The NOPD today (April 2, 2024) briefed media on a recently discovered error regarding crime data reported by the department’s Special Victims Section for the years of 2021 and 2022, and how the department is working to correct the reporting.

This issue, brought to the NOPD’s attention by civil rights attorney Mary Howell and a local researcher, involves a disparity in the department’s reporting of crime data from its Special Victims Division for the listed years. The data was reported by NOPD to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLE), which then reports the data to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report Summary Reporting System (UCR-SRS) program.

NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick stressed that the issue was only in the reporting of the data and did not impact any investigations or prosecutions for the listed years.

At LCLE’s request in early 2023, the NOPD began to compile crime statistics for 2021 and 2022. As part of this request, the NOPD Special Victims Division was asked to provide the number of reported rapes for 2021 and 2022. It was found that while Special Victims Division provided the number of rape incidents as outlines by Louisiana law (LA RS: 14:42 et al), there were some cases that did not fall under the state designation as rape but could be recognized under the Revised FBI UCR definition of rape. These include some incidents of sexual battery, indecent behavior and molestation. This led to an underreporting of incidents reported for 2021 and 2022.

For 2021, NOPD had reported a total of 501 rape incidents as defined under Louisiana law. However, there were an additional 149 sexual battery that were also considered rapes under the FBI UCR guidelines. Additionally, 46 indecent behavior or molestation cases were also considered rapes under the FBI UCR guidelines. This led to an undercount of 195 cases and an actual total of 696 rape cases for the year.

For 2022, NOPD had reported a total of 442 rape incidents as defined under Louisiana law, as well as an additional 7 incidents found through a later recount. However, there were also an additional 175 sexual battery incidents and 48 indecent behavior or molestation incidents that were also considered rapes under the FBI UCR guidelines. This led to an undercount of 223 cases and an actual total of 672 rape cases for the year.

The NOPD’s most recent reporting of data to LCLE, made on March 31, shows the 2021 total UCR rape figures to be at 743 incidents, while the 2022 figure stands at 726 incidents. These figures includes ongoing investigations where information came to light that changed the incidents' classifications to fit the FBI UCR description of rape.

The department has taken steps to address the matter and ensure more accurate reporting and transparency moving forward. These include:

• Publicizing this data reporting error to raise awareness for future researchers and the community
• Notifying LCLE of the need to amend the 2021 and 2022 data.
• Implementing a new sexual assault data management system, which is currently being brought online.
• Obtaining and implementing a records management system compliant with the FBI’s UCR National Incident-Based Reporting System.
• Issuing quarterly reports on both sex crimes data as well as on domestic violence data.

Kirkpatrick commended the staff of both the department’s Special Victims Section as well as the Professional Standards and Accountability Bureau for their work on correcting the issue and ensuring more accurate reporting moving forward.

“This is what a good police department does – we listen to the concerns of the community; we address any issues that are brought to our attention; and we are transparent throughout the process,” Kirkpatrick said.

Have a question or correction? Please email NOPD’s Public Affairs Division at nopdpio@nola.gov.