Crime Safety Reporter
Citizens want protection against crime !
Volume 1, Issue 1 May of 2017 Covering Greater New Orleans
How To Get 100 More Cops
On The Street Right Now
Remember the signs around the
by Robert Gage French Quarter proclaiming We
Counts love N.O.P.D. - We just need more ?
Well, it turns out we could have a lot
more police on the street - if our politicians (state and local)
used police resources more wisely. But, instead of using police
resources efficiently, we seem to be wasting them. Here are
two examples.
Recently I took a trip to City Hall. There I encountered two
police officers who were ordered to perform conveyor belt
duty. They stood guard as people placed their possessions on
the conveyor belt. Ironically, at about that time other brave
officers were one mile away, responding to a dangerous call
that turned out to be a homicide.
Car accident response is another questionable use of police
resources - one we have all witnessed. After a car accident,
even a minor fender bender, police officers are ordered to go to
the scene and fill out forms describing exactly how the fenders
came to be bent.
What do conveyor belt duty and car accident response have
in common? Both practices tie up armed and trained police
officers for thousands of hours each year. This is the equivalent of
scores of additional police, perhaps as many as one hundred or
more. And the work performed by these officers could just
as easily have been done by trained civilians. You do not
need a gun and a badge to measure skid marks on the road after
two cars crash.
This is not a new problem. It was documented in a report issued
in 2014 which listed dozens of jobs performed by the NOPD
Locally owned The Citizens Voice
that can be done by trained civilians, often with enough savings
so we could hire even more cops. Google: New Orleans
Police Department Staffing and Deployment for the report.
According to the report, on any given day 24 police officers
throughout New Orleans spend eight-hour shifts on desk duty.
These officers sit at desks at the entrances of police stations.
They answer the phone and do paperwork. Eight more officers
were assigned to repair police vehicles. And the Domestic
Violence and Juvenile Units, with nineteen officers, didnt
investigate crimes - instead they did administrative work like
booking juvenile detainees.
Some of these wasteful practices have been corrected, but oth-
ers have not, such as conveyor belt duty. As for police responding
to minor car accidents, while it may take a change in state law
to entirely eliminate this wasteful practice (LA state statute
R.S. 398D requires the police to investigate car accidents -
but it doesnt say when they have to investigate) surely, no one
would argue that police officers should to be taken off
anti-crime patrols to investigate a fender bender.
The conclusion is clear: Thousands of hours of police time
could be spent on anti-crime activities if our officers were
better deployed. The NOPD itself estimates at least 3,000
officer man-hours could be saved per year if some car
accident investigations were handled by civilians instead of
cops. With violent crime rising, taxpayers need to demand
these changes. We simply cannot afford to waste the time of
our brave officers on tasks better handled by trained civilians.
Robert Gage Counts is the Managing Editor of the Crime Safety Reporter.
He lives in the Fontenbleau area of New Orleans
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Homeowner who shoots intruder is NOT charged with a crime
Abraham Venson lives in a dangerous neighborhood, but then
again, who doesnt in New Orleans - and even parts of Jeff ? So it
was no surprise that he installed a fence around his neat and well
kept home to enhance his security, and an alarm system as well.
But that didnt help him on September 28th of last year.
On that day two trespassers entered his property and tripped
the security alarm on his shed, causing the alarm company to call Mr.
Venson in the middle of the night. He got up and headed toward the
shed, which, incidentally, had been burglarized before.
He found two people leaving the shed. One of them was
Benny Weary, whose criminal record included fifteen arrests for
criminal trespass, burglary, robbery, battery and other crimes.
Mr. Venson, carrying his legally owned firearm, ordered
the men to stop. One escaped - but the other, Weary, allegedly
said Yeah, Ill stop, and reached for his waistband, though it
later turned out he did not have a gun. Mr. Venson then shot and
wounded Weary. Afterwards, police and medical personnel arrived.
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Their response ? They took Benny Weary to the hospital
and they arrested Mr. Venson. But - this story does not end with a
criminal charge against Venson, which only the D.A can file. Nor
does it end with an indictment against Venson, which only nine out
of twelve citizens on a Grand Jury can authorize.
Rather, the story ended this way: D.A. Cannizzaro recently
told the court that he is refusing the case against Mr. Venson, which he
has the legal power to do. So there is no case against Venson, period.
We will never know how many crimes Weary committed before
that night. All we know is he was arrested fifteen times and had over
one hundred and fifty court dates on motions, hearings, adjournments,
sentence pronouncements, etc.
And we also know one more thing: Mr. Venson, a retired
truck driver, was very lucky Weary did not have a gun that night,
which Venson could not have known for sure. The Crime Safety
Reporter congratulates D. A. Cannizzaro for his wise and moral
decision in this case, which granted true justice to this homeowner.
This story was written by the Crime Safety Reporter staff.
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 How Did This Shooter Get Out On The Street ? p5

