BATON ROUGE, La. — During his election campaign, Republican Governor-elect Jeff Landry promised to prioritize fighting crime in Louisiana, a state that has had one of the highest murder rates in the country in recent years.
On Wednesday, he took steps that he said would help fulfill that promise, naming a new state police chief and other leadership positions in statewide safety and security. Landry said he also plans to call the Legislature into special session to address crime once he is in the governor’s office.
Landry, currently the state’s attorney general, said an integral part of his plan as Louisiana CEO is improving safety in New Orleans, which has often been in the national spotlight for violent crime.
The governor-elect noted during a news conference that he will bring “as much law enforcement presence” as necessary to keep New Orleans safe.
But when asked for details on tackling crime in the state’s tourist-friendly and most populous city, he was a no-show.
“We just announced the new adjutant general (leader of the Louisiana National Guard) and he told you never to submit your plans to the enemy,” he said. “And in the fight to fight crime, I wouldn’t do that. come here and give you all the particulars.”
Landry held the press conference on the field of the Caesars Superdome, site of the 2025 Super Bowl.
“The past statistics that have plagued the city may not be in order come kickoff, and so everything is on the table,” Landry said.
Like many other parts of the country, violence increased in Louisiana after the outbreak of COVID-19. And while Federal Bureau of Investigation data shows that crime in Louisiana has steadily declined over the past decade, New Orleans continues to experience a surge in homicides.
Landry, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump in this year’s gubernatorial election, has used plenty of tough-on-crime rhetoric and repeatedly condemned Louisiana’s 2017 criminal justice reform.
In a surprise partnership on Wednesday, Landry was joined by Jason Williams, an Orleans Parish prosecutor who is a progressive Democrat and has feuded with the newly elected governor. Standing side by side, Landry announced that GOP Attorney General-elect Liz Murrill will lead the prosecution of suspects arrested as a result of state police investigations in the parish.
“When you look around the country, it’s not often you see Republicans and Democrats sitting at the table solving the toughest problems,” Williams said. “And that’s what we did, focusing on crime in the city of New Orleans.”
Landry announced that Major Robert Hodges will become the chief of the Louisiana State Police. Hodges, a 28-year veteran of the agency, will oversee the beleaguered department, which has faced a slew of controversies — including the fatal arrest of Black motorist Ronald Greene in 2019 and a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Landry appointed Gen. Thomas Friloux to lead the Louisiana National Guard and former state Rep. Bryan Adams to lead the state fire marshal’s office.
The appointees will assume their new roles when Landry is inaugurated on January 8.