News & Announcements

October 7, 2025 | From City of New Orleans

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS ISSUES OFFICIAL STATEMENT

NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans today issued the following statement in response to the Office of the Inspector General report on the Department of Safety and Permits: 

While there is always room for growth, we believe the department’s success in eliminating corruption—achieved through collaboration with public agencies such as the Office of Inspector General and the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors over the past five years—is a significant accomplishment that was not fully acknowledged in the report.

The department was enthusiastic about the Office of Inspector General's embedded presence and welcomed the opportunity for partnership, hoping it would provide investigators with deeper insight into day-to-day operations. However, qualitative methods such as employee shadowing, ride-alongs, or comprehensive permit tracking from initiation to completion were not incorporated into the review. Instead, the report appears to rely heavily on previously published data and recommendations, which may not fully reflect current practices and progress.

Finally, the department submitted a formal response to the OIG, which should be included as an attachment to the Office of Inspector General report.

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