Mayor Freddie DeCourt and the New Iberia City Council addressed the recent crime that resulted in two deaths at a local festival last weekend, ensuring the public that the city is doing everything it can to combat the issue. 

“I need to send the message that we are a safe community,” DeCourt said. 

The mayor said that the two murders that occurred at the festival were caused by people who knew each other, not randomly, and that all of the crimes were solved by local law enforcement on the same day they happened. 

“These crimes were domestic, you can’t prevent what happens inside a house,” the mayor said. “Our officers were 60 yards away, we had officers there and the technology solved it pretty quick.”

DeCourt stressed that local residents need to keep their guns in a place they won’t get stolen. Previous data has shown that the city averaged 60 stolen guns in just the city, he said. 

The mayor added that social media rumors were not helping the situation, and encouraged people in town to get the facts before spreading false rumors that could hurt the town’s reputation. 

In the coming weeks, DeCourt said he plans to meet with the heads of all of the city’s major festivals in the next few weeks in order to discuss safety and if any changes are needed. 

“I refuse to let evil win,” DeCourt said. “It’s happening far too often in far too many communities. It’s not a reason to quit, it’s a reason to look at what we can do differently.”

Mayor Pro Tem Ricky Gonsoulin agreed, adding that the elected officials of the city are doing everything they can to ensure safety. 

“We’re doing everything we can to make this town as safe as it can be,” he said. “Everyone up here wants the same thing. We’re on the job and we’re going to continue working hard.”