News

January 11, 2023 | From City of New Orleans

MAYOR CANTRELL SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO ESTABLISH VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION TASK FORCE

NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell today announced the establishment by executive order of the Violent Crime Reduction Task Force, under the command of Orleans Parish Communication District (OPCD) Executive Director Tyrell Morris.

Task force members will work daily with senior leadership and agency directors to deploy resources to aid the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) in addressing violent crime. The task force will also meet with stakeholders, including community groups and members of the New Orleans City Council.

“In 2022, major cities across the country, including New Orleans, experienced a spike in violent crime, as well as a reduction in available law enforcement providers,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “So far, 2023 has already been met with a significant increase in violent crime, and now with the proper resources at our disposal, I cannot think of a better moment to establish this task force. This group will be laser focused on preventing violent crime in our city, as well as assisting enforcement partners to remove the most violent offenders from our streets. By embedding ourselves within the community and bringing all stakeholders together in a more unified, collaborative and holistic manner, this will ultimately lead to a reduction in violent crime across our city and improve the overall quality of life for our residents and visitors.”

The Violent Crime Task Force’s priorities will include:

  • Preventing of acts of violence by embedding themselves in the community and orchestrating a “full government response” to detect, deter and intervene before an act of violence happens
  • Assisting Interim NOPD Superintendent Michelle Woodfork, the brave men and women of the NOPD and all other law enforcement partners to apprehend violent offenders
    • This includes constantly evaluating internal policies, providing legislative recommendations to both Mayor Cantrell and the City Council and removing any barriers between a need and a resource
  • Ensuring that comprehensive wraparound services are brought to bear

“It is no secret that the City of New Orleans is experiencing a violent crime spike that must be treated as a public health emergency,” said Morris. “The executive action taken today by Mayor Cantrell is a bold and strong move in our quest to curb the current trends. This task force will spare no resource or opportunity to bring any criminal offenders to justice. New Orleans is a phenomenal city with a bright future, and we will not allow heinous acts of violent crime derail our collective progress and prosperity as a community.”

Director Morris is a certified public safety executive that has led OPCD and the City’s public safety agencies through several emergencies, special events and significant technology and operational improvements. As the head of this task force, Director Morris will be charged with bringing stakeholders together from many different segments of the local community and all levels of government and uniting them towards one common goal.

Other members of the Violent Crime Reduction Taskforce include: 

  • Commissioner Tenisha Stevens, Office of Criminal Justice Coordination
  • Interim Superintendent Woodfork, NOPD
  • Consulting Chief of Operations Fausto Pichardo, NOPD
  • Director Dr. Jennifer Avegno, New Orleans Health Department
  • Director Patrick Young, Mayor’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention
  • Director John Thomas, Public Safety and Homeland Security
  • Deputy CAO Thomas Mulligan, Office of Business and External Services
  • Director Asya Howlette, Mayor’s Office of Youth and Families
  • Director Gregory Joseph, Mayor’s Office of Communications
  • District Attorney Jason Williams, Orleans Parish
  • Chief Judge Robin Pittman, Orleans Parish Criminal District Court
  • Chief Judge Ranord Darensburg, Orleans Parish Juvenile Court

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE Violent Crime Taskforce

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