by Bill You may remember the case of the Tulane Medical

Wallis student who tried to prevent a kidnapping near Mag-
azine Street. The kidnapper, Euric Cain, then shot
the student in his stomach - and after wounding
him the shooter tried to execute the student with another shot, which
fortunately jammed and did not fire.

What you may not know about this case is how the shooter,
who had committed several crimes before this horrible one, got out on
the street after his other crimes. We present those facts to you now to
illustrate how badly our criminal justice laws need to be fixed.

A few years before Euric Cain shot the medical student, he

was charged with illegal carrying of a weapon - and illegal possession
of a stolen gun. Although the records are unclear if he served any
time in prison or jail as a result of that charge, this much is clear:
Shortly thereafter, he was out on the street again.
Then, in 2014, Cain was arrested another time, for stealing
a car, which he pled guilty to. Despite his previous arrest on gun
charges his sentence on the auto theft charge was only a few months.
That is how he was able to get back out on the street and
shoot the Tulane Medical student. And by the way, Cain committed
both a rape and a robbery hours after he shot the student, before he
was finally caught.
Could all of this have been prevented if Cain received a
serious sentence for any of his prior crimes? What do you think?

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morning. Listen to Jeff Crouere on the radio.
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 Why does the Ethics Review Board seek to replace Quatrevaux ? p7

by Jeff Crouere The citys Ethics Review Board is seeking
applicants to replace Nola Inspector General
Ed Quatrevaux. True, the board has the
legal power to do this, but one has to wonder:
Why are they doing it ?
Clearly, the best person for this job is Ed Quatrevaux, so why
is the Ethics Review Board wasting precious tax dollars to search for
a replacement? It is time for concerned citizens of New Orleans to
contact the members of the Board, listed below, and ask them why
they are doing this. The Boards members are:

Through the end of 2015, the IG has saved
the city over $80 million. In 2016 alone
he uncovered $12.5 million in waste and
fraud. He found $25 million in savings
at the Louis Armstrong Airport and he documented how Sewerage
and Water Board employees were stealing and selling brass fixtures.
Because he has uncovered so much government fraud it is
unclear why the Ethics Review Board wants to spend $115,000 of
our tax dollars to find a replacement for Quatrevaux, whose
term expires in late 2017. Why dont they just renew his term?
Allen Miller, Phelps Dunbar: allen.miller@phelps.com
James Brown, Liskow & Lewis: jabrown@liskow.com
Rev. Brandon Boutin, Greater St. Stephen Full
Gospel Baptist Church: contact@2bministries.com
Michael Cowan, Loyola University: mcowan@loyno.edu
Joe Ricks, Xavier University: jmricks@xula.edu
Howard Rodgers, Council on Aging: hrodgers@nocoa.org
The public deserves an answer to this question before the Board
spends $115,000 on a search to replace Quatrevaux.

Of course, if Quatrevaux did not uncover fraud he should
be replaced. But the opposite is true here. Quatrevaux succeeded
in every way. Indeed, his office has received high marks from
peer review studies - and from Quality Assurance Reviews.
Jeff Crouere is a New Orleans native. He is the host of Ringside Politics,
which airs on television at 7:30 p.m. Friday. and also 10:00 p.m. Sunday, on
WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station. Jeff also has a radio show that airs weekdays,7 to
11 in the morning, on WGSO 990 AM Radio. For more info on Jeff visit his web
site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.

