NEW IBERIA, LA (KLFY) — A New Iberia activist believes law enforcement need a new strategy to address the violent crime in the area.

Raymond “Shoe-Do” Lewis has made it his mission to fight crimes, more specifically juvenile crime, throughout New Iberia. He says law enforcement needs to find a new strategy to prevent more violence from continuing.

“I think we are at a point where confidence in our city police performance is probably at its lowest point,” said Lewis.

Lewis took it upon himself to find out the number of unsolved murders throughout the city. He went to city police for records from 2018 to the present.

“The N.I.P.D. had 40 cases and 17 unsolved homicides on the book as of the present,” said Lewis.

Comparing the city’s situation to that of New Orleans’s crime rate, Lewis says a total reset is necessary.

“I would suggest a look at restructuring the New Iberia police department,” said Lewis.

New Iberia District 5 Council Member Deedy Johnson-Reid says a major issue with the rise in crime is the lack of police officers in New Iberia. She suggests raising the wage to bring more people into the force.

“We are looking at raising the salary so we can recruit more officers so we can have a fully staffed police department (to) address some of these crimes,” he said. “With more police on the streets, they can deter some of the criminal activity that’s happening.”