New Orleans prepares to exit federal police oversight

The big picture: The decree — one of the nation's most expansive agreements — has governed the police department for 12 years.

• The ruling comes amid the Trump administration's push to terminate law enforcement consent decrees across the country.

The latest: City Council members unanimously passed a city ordinance last week that codifies what they say are some of the biggest issues covered in the consent decree, including:

• Use of force definitions and reporting standards.
• Policies and training requirements for sex crimes and domestic violence responses.
• Policies for body-worn cameras and community policing.

What he's saying: "This is an effort to ensure that when the Trump administration terminates the consent decree, there are guardrails in place to prevent any backsliding," City Council president JP Morrell said at the meeting last week.

• Gains have been made, Morrell said, but there's still work to do on every level.
• Read the ordinance.

Yes, but: Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill have been vocal critics of the consent decree.

• NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick previously said the department is meeting most of the benchmarks already and ending the decree would mean "considerable savings" for the city, which is in the middle of a budget crisis.
• The city paid about $20 million for the federal monitors over the course of the decree, according to The Times-Picayune. NOPD spent additional money on improvements to department operations.
• NOPD did not respond to a request for comment ahead of Wednesday's court date.

Zoom in: In addition to the new ordinance, NOPD has other oversight mechanisms in place.

• The internal Public Integrity Bureau investigates complaints.
• The Independent Police Monitor is also a city-funded department that will stick around. It takes reports from community members about police interactions and behavior.

What we're watching: NOPD has not been involved in immigration enforcement for years, with leaders citing the consent decree.

• Immigration is not covered in the new ordinance, Morrell says.

• Kirkpatrick told WBOK that NOPD will "collaborate" with Border Patrol agents when they deploy here, but officers won't have a direct role in immigration-related arrests, according to The Times-Picayune.
• The chief also says she won't change NOPD's restrictions on vehicle pursuits, reports John Simerman with the paper. The policy has been in stark contrast with Louisiana State Police's chases via Troop NOLA.

Catch up quick: The consent decree is a formal process for federal oversight of the police department until certain benchmarks are met.

• The city, NOPD and the U.S. Department of Justice entered the agreement in 2013 to ensure that NOPD's services "improve public safety, increase public confidence, and protect the constitutional rights of all citizens," according to the federal monitor's website.
• It came after former Mayor Mitch Landrieu requested the DOJ look into the department following deaths of unarmed civilians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the AP reported.
• NOPD agreed to the decree as a way to "fundamentally change the way it polices" after that investigation found reasonable cause to believe the department had a pattern of excessive force, discriminatory policing and unconstitutional stops, searches and seizures.

What's next: Wednesday's ruling will be livestreamed at 11:30am.

• Kirkpatrick will hold a press conference afterward.