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An LSU criminologist says the crime wave in Baton Rouge and New Orleans could be here to stay and may get worse.
Dr. Peter Scharf says the prevalence of violent crime could be the "new normal," and things aren't looking good for 2022 and 2023 in both cities.
Scharf said the tendency to blame the crime wave on the pandemic is simplistic and says the illegal drug market is a bigger contributing factor.
He says putting more police officers on the street is an important part of the solution.
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