Reporter Asks Authorities For Help

Last year, coincidentally on this very day, I alerted local public safety and civic leaders regarding the most predictable crime of the year: celebratory New Year’s Eve gunfire.

I received only one response, from the SLP sheriff’s communications officer, and I did not see any public warnings on social media or in the local news. We must do better!

It saddens me to have the responsibility to remind you all that this is your job. I shouldn’t have to do this. It’s a burden I’ve borne for 35 years now, and I’m tired and frustrated at having to do it again and again. And I can tell you from experience, when someone dies because of the lack of action, we will all be responsible. I know the feeling and don’t wish it on anyone. But it will happen if you keep doing nothing every year.

Let me repeat this: This is the most predictable crime of the year. Preparing for it should be built into your annual to-dos. 

So, you’ve been alerted again. I’m posting another story on my blog and working with Bobby Ardoin to do something again for St Landry Now! But I shouldn’t be the only voice. In fact, I shouldn’t be doing this at all, because it’s YOUR JOB!

I sent many of you emails on December 12, 2024. On January 2, 2025, I sent you a follow-up to report what I heard. That email, in particular, should’ve caused you to be concerned, because I counted 300 gunshots in ten minutes, and that is triple the rate of gunfire of the previous year, and 20 times higher per capita than New Orleans. That means Opelousas has one of the highest rates of celebratory gunfire in the country. Despite these alarming statistics, I received no response.

Here’s what you need to do: Alert the public, provide clear instructions on how to report celebratory gunfire, and warn perpetrators that they will be caught and prosecuted. Work together across all public safety systems and institutions. It’s that simple.

I relive trauma every year when I do this because, though I try, people still die. Last year, a ten-year-old girl was killed in Florida. It can and will happen here if you remain silent. Please do something about it. 

Stephen C. Picou

Opelousas, LA

My prior emails:

December 12, 2024

TO: Mayor Julius Alsandor Parish President Jessie Bellard

Chief Graig LeBlanc Sheriff Bobby Guidroz

Season’s Greetings!

I’m volunteering to do an article for St. Landry Now, and I need to be able to tell people what they can and should do regarding reporting celebratory New Year’s Eve gunfire. 

This past New Year’s Eve, in Opelousas, I counted approximately 180 gunshots, more than 100 of them in the first five minutes of 2024. I was disappointed but not surprised. It’s a national problem.

Celebratory New Year’s Eve gunfire is an annual phenomenon I first publicly warned about in New Orleans in 1991-92. 

Few listened back then, and two years later, my prediction came true: Amy Silberman, an innocent young tourist from Boston, died instantly when a bullet ripped through her brain and lodged in her neck. She was crossing the tracks behind Jax Brewery as the fireworks on the river were underway. I counted more than 1500 shots in an hour and a half that night. I heard more in prior years. 

I spent the next ten years working with Amy’s incredible family to annually promote a “Falling Bullets Kill!” campaign that helped significantly reduce the phenomenon. 

I don’t know whether you’ve ever planned for this most predictable of crimes. But that’s what we’re dealing with, which theoretically should make the job easier. 🙂 

A press release and public stance on this issue are key components that have proven to be a deterrent. If you’d like to prepare something, I can hold off on the article until it’s done.

I’m happy to discuss this issue with you if you want to learn more about what we did in New Orleans. It truly made a huge difference. Please feel free to call me at your convenience.

Thank you for your public service, and here’s to a safe and joyous holiday season!

Steve Picou

ADAPTATION STRATEGIES

Opelousas LA

TO: Mayor Julius Alsandor Parish President Jessie Bellard

Chief Graig LeBlanc Sheriff Bobby Guidroz

Update: I tallied 359 gunshots in 32 instances, with 300 occurring in just nine minutes. 

This rate is more than double what I heard last year and is a sign that shooters feel emboldened. What’s even more disturbing is that when compared by population, the volume of gunfire in Opelousas is nearly three times higher per capita than what I counted in New Orleans the night Amy Silberman was killed. 

As noted in my article for St. Landry Now, this is the most predictable crime of the year and something we can all be better prepared for if we simply raise awareness.

I’m committed to promoting common-sense public safety efforts to mitigate celebratory gunfire. Though I got a late start last year, it’s game on for 2025. I hope we can all address this predictable public health threat together (and regionally). 

I wish you all a healthy and happy New Year!

Steve Picou

ADAPTATION STRATEGIES

Opelousas LA

This spreadsheet maps instances of shooting during each minute. Each Shots cell is an occurrence/incident.