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 A Safety Tip from Get Involved ! p8

Tanya Avery You CAN make a difference !

certified firearm instructor
Ever heard of FAKEN ? It is an
acronym for a set of 4 rules critical to
firearm safety. Here they are:
F - Finger off the trigger until you
are ready to fire.
A - Assume the firearm is loaded
and check it to make sure it is not.
K E Know your target and every-
thing around and behind it.
And lastly, N - Never point your firearm at something you do not
intend to fire at.
If you follow these four rules of safety it is almost impossible to
experience an accident. Remember, firearms are like tools or matches.
If you use them properly you will be safe, but if you use them
improperly you can hurt yourself and those around you.
Oh, whats the use ? - Thats what most people think. They
think they cant change what the government does, like when they
release violent criminals on the street again and again.
But you would be surprised at how easy it is to change the way
government works when just a few people get involved. For example,
ten people, thats right - just 10 - blocked a terrible law from passing
recently by visiting the State Legislature and speaking their minds.
See Big Victory In The Legislature at HdfNola.org for the story.
How is it done ? The first step is to get with a group of people
who think like you. That means coming to a meeting of the Home
Defense Foundation, HdfNola.org, and working with neighbors who
know how to change the law.
And besides, HDF meetings are fun. Attendance is free and
there is always a free raffle with many prizes. The meetings are only
an hour long and feature great speakers, such as Stacey Head and
Sheriff Newel Normand. So come to a meeting, make new friends
and get involved. Remember, we can win !

FREE
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Sponsored by the Home Defense
Foundation. Come to a meeting
and sign up. Meeting details at
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OUR MISSION: Neighbors teaching neighbors about home

and self defense - and organizing, so that our voices are heard.

All volunteer, we never ask for money.

 Heard On The Street
Compiled by Mark Ferreira
People on Harrison Avenue were asked:
Do you think our politicians are taking a
serious approach to the problem of violent
crime?

Brenden Shmidt: Theyre making sort of

an effort, but they could make more of an
effort. Last year our snowball stand had to
close early because there was a robbery at
Lakeview Harbor. It effects the entire area.

Tyron Brown: Nope, theyre not doing noth-

ing about it. They could stop all the violence
if they do something, like more cops. But
theyre not doing nothing. Seriously, it looks
like theyre not even worried about it.

Mike Zalaznik: It seems that they talk a lot

when something happens but it just doesnt
seem to be changing. They dont seem to be
doing anything differently.

Katie OLeary: Theyre doing the best they

can with the ridiculous funding resources,
but theyre really focused on things that
Join us dont matter. They dont treat police very
well. More police would result in less crime.

Monday thru Friday Richard Westmoreland: No, clearly its the

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status quo here. In fact its worse than status
quo, its an apathetic approach to it. How
do you let the police dept. dwindle to 1100
officers? Its a shame. Its a crime.
Liliana Lizano: I dont think so. I think thats
why a lot of people are not coming to New
Orleans, because of crime. As beautiful as
New Orleans is, its not attracting the popu-
lation that it should after Katrina.

1838 Napoleon Avenue Bruce Gebhart: Whatever theyre doing, it

is not effective. Crime is going up this year
(504) 895-4877 from last year, its just everyday.
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Self Defense Mindset
By Brannon LeBouef
The most important thing in self-defense is to be equipped with
the mindset not to be a victim. Mindset is a fancy word for the way you
view things - how you think about something.
It also includes thinking about the worse case scenario
BEFORE it happens, so that you are not trying to figure out your
response in the heat of the moment.
Making the decision now that you will not allow someone to
victimize you, or your loved ones, is the first step. That prepares you
mentally to protect yourself and your family if, heaven forbid, you
are ever called upon to perform that task.
Brannon LeBouef is a former US Marine and police officer. He holds a
Masters Degree from Loyola and is a court recognized expert in firearm
use. He is also the owner of the St Bernard Indoor Shooting Center, NO-
LATAC Training and Consulting, and the NOLATAC Training Center.
Google the above for more info about Brannon.
 p11

A Chat With Penny Rabalais, Anti-Crime Activist

by Robert RGC: Penny, tell me about yourself....I am
Gage Counts from Nola. I used to be a security guard. I
have been married for 19 years. We have three
children and ten grandchildren.
RGC: I saw a pic of you in Ba-
ton Rouge, what was that about?
That was a learning experience. I
and other Home Defense mem-
bers went to ask for our rights
to defend ourselves and to make
sure the law stands with us.
Penny, on the left, in BR
Long story short, we were suc-
cessful. We got our voice heard
as a small group of people that in reality was representing a large
portion of the population.
RGC: How did it feel to make an impact on the law?..........It makes
me feel like I achieved something as a citizen of this country, of this
state, and of this city. I helped bring about something positive.
RGC: I saw that you got a citizen activist
award. Tell me about that..........
A group of us from the Home Defense
Foundation went to city hall. We passed
out flyers and we got our point across,
which was that when juveniles commit
a heinous crime, they are to be tried as
adults, not merely a slap on the wrist.
RGC: When you were passing out flyers, did you find that people
were receptive to your message ? . . . . . A majority of them were.
RGC: Whats your next step
in terms of self-defense?
I plan on continuing to go
to home defense meetings.
I want to learn about my
rights as a citizen.
Penny at City Hall

