Crime in Nola

Nola is a beautiful yet terrifying place. Now that the weather is getting warmer, the violence and crime is growing. I know I have written about the crime in New Orleans before, but it's getting more and more shocking.

There have only been a few instances since moving here where I have felt personally scared on the streets, besides that it's usually an "out of sight, out of mind" sort of thing. However, since the shooting yesterday, I've been a little more worried about the future of New Orleans' crime.

For those of you who haven't heard yet, there was a mass shooting at a Mother's Day Parade in the 7th ward of New Orleans yesterday. Though the 7th ward isn't a great neighborhood, it was extremely alarming that such a terrible act could take place at such a loving event, much like the Boston bombings. In the shooting, 19 people were injured, including two 10-year-old children. Luckily, no one has died yet.

Parades are frequent here. I've only lived here for about nine months and I've been to a good amount of parades and festivals--and I don't go to nearly as many as others. From what I hear, parades have been the target of crime and violence in the past. I think that's disgusting. These parades/festivals bring the city together in celebration, however that's all going to change if people are frightened to attend them.

I don't want to spend my time here living in fear, but it's gotten worse lately. As my boyfriend knows, I often can't sleep at night due to the noises of the house, thinking that someone is breaking in. Luckily for me, Steve's pretty awesome and has been letting me fall asleep first so that I don't have to stay up and worry. But Steve's not with me all the time, as much as I wish he could be.

Nola is one of the most dangerous cities in America, with a rate of 156.4 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. It is also the 21st most dangerous city in the world. The only cities that come before it are 20 different Latin America cities. This really puts into perspective for me how much I have to watch my back.

Now I know a lot of people reading this are going to tell me to move pronto, but I really do love it here. The people are amazing, the food is amazing, my job is amazing, and my life is amazing. It just bothers me so much that the violent ones have to put a damper on it. What would motivate someone to shoot up a Mother's Day Parade is honestly beyond me. It's sad that with such a rich culture and amazing city surrounding you, you have to resort to violent crimes to feel satisfied.

I'm trying to side-step my fears (sleeping pills and pepper spray help), but the only way for me to be comfortable walking to work in the morning is for the crime rate to go down. And every finger and toe on my body is crossed hoping that something changes soon. I want to have a good and healthy relationship with Nola, but these people are making it difficult.