New Orleans Crime Misconception

This is really starting to agrevate me. I lived in NO for 4 years pre Katrina and now visit around twice a year. This city is near and dear to my heart. Howevere, each time I tell someone I am going to NO or just got back the first reaction I get is, wow why do you go it is so dangerous.

I know the media represents the crime in NO in a bad way, but it has really gotten out of hand. Any idea%26#39;s why this misconception is so blown out of proportion and what we can do to change people%26#39;s minds?

New Orleans Crime Misconception

Keep telling the story. Funds have been appropriated to have a big advertising campaign I believe starting in the fall.

New Orleans Crime Misconception

I encounter the same thing when telling people that I am going to New Orleans, they think I%26#39;m crazy. They either think that New Orleans was destroyed by Katrina or that we will be murdered. Recently there have been a couple of Letters to the Editor in our local newspaper from people who had visited New Orleans, saying what a great time they had and how friendly the people are were. I think that things like this might help, hopefully a lot of people will read it. I am very glad to hear that there is going to be an advertising campaign, I think New Orleans definitely needs some good publicity.

Keep posting positive stuff like this. The media grabs on to anything the public wants to focus on. New Orleans became a focus due to the storm and now anything negative is still seen as ';juicy'; and therefore covered in the national outlets. The positive stuff you never hear about. Not to get a huge debate started but its the same with the Iraq war. Don%26#39;t hear much positive but you hear all the negative. The worst part is the public trusts the media and doesn%26#39;t take what is reported with a grain of salt. The days of fact checking, confirming stories through multiple wtinesses and ethics are gone. Anything and everything is reported now without confirming the validity or reporting the entire story. OK, so obviously this is sore subject with me as I abhor the media and what they are doing to our country. Just my little tip to everyone that watches the news. Make sure you are asking yourself what isn%26#39;t there that should be. Ah the media and their sound bites!

I see Fox has a new police show starting up about rebuilding New Orleans from a law enforcement view. I hope it does well and brings a positive light to the Crescent City.

From a bit further away the 2 main things are widely known about NOLA; Katrina and crime.

Been there and neither has an effect on tourists. Statistically the crime reporting might be accurate, but it does not happen where the tourists are. I happened to ask about crime from our tour guide and he replied: ';Sure there%26#39;s a lot of crime, but believe me, you will not be even close to those places. For a tourist the city is safe.';

I wonder how much of it is also racism. I am planning a trip in November and have never been to NOLA. I never wanted to go, but won a free trip thru a slot tournament in Vegas.

I%26#39;m not worried at all about crime. I%26#39;m more worried about how much weight I%26#39;ll gain from all of the good food!

Message boards like this are great for setting the record straight about crime, etc. I%26#39;ll just make sure to keep my money, cell phone, etc. secure (like I would in ANY city) and I should be just fine!

I just saw Maxim had New Orleans listed number #2 on their 10 road trip destinations for 2007. Coop%26#39;s was listed as one of the must eat locations. It wasn%26#39;t much but at least it was a positive review.

My dream is to move to New Orleans and whenever I tell my parents about when I plan on making the move they%26#39;re always like ';no don%26#39;t do it you%26#39;ll get murdered'; my dad told me there is a murder of a tourist once every day! I just don%26#39;t get how things like that get so out of control that people believe anything they%26#39;ve heard.

Also, if you do go down there....if someone takes your cell phone DO NOT PAY THEM TO GET IT BACK. Or anything else for that matter! Most of these things are just common sense and you%26#39;re grown adults, I%26#39;m 22 and I have more sense than some of these ';business travelers'; who post on here talking about crime

Tanya - If I understand my Cleveland friends, the murder rate%26#39;s pretty high there. Tell your dad that unless you%26#39;ll be hanging out in the drug districts you should be fine down here, and we do not have a tourist a day murdered.

JD - I face this question all the time from friends around the country. The media loves to portray the dark side of life, but they neglect to mention that the people being murdered are, for the most part, those who are already involved in the drug/gang scene. Word of mouth from people who have actually come down here, enjoyed their stay, and lived to tell about it is what will, hopefully, dispel those nasty rumors.

i don%26#39;t think the crime is as bad per say as NO cause we don%26#39;t have projects of the same calibur up here, but there are definitely places I know not to go. I live in the actual city of Cleveland too, and I%26#39;m sure this is like NO, you just know the places you can and can%26#39;t go and you%26#39;re fine.

my dad is a fine example of people who read sensationalism and then believe it and kinda embellish it to make it more sensational, which is sad because there are too many people like that

I was (mildly) drunk in NO for 9 days - pretty much day %26amp; night.

Strangely I saw only human poverty, like any major city, but crime was indeed on existent. Even hoodlums lingering at Canal at 3 in the morning let us be.

I would go as far as to brand this place very safe for residents and tourists alike

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