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Those who suspect child abuse carry major new legal responsibilities

by Mark Moseley

After the Penn State child sexual abuse scandal became national news, state Rep. Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, sponsored legislation requiring coaches to report suspected child abuse. State Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, also filed a bill, one that extended whistleblower protections to employees who report abuse of a minor by a co-worker or supervisor. The bills […]

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Skies will soon buzz with drones—but cops may not like it

by Mark Moseley

They say character is what you do when no one else is watching. But these days I’m wondering: What if someone’s always watching? What happens to character then? And that leads to larger questions, such as how do you even form an authentic “self” in a surveillance society? When Plato wrote The Republic 24 centuries ago, […]

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A drone of our own! How the city should sell its latest dream

by Mark Moseley

An eye in the sky, the Bravo 300 is made in New Orleans but has yet to find a buyer in local government. Photo courtesy of Crescent Unmanned Systems City Hall has reversed plans to use drone surveillance over New Orleans during the Super Bowl in February. That’s surprising, because Deputy Mayor Jerry Sneed had […]

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City cancels plans for Super Bowl drone despite enthusiasm and interest from NOPD, others

by Tom Gogola

A month after The Lens began asking questions about city officials’ plans to use a U.S. Homeland Security Department aerial drone to monitor Super Bowl crowds, a spokesman for Mayor Mitch Landrieu said today that the city is scrapping those plans. Spokesman Ryan Berni offered no reason for dropping the eye-in-the-sky technology, telling a reporter […]

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District attorney declines prosecution for cop who allegedly brandished pair of guns

by Matt Davis

By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | A rookie New Orleans cop who resigned in April after allegedly brandishing two guns during an off-duty altercation at a gas station will not face criminal charges in the incident, prosecutors have decided. “After reviewing all of the evidence, the District Attorney’s office determined that it could […]

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Carnage at daughter's birthday does not make dad a foe of bar where it happened

by Karen Gadbois

By Karen Gadbois, The Lens staff writer | Tuesday’s meeting on whether to revoke the license of a Ninth Ward watering hole  made for painful memories. And yet, even though Adrian Joseph was host of the birthday party for his daughter at which an 18-year-old was shot dead and four other patrons wounded, he was […]

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Rookie cop quits after allegedly brandishing two guns during off-duty altercation

by Matt Davis

By Matt Davis, The Lens staff writer | A rookie New Orleans cop has resigned after allegedly brandishing two guns during an off-duty altercation at a gas station on Friday, city officials said Monday. New Orleans Police Department Officer Devyn D. Swanier was booked with aggravated assault in the early morning hours Saturday, according to […]

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When good times roll, must crime cameras roll, too?

by The Editors

By Mark Moseley, The Lens opinion writer | I trust you did something unstructured and excessive during Carnival. That’s the reason for the season, right? The morning parades after Mardi Gras are noticeably less festive. Everyone’s back in their regular costumes, congregating together to receive ashen foreheads instead of colorful beads. It’s a time for […]

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