New Orleans police chief search: What to know
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Officials are hiring a superintendent for the New Orleans Police Department after the previous leader retired. Photo: Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via Getty Images
New Orleans is getting closer to finding a leader for its police force, but calls are growing louder for more transparency during the search process.
Why it matters: The superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department is responsible for policing a city that reclaimed the unfortunate title of the murder capital of the U.S. late last year.
- The force is also struggling to fill the ranks needed to protect the city and staff the many special events it hosts, including dozens of Mardi Gras parades.
- Michelle Woodfork has been filling in on an interim basis since Shaun Ferguson retired in December.
Catch up quick: Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration in January said it enlisted the International Association of Chiefs of Police to lead the national search.
- The city originally planned to complete the search by the end of May. But, the application window didn't open until early June.
- Thirty-three candidates applied, the mayor said. The number has been narrowed to six semi-finalists, including Woodfork.
Driving the news: Politicians, including Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy and City Council President JP Morrell, are calling for more public updates during the process, including releasing the candidates' names and information about why they were selected.
- Morrell, in a letter he shared publicly Tuesday that was co-signed by Councilmember Oliver Thomas, invited IACP project manager Chris Hawkins to come update the council
- The IACP declined on June 30, saying that appearing before the council could be “misunderstood as an unacceptable intrusion into the process.”
- Morrell responded the same day: "It is regrettable that IACP has determined it only needs to report to the executive branch, and not the City as a whole."
Kennedy, during a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, criticized Cantrell for the "secrecy" surrounding the process.
The other side: Cantrell has said releasing the candidates’ identities to the media would "harm" them.
- A top administration official told reporters Wednesday the names will become public when three finalists are selected, but Cantrell's office didn't respond to queries to confirm that yesterday.
Worth noting: During Mitch Landrieu's search in 2010 for an NOPD chief, the names of the six finalists were released, according to reports at the time.
What's next: The current six semi-finalists will participate in a two-day assessment in New Orleans on July 20-21 to whittle the list down to three finalists.
- The IACP will evaluate the candidates "based on essential competencies required for effective police agency leadership," according to a statement from the mayor's office.
- Public safety stakeholders will participate in the assessment, including one City Council member, the mayor said Wednesday. She said the full list of stakeholders wasn't finalized as of Wednesday afternoon and declined to release more details.
- Each finalist will interview with the mayor and other "senior members of the administration," according to a statement this week from the mayor's office.
- The final candidate will go before the City Council for the confirmation process.