The Jefferson Parish murder rate is up 50% in 2006. Based on 39 murders in the first 8 months of 2006, Jefferson is on track to experience 60 murders this year. That is a 50% increase over last year. No where near the Orleans rate, there is clearly some spillover from displaced Orleanians engaged in new turf wars.

Noting that the murders are predominantly young black men killing other young black men, Parish Sheriff Harry Lee invited the NAACP to participate in formulating a solution. They travelled to New York and other east coast cities to confer with law enforcment officials who had been able to make a difference.

New York police are on record with having solved a thorny crime problem in their city by enforcing even the smallest laws vigorously. This proactive enforcement resulted in a major drop in violent crime and propelled the NYPD into the national limelight for crime prevention. Sociological researchers have disputed the effectiveness of the "Broken Windows" crime prevention approach popular under Mayor Gulianai but no one can dispute that crime has dropped in New York.

Upon returning, Lee voiced a desired to be proactive in enforcement in Jefferson in an effort to prevent murders. In his mind this would involve going into predominately black districts and challenging, stopping and searching the individuals they found lurking about.

The NAACP and local pastors objected and Lee said he'd drop the issue and instead focus on solving the murders as they occurred.