New Orleans to participate in carjacking task force

Yasmin Garaad
·2 min read

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — New Orleans will join a new partnership to address carjackings in the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Looking to curve the number in the area, a new task force plans to identify, locate and arrest those involved in carjackings.

Rafael Goyeneche with the Metro Crime Commission said New Orleans has had this task force since 2021, but the big change is two recruits.

“Both with the Louisiana State Police and Attorney General’s Office that is going to provide more resources hopefully to improve the impact of that effort,” said Goyeneche.

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“There have been 31 carjackings in New Orleans so far this year,” said Goyeneche, who believes the district attorney and attorney general offices working together and splitting the workload will be a positive move.

“More prosecutors mean the cases should move through the system more effectively and efficiently. That’s what the objective is to deliver justice that is fair and swift,” said Goyeneche.

News of the task force is a breath of fresh air for the family of Linda Frickey. The Frickey family said, “If Linda’s carjacking and murder along with other carjackings in New Orleans helped this, justice was served.”

According to the Justice Department, cities including Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. have seen around a 30% drop year to year. Goyeneche hopes to see a similar drop, believing future arrests will prevent others.

“Hopefully that has the deterrent effect and will send a message that if you are going to take your chance with a carjacking the odds are no longer in your favor of the offender,” said Goyeneche.

Now, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the following seven districts are announcing the creation of carjacking task forces in their communities:

  • District of Oregon

  • Eastern District of Texas

  • Northern District of Alabama

  • Northern District of California

  • Eastern District of Louisiana

  • Southern District of Mississippi

  • Western District of Washington

The newly formed task forces will be led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, working alongside state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners.

“The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do so by targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime and by acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. We’re seeing results — with violent crime declining broadly nationwide,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.

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