New Orleans Crime and Public Safety

New Orleans saw violent crime fall for a third straight year in 2025 — with murders down from 266 in 2022 to 121 in 2025 (a total that includes the 14 victims of the Jan. 1 Bourbon Street vehicle‑ramming) — a decline that preceded the National Guard’s arrival. President Trump authorized about 350 Louisiana National Guard troops to begin patrolling the French Quarter under Gov. Jeff Landry’s command to bolster New Year’s security alongside more than 800 local, state and federal officers — providing road closures, bag searches and visible public‑safety support (not immigration enforcement) amid temporary barriers, calls for permanent crash‑rated gates and ongoing criticism and litigation over earlier security failures.