An inch step closer to de facto martial law, perhaps?
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ABC News - National Guard Called In to Fight Big Easy Crime WaveNEW ORLEANS, June 20, 2006 — Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco has pledged to dispatch the National Guard and state police to the beleaguered city.
The move answers a plea from New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and the City Council for help in protecting city streets.
"The situation is urgent, and we will accelerate our plans to deploy law enforcement to the city tomorrow," the governor said Monday afternoon. "Having more law enforcement patrolling the streets is a direct deterrent to the criminal element. Criminals are not welcome in New Orleans or anywhere else in this state."
The utilization of the additional forces comes after a recent spate of violent killings in New Orleans.
Outrage over the deaths of five teenagers in the early hours of Saturday morning was obvious among the city's top politicians.
"If we don't have wind knocking us down, we have people shooting us down and that is unacceptable," said City Council President Oliver Thomas.
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