New Orleans police are asking for the public's help tracking down a man accused of dumping multi-colored paint onto structures near Jackson Square, an act that has landed him a felony charge reserved for crimes against the state's protected historic landmarks. Surveillance cameras recorded the incident near the intersection of Chartres and Saint Ann Streets on August 7, and investigators have identified 38-year-old Joshua George Bullock as the suspect they want to locate.
According to a New Orleans Police Department Facebook post, Bullock, who has a listed date of birth of August 27, 1988, was captured on video dumping the paint onto structures in the square. Police describe him as a Black male and are seeking him on charges of violating Louisiana Revised Statute 14:56.5, which covers criminal damage to historic buildings or landmarks by defacing them with graffiti. NOPD Eighth District detectives are leading the investigation and can be reached at 504-658-6080. As with any suspect, Bullock is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
A Landmark With Federal Protection
Jackson Square isn't just another patch of green space in the French Quarter. The 2.5-acre park was originally laid out in 1721 as the Place d'Armes before being renamed in 1851 to honor General Andrew Jackson, and it earned designation as a U.S. National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960, before being formally added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, according to the National Park Service. That federal pedigree is precisely why Louisiana law treats this alleged act of vandalism far more seriously than a typical graffiti case.
Under the statute Bullock is accused of violating, defacing a designated historic landmark carries a maximum fine of $1,000, up to two years of imprisonment with or without hard labor, and mandatory court-ordered community service that a judge cannot suspend, per the Louisiana State Legislature. The law defines historic landmarks broadly, covering any site designated by local, state, or federal historic registries. Louisiana's criminal code goes even further, codifying this specific offense under La. R.S. § 15:1352 alongside major crimes like aggravated arson as a predicate act under the state's racketeering statutes, according to Justia Law.
A Heavily Trafficked, Heavily Watched Corner of the City
The square's popularity only raises the stakes of any damage done there. The City of New Orleans Parks and Parkways Department, which serves as the municipal steward of the square's grounds and iron fencing, reported that Jackson Square draws more than 2 million visitors annually, making it one of the most heavily visited public landmarks in Louisiana.
Cleanup responsibilities for incidents like this one are divided between multiple local bodies. The French Quarter Management District has noted that municipal guidelines, enforced alongside the Vieux Carré Commission, hold the city responsible for graffiti abatement on public land while requiring private historic property owners to maintain their own building exteriors. The Vieux Carré Commission has overseen the architectural integrity of the French Quarter since 1936. It remains unclear exactly which structures near Chartres and Saint Ann Streets sustained damage, the extent or cost of that damage, or whether preservation specialists have begun specialized paint removal to avoid harming the historic surfaces underneath.
The Eighth District's Unique Beat
The investigation falls to NOPD's Eighth District, headquartered at 334 Royal Street, which covers just 7.5 square miles — the smallest police footprint in the city — while handling the highest volume of annual tourists in Louisiana, according to a 2021 community policing report from the City of New Orleans. That density means officers there routinely juggle heavy foot traffic with sensitive security calls, something Hoodline documented in March when NOPD's Eighth District and its Bomb Squad temporarily cordoned off Decatur Street, which forms the square's southeastern perimeter facing the Mississippi River, after a suspicious package call ended without incident.
The square sits directly in front of St. Louis Cathedral, itself the subject of a $75 million multi-year restoration campaign covering exterior masonry, stucco, and roof preservation, as Hoodline reported in January. The Catholic Community Foundation is leading fundraising efforts there to address water intrusion and conserve the cathedral's painted ceilings, underscoring just how physically delicate the structures ringing Jackson Square already are before any act of vandalism enters the picture.
Jackson Square's iron perimeter fence is also a regulated commercial space in its own right; the city caps permits for artists displaying work along the fence at 200 per year through a lottery system, Hoodline reported in a story on the artist permit lottery last year. That level of municipal oversight extends to nearly every square foot of the landmark, from the artists selling paintings along its edges to the historic buildings framing its corners.
How to Help
Anyone with information on Bullock's whereabouts is asked to contact NOPD Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans by calling 504-822-1111 or the toll-free line at 1-877-903-STOP, or online at their website. Questions or corrections regarding the case can be directed to the NOPD Public Affairs Division at [email protected].
