January 13, 2025 | From City of New Orleans
City of New Orleans and State Call for Conclusion of NOPD Consent Decree
NEW ORLEANS – The City of New Orleans is pleased to announce that on Friday, Jan. 10, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill have agreed to join with the City in bringing the Consent Decree to its proper end. The City is adamant that the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has been in substantial compliance for years, and the NOPD continues to demonstrate that they are doing constitutional policing on a daily basis. The City has been unable to get the court to recognize those facts. However, the goals of the Consent Decree were achieved years ago.
In April 2022, the City, Department of Justice (DOJ), and the federal monitors agreed that 15 of the 17 Consent Decree categories were in full and effective compliance and the remaining two categories were very close. However, nothing happened, prompting the City to file a motion to terminate the Consent Decree in August 2022.
The City believes that the NOPD has already maintained compliance for well over two years. After at least two years of compliance, termination is warranted according to the very terms of the Consent Decree itself. Therefore, the court should rule on the motion to terminate that has been pending since August 2022, per the most recent filing with the court.
“The NOPD of 2012 is not the NOPD of today," said New Orleans City Attorney Donesia Turner. "All of our officers are taught and trained on constitutional policing and practices, of which they implement daily. The NOPD is committed to continue on this trajectory.”
"NOPD is like an athlete who has been in training for years who became an elite athlete," said NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. "Athletes of that caliber practice and discipline themselves day in and day out until their skills and talents are ingrained. The same principle applies here. For 12 years, NOPD has trained and trained and disciplined itself, that today they have become elite in the world of law enforcement.”
“I am profoundly appreciative of the tireless efforts and unwavering dedication shown by the men and women of the NOPD that have brought us to this moment," said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. "The policies, procedures, and audit results of the NOPD stand proudly alongside any department in America. The citizens should take pride in the progress that the NOPD has made, while continuing to hold them to the highest of standards. This is the essence of the new NOPD—an unrelenting pursuit of improvement, grounded in accountability, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to the constitutional policing principles and policies established during the Consent Decree. We remain steadfast in our dedication to upholding and protecting the rights of all individuals, ensuring that our actions are always in alignment with the highest standards of justice, fairness, and respect for every member of our community.”