Assessing increases in violence: an analysis of homicide cases from Orleans Parish, Louisiana

Analysis of homicides in different cities can provide valuable research information. The information gathered from such an analysis can be used to aid those who are the primary targets of homicide. Such studies can also be used to understand the nature of homicide and what measures can be taken to decrease the rates of homicide. Information on the nature of homicide and who is primarily affected can be used by police departments and public organizations to develop methods to decrease the amount of homicide in any area. This study is an analysis of homicide cases from the Orleans Parish coroner\u27s office. A total of 1,334 cases were reviewed. The first goal of the research was to determine trends in homicides in Orleans Parish. The second goal was to determine whether the rate of violence in homicide cases has increased over time. To determine changes over time, the years 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, and 2000 were reviewed. The results of this study indicate that African American males aged 21 to 30 are the primary victims of homicide in Orleans Parish. Gun related homicides were consistently in the majority. When violence was analyzed, the results indicated that homicides in Orleans Parish have become more violent in recent years. Both the number of overly violent cases per year and the average number of wounds per victim increased over the years under study. The results also indicated that the victims of overly violent homicides were principally African American males aged 21 to 30