Louisiana has been ranked the most dangerous state in the nation by two recent reports, setting the stage for Republican Governor-elect Jeff Landry to prioritize crime reduction as his administration’s first order of business. A WalletHub study released on Monday placed Louisiana at the bottom of its safety rankings, citing high rates of violent crimes, including the highest number of murders per capita and one of the highest rates of assaults per capita. This follows a similar ranking by Hubscore last week.

Jeff Landry, who has served as the state’s attorney general for eight years, secured a decisive victory in the October 14 gubernatorial race, avoiding a runoff in a crowded field. During his campaign, Landry emphasized crime reduction as his top priority, highlighting that Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Shreveport rank among the top ten worst U.S. cities for crime.

“Unequivocally, we have a crime problem,” Landry stated when announcing his candidacy. “I understand Louisiana and understand what’s at stake. Enough is enough. Crime knows no party, no race.”

Landry chairs the Violent Crime Task Force, created through legislation by Republican Shreveport Representative Alan Seabaugh, who recently won a Senate seat. The task force aims to recommend reforms to Louisiana’s criminal justice system, balancing second chances for good people who make bad decisions with stringent measures against habitual offenders.

Landry is anticipated to advocate for the reversal of criminal justice reforms enacted in 2017 under Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards, which were passed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

A survey conducted last spring by the LSU Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs revealed that for the first time in 20 years, Louisiana residents identified crime as their top concern.