On November 12, 2003, we wrote Honorable C. Ray Nagin, Mayor, City of New Orleans,
to explain that the Ozanam Inn is a FAILURE!

Dear Mayor:

Thanks for your response to our complaints regarding the problems we face each day because the Ozanam Inn lures serious social deviants into our neighborhood. Mayor Nagin, we are not talking about the general problem of homelessness in New Orleans; we are focusing on the crime caused by the Ozanam Inn soup kitchen in the Camp and Julia Streets area.

If you could possibly find the time in your schedule to review our correspondence to your office, you would gain a deeper understanding of the neighborhood's view of the problem.

You say "both sides are partially right and partially wrong." Please respond in specifics regarding what's right about luring criminals into our neighborhood and what's wrong about our opposition to the crime caused by OZ 's clients.

Recently, our correspondence to your office expressed our displeasure with Captain DeFillo's misrepresentation of crime facts for this area. He stated that most of the crimes in our neighborhood were nuisance crimes, like loitering and vagrancy. Further, he stated that he had to protect the civil rights of the "so called homeless," as opposed to working, tax paying, property owning citizens.

Mr Mayor, who protects my civil rights, and those of my neighbors? I guess we protect our own rights if the police won't!

Please understand this is not an issue between the police department and suburban homeless advocates. Neither is this an issue between the homeless and police. This is an issue between the citizens of our neighborhood and the criminals lured into the neighborhood by OZ's soup kitchen.

The criminal activity enabled and sustained by OZ destroys the quality of our life in our neighborhood. Most importantly, it stops economic development cold!

Many of the people fed at the Ozanam Inn are serious social deviants. They are not the innocent homeless or the working poor. We will no longer tolerate abuse by Ozanam Inn sponsored deviants. Neither will we tolerate being placed outside of the planning process.

On December 3, 2003, a tourist and convention attendee named Thomas Briewick was robbed and murdered at 528 Baronne Street, four blocks from the Ozanam Inn. On December 5,2003, an Ozaman Inn regular, Lester "Shorty" Harris, was arrested and charged with Mr. Briewich's murder.

In spite of his lengthy criminal record, including convictions for cocaine possession, carrying a concealed weapon, simple escape, and arrests for the robbery and assault of a tourist, "Shorty" (seen sitting near the brick fence in the picture above) was always welcome to eat and hang out at the OZ.

Now, here's another Ozanam Inn murderer, Tim Henson, 44 years old. He was a regular who ate and hung out at OZ. He was usually seen there with a caucasian male and caucasian female friend. On November 6, 2003 he confessed to the murder on September 2, 2003 of Kanako Ohyama, a young female visitor from Japan. Tim had a lenghty criminal record for Kidnapping, Rape, and Escape, but was always welcome to eat and hang out at the OZ.

If Oz acted responsibly, using any kind of records or background check, perhaps more tourists would be alive today. Oz's soup kitchen lures criminals into our neighborhood. OZ enables, feeds and supports them, giving them a place to hide out while planning and committing serious crimes.

And, as you know Mr. Mayor, the truly homeless and the working poor need much more than a soup kitchen; they need real homes and real help, not just a bologna sandwich. Mr. Mayor, the business owners, property owners, residents, employees, and citizens in this neighborhood are working actively to solve the problems caused by OZ.

Unlike most of the homeless advocates, who live primarily in Metairie, or out of town; and the so called "homeless" who do not vote at all; we vote in all Orleans Parish elections and so do most of our friends.

Please put us, the Orleans Parish Citizens, back into the solution equation regarding homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and crime in our neighborhood.

Thanks for your attention. We look forward meeting with you again.

Louis E. "Lee" Madère, Jr.
Acting Director
Camp & Julia Coalition to Close OZ
842 Camp Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
504-259-5087