The robbery rate in the French Quarter would probably be cut in half if folks would just put their iPhones in their pockets and not be distracted by blabbing or texting–3 of 4 simple robberies this past week were of iPhones:

* Monday (10.11.10) 2:30 a.m.: Police are trying to pinpoint the time and place of a cellphone robbery that the victim didn’t report until well after it occurred and didn’t know exactly where or when he was robbed. Police think the 30-year-old white man had his iPhone snatched from his hand by a black guy near Royal and St. Ann streets.

The robber was described as 5’8″ to 5’10” tall, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt, dark jeans, and a white hat.

* Sunday (10.10.10) 5:40 a.m.: A 33-year-old white guy standing–not texting–at the corner of Bourbon and Canal streets was robbed by a black chic who, he says, came up and pulled money out of his pocket. He tried to grab her, but she pushed him and he fell to the ground as she ran down Bourbon.

She is described as 25 to 35 years old, 5’6″ tall, weighing 120 pounds, wearing a red shirt and blue jeans.

* Sunday (10.10.10) 10:30 p.m.: A 20-year-old white woman standing in the 500 block of Bourbon Street (between Toulouse and St. Louis streets) when a black boy came up and snatched her iPhone from her hand. He fled on foot down Conti Street toward N. Rampart Street.

The police caught up with the 13-year-old juvenile and booked him for robbery.

* Sunday (10.5.10) 8:20 p.m.: A 51-year-old white woman walking on the Moonwalk near Dumaine Street had her cellphone grabbed from her grasp by a black guy riding by on a bicycle.

He was described as having short hair and dark complexion, wearing a white hoodie and dark pants.

Temper, temper: A couple of tantrums led to the guns and knives coming out:

* Friday (10.8.10) 11:20 p.m.: Two black dudes got into an argument outside a club at Toulouse and N. Rampart streets when Jeffery McEleveen, 19, allegedly took out a knife and threatened the other guy, 27. When a bouncer from the nearby club tried to intervene, McEleveen allegedly swung the knife at both guys before fleeing on foot.

Police caught up with McEleveen and booked him on 2 counts of aggravated assault. He is in OPP on $20,000 bond.

* Sunday (10.3.10) 4:37 a.m.: A 25-year-old black guy walking in the 800 block of Iberville Street (between Bourbon and Dauphine streets) got into an argument with another black guy who pulled out a pistol and fired at him before fleeing on foot.

The shooter was described as 5’5″ tall, weighing 160 pounds, with a medium complexion, wearing a navy blue shirt and blue cap.

* * *
Crimes last week in the 8th District
(Click on the crime map to enlarge it)
Sunday (10.3.10)
Simple Robbery, 500 Esplanade, 3:59 a.m.
Aggravated Assault, 800 Iberville, 4:36 a.m.
Auto Theft, 934 Esplanade, 12:43 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 600 St Philip, 9:40 p.m.
Auto Theft, 700 St Ann, 9:44 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 400 Julia, 10:26 p.m.

Monday (10.4.10)
Auto Burglary, 100 N Rampart, 12:15 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 100 Elk, 5:56 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 900 Convention Center, 6:50 p.m.

Tuesday (10.5.10)
Theft, 300 Canal, 7:14 a.m.
Theft, 610 Poydras, 8:01 a.m.
Theft, 843 Camp, 3:40 p.m.
Simple Robbery, Decatur & Dumaine, 8:10 p.m.

Wednesday (10.6.10)
Theft, 721 St Philip, 8:43 a.m.
Theft, 1027 Touro, 11:53 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, N Maestri & St Charles, 4:59 p.m.

Thursday (10.7.10)
Theft, 881 Convention Center, 2:40 a.m.
Theft, 900 Convention Center, 10:52 a.m.
Theft, 604 Julia, 5:53 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Iberville & N Rampart, 11:43 p.m.

Friday (10.8.10)
Shoplifting, 701 Royal, 11:00 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 344 St Joseph, 4:39 p.m.
Theft, 8 Canal, 6:03 p.m.
Theft, 300 Bourbon, 6:25 p.m.
Aggravated Assault, N Rampart & Toulouse, 11:25 p.m.

Saturday (10.9.10)
Theft, 555 Canal, 1:56 a.m.
Theft, 200 Bourbon, 4:03 a.m.
Auto Theft, Perdido & S Rampart, 1:28 p.m.

French Quarter security district parcel fee (from Times-Picayune online nola.com)

After weeks of contentious debate, French Quarter voters rejected a property fee to pay for private security patrols in the city’s most famous neighborhood. Proponents put forth the proposal as a way to deter crime by having visible patrols roaming the streets 24 hours a day, mainly on bicycles and open-air four-wheel vehicles.

But critics claimed the fees, which would bring in about $1 million a year, were exorbitant for the level of service to be provided, noting that as few as three patrol officers would be on duty at a time and that, except at night, they would not carry guns. They also argued that visitors and businesses should pay for any increased security measures, not residents.

Despite its small population, millions of tourists flood the French Quarter annually, giving it an extremely high crime rate on a per-capita basis. Under the proposal, owners of individual homes, condos and rental buildings with four or fewer units would have paid $185 a year, while small commercial buildings and apartment buildings with five or more units would have paid $395. Businesses that sell alcohol for on-premises consumption would have paid $545, and about 50 large commercial properties, including hotels and retail malls, would have been billed from $900 to $15,000 a year, depending on their size and use.

9 of 9 precincts Votes

Yes 317 35%

No 589 65%

NOLA.com : French Quarter security district proposal is a contentious proposition.