Any time the head of a major governmental department steps down, the change at the top presents an opportunity for a reset. And it’s hard to think of a department more in need of a reset than the New Orleans Police Department, which has been grappling with a long list of challenges, from a desperately depleted workforce to a frightening surge in murders.
Shaun Ferguson, the superintendent that Mayor LaToya Cantrell handpicked at the start of her first term in 2018, said this week that he’d retire by year’s end, and we thank him for his service and wish him well.
We also hope the change augers a true disruption to a department struggling with poor officer morale, a federal civil rights consent decree that has dragged on for a decade now, and widespread public frustration.
The size of the force has shrunk by a third since Hurricane Katrina, leading to troubling wait times for residents who place 911 calls. The city doesn’t even have enough cops for Carnival, and last year shrank parade routes in what was described as a temporary measure — except the city announced it will continue for 2023. NOPD had more than 1,500 officers once, but these days city leaders don’t even talk about restoring the force to the staffing it used to have — and still needs.
This is truly an all-hands-on-deck moment for NOPD, and a new chief will have considerable resources to draw upon.
The NOLA Coalition, a diverse group of community leaders from across business, nonprofit and community sectors, has made policy recommendations and raised substantial sums for youth services to address the root causes of crime.
Cantrell has brought on a nationally prominent team of consultants out of New York, including John Linder, a veteran of NOPD’s 1990s turnaround.
The City Council last week passed a budget that includes much of the mayor’s proposed package to attract and retain officers, featuring lucrative bonuses paid for with onetime American Rescue Plan funds. That should help, but surveys show that the exodus of officers is driven more by leadership problems than pay.
There was word initially that Cantrell already has a candidate in mind to replace Ferguson, Deputy Superintendent Jonette Williams. Williams has had a rapid rise through the department, and the appointment of the first female superintendent by New Orleans' first female mayor would be the type of milestone that shouldn’t be noteworthy in 2022, but is.
That said, we think there’s a strong argument for fresh eyes and a true culture change at this pivotal point, or at the very least a widespread search to solicit ideas from potential candidates. We urge Cantrell to take her time in deciding, and accept input from the many stakeholders already involved.
We also hope that she and the City Council won’t let the decision get bogged down in the usual mayoral/council politics. To that end, we urge Cantrell not to push through an appointment before Jan. 1, when a City Charter amendment that voters recently approved 60%-40% takes effect.
The amendment gives the council approval power over mayoral department heads for the first time, and we think such a public process would allow Cantrell’s pick to explain his or her background and plans to the public, and hopefully win citizens’ support.
Council approval would mean that both the administration and the legislative branch take ownership of a vitally important choice at a critical time.
We don’t see any downside to that.