NEW ORLEANS - Councilmember Jason Williams is encouraging residents to take final preparedness measures as Hurricane Laura approaches landfall. 

"As a city that has been through uncertain times before, we know that the best thing we can do now is being prepared. Though recent reports show that New Orleans is not in the storm's direct path, we cannot let our guards down until Laura fully passes. We pray for our neighbors to the west," said Councilmember Williams. "Be sure to follow @nolaready for updates, and I'll continue to share information and resources on my pages as well. Stay safe everyone!"

NEW ORLEANS - Following favorable support from the Criminal Justice Committee, the full Council approved two measures during today's regular meeting, delivering on a commitment to thoughtfully examine the City's criminal legal system for opportunities to reduce inequity. 

NEW ORLEANS - Today's City Council Criminal Justice Committee meeting opened with consideration of a resolution addressing the collection of fines and fees in Criminal District Court. This "user pay" system has existed as a means to fund the system for generations. During the past several decades, significant amounts of money have been extracted from the poorest New Orleanians serving no real public safety benefit but rather increasing the wage gap.

NEW ORLEANS - Yesterday, the Criminal Justice Committee held its July regular meeting. The meeting centered on a progressive agenda to reduce exposure to COVID-19 through the justice system and lessen opportunities for racial and ethnic disparities in justice system interactions. Council Public Safety Analyst, Jeff Asher, opened the meeting presenting newly created Community Safety and Racial Disparity public information dashboards.

NEW ORLEANS - During the last regular meeting the New Orleans City Council unanimously voted to create the Jerome "Big Duck" Smith Justice System Advisory Committee. The Committee will examine the allocation of City resources across the entirety of our local justice system to make recommendations on investments and associated policy priorities. Seven of the eleven committee members must have experience assisting historically marginalized groups navigate the justice system or advocating for reforms to help eliminate institutional racism. The other four members are City representatives involved in budgeting and public safety decision-making, thus ensuring day-to-day decision-makers receive continuous community input.