The New Orleans Police Department released its weekly report detailing the city’s crime statistics for last Sunday to Saturday, December 15-21, 2024, revealing several notable arrests amid shifting trends in gun-related offenses. In a significant development during the week, authorities apprehended two individuals in connection with separate violent incidents that had shaken local communities.
In a statement obtained by NOPD News, one Alex Harris, a repeat offender who was on parole, found himself back in custody on December 13. Charged with felon in possession of a firearm among other offenses, the arrest stemmed from a shooting incident on November 17 that resulted in multiple bystanders being injured. The crime of carrying out a parade concluded Harris’ path to reckless discharge and apprehension inside the Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole offices.
Another incident culminated last Thursday, December 19, with the coordinated efforts of the NOPD’s Violent Offenders Warrant Squad and the U.S. Marshals as they arrested Jalil Williams. Williams, on the lam but not for long, was located and detained without incident in New Orleans, linked to a homicide that unfolded in the 8000 block of Dwyer Road just days prior. "Williams was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center on one count of second-degree murder," NOPD News reported.
The NOPD's efforts have seen a notable downtrend on the firearms front compared to the previous year. The number of arrests for illegal possession of a firearm has sharply dropped by 46 percent to 413, down from 759 arrests made throughout the same period in 2023. Moreover, NOPD has seized 2,148 firearms in criminal investigations as of last Monday, marking a 21-percent decrease from the 2,728 seizures executed during the same timeframe last year. These statistics suggest a shift in the landscape of gun-related crime, albeit the underlying causes of these shifts remain to be fully understood.
