D.A.'s Office Faces Serious Budget Cuts
Written by WGNO ABC26 News
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 14:00
ABC26 News
Orleans District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro has a serious problem on his hands. His office faces losing $800,000 next year because of city wide budget cuts. Services in jeopardy of cuts include witness protection, the diversionary program and cold case investigations, which Cannizzaro says are yielding great results. "We have indicted or filled bills of information against approximately 20 of what we consider to be some of the most violent offenders in the city of New Orleans."
Cannizzaro's office isn't the only one struggling. So is CrimeStoppers. Darlene Cusanza, director of CrimeStoppers says, "We're a non-profit so we see the funding issues where there's lower donations coming to the organization, we have a greater need, people calling wanting information published on their case."
Cusanza says it's a scary thought that the city with the highest murder rate in the nation is cutting funding from groups designed to fight crime. "As a citizen and as a parent we want to give our law enforcement and our district attorneys and everyone in the criminal justice system every tool they can have" Cusanza comments.
Cannizzaro agrees, "We have seen in the past where if we're not aggressive in our efforts to prosecute and keep the violent offender off the street, we see he repeats over and over again."
Cannizzaro plans on going before the city council on Monday to ask for some of that $800,000 back.
