NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — