River Ridge Senator Kirk Talbot
River Ridge Senator and Chair of the Senate Judiciary C Committee Kirk Talbot is hoping to increase the penalties for the ever-growing crimes of carjacking and catalytic converter theft. Talbot says he’s working with law enforcement and district attorneys on the legislation and living in New Orleans he’s seen car jackings grow increasingly more violent.
“We want to increase the penalties when someone uses a firearm for that. Far too often it’s not just someone throwing you out of your car, it’s somebody pointing a gun in your face,” said Talbot.
Talbot’s legislation specifically highlighting catalytic converter theft, will make it more difficult for them to be resold, similar to legislation that addressed copper theft in which the seller’s identification has to be recorded during a sale.
“You know you’re not going to able to go sell that to a scrapyard or sell that to someone one, it’s going to have to be more legitimized, again like we did with copper, I think that will definitely help,” said Talbot.
Talbot is hopeful his carjacking legislation will act as a deterrent and give the judicial system more leeway when punishing those who commit such violent crimes and also make it more difficult for suspects to post bond.
“I would allow for the judge to have more discretion to punish them more severely,” said Talbot.
In New Orleans, Monday afternoon police say an elderly woman was killed in a Mid-City carjacking when she was dragged for several blocks, and her arm was severed from her body.
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