WE WANT Crime Safety Reporter

YOUR LETTERS Managing Editor

Robert Gage Counts
Future issues of the Crime Safety Reporter will
Contributors (listed alphabetically):
have plenty of Letters to the Editor, maximum of
Tanya Avery Adrianna Eschete
75 words. Please get to your point quickly, such
Brannon LeBouef Jeff Crouere
as: I support the DAs decision not to prosecute
Mark Ferreira William Wallis
Mr. Venson because honest citizens are entitled to Colleen Wood Why Not You ?
the benefit of the doubt.
Contact info:
Ads@CrimeSafetReporter.com
Send to Letters@CrimeSafetyReporter.com Editor@CrimeSafetyReporter.com
and include your name, address and phone. Letters@CrimeSafetyReporter.com
published by Neighborhood Media, LLC
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Women and
Self Defense
By Colleen Wood A recent news story quoted Robert
Boike, a volunteer at a Florida based
self defense facility as follows: Weve
had a general increase in the female
population looking for (firearms)....
We have an increase in individuals that
have been victims of violence against
women. They have been looking for
means to defend themselves.

In fact, this should not be a surprise to anyone. Men can sometimes

defend themselves based purely on their body strength and size, but
how can a five foot four woman defend herself if a group of men or
teenagers approaches her in a threatening manner? Our creator may
have made women smaller and less powerful than men, but as the old
saying goes, Sam Colt provided women with the Great Equalizer.

As crime continues to rise we can expect more women to learn

how to defend themselves with pepper spray and firearms. After all,
why would any woman want to leave herself defenseless?
 How NOT to
p13

be a crime victim Do you know a

By Adrianna Eschete I teach a course entitled, Refuse To Be
Neighborhood Hero ?
A Victim, but even if you never take my
course you can still lower your chances Do you know someone whose quick action
of being a crime victim by following prevented a possibly violent crime?
some simple rules. Here are two of the
most important rules I teach:
Someone who responded to a cry for help, or used
Keep your eyes up and stay aware as pepper spray or some other defensive tool, and
you walk down the street. Do not stare thereby helped another honest citizen.
down at the screen of your cell phone. Criminals target people who
are distracted because they make for easy prey. Dont be an in-
viting target. Instead, scan the street as you walk. Show that you are
Tell us their story. We would like to honor at least
aware. one Neighborhood Hero a month with a $50 gift
card and a mini-story in this paper.
Get self defense training and SHOW that you have it. How
do you show a potential criminal attacker that you have been Write to Editor@CrimeSafetyReporter.com and
trained? Walk with purpose and make eye contact with someone
please include your phone and contact info.
who you think is heading directly toward you with bad intent. Believe
me, criminals can tell by your body language if you are not an easy
target. The result? He will look to mug someone else.

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 Just 10 citizens can change the law !

Think you cant make an impact? These ten Home Defense Foundation members went to Baton Rouge
and forced the legislature to change a proposed law. The lesson: It doesnt take a lot of money or a lot of
people to make your point - and win ! Read how to do it at Big Victory In Legislature - at HdfNola.org

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 Why did we publish the
Crime Safety Reporter ?
Because something serious has to be
done about crime. Our current politicians (we
may get some new ones soon) dont seem to
understand this. They are not serious.
Instead of taking serious action they
encourage citizens to take a Walk Around
The Block Against Crime and place teddy
bears where someone was shot.
Walking around the block and putting a
teddy bear on the street does not reduce crime,
however. It just doesnt work.
But some things DO work: Like putting
violent criminals in prison. We are not talking
about someone caught with a marijuana
cigarette but about people who are violent
and frequently have illegal guns.
And there are other things that can also
prevent crime, like learning how to defend
yourself. Criminals rarely attack when they
see you are ready, willing and able to
defend yourself.
So how can this newspaper help? It can
be an intellectual meeting place for thousands
of people. It can help citizens organize and
teach them how to pressure politicians to take
productive action to reduce crime.
We hope to accomplish this, and more,
with the Crime Safety Reporter.
What about you? Want to make our city
safer? Learn how you can in this paper, and
then take action. You will be surprised at how
much we can accomplish together.

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