to face it. It's time to stop and frisk suspicious looking characters. To hell with the protest. Better frisked than dead. 

Ok, Norman. Please go back to bed. I wonder if he has a similar opinion about the DUI checkpoints..

Anyway, looks like dreams really do come true for these people.

NEW ORLEANS – State Police plan to increase their presence during the upcoming Essence Fesitval and they’ll also begin patrolling where they’re needed throughout the city of New Orleans for the rest of the summer.

The need for additional resources was magnified after the early morning shooting Sunday that left 10 people injured on Bourbon Street.

The cavalry is here. That'll make us all feel safer.

Anyway Serpas may or may not be right about this situation beginning with "cowards arguing about something stupid," but it should be obvious to everyone that it's definitely ending up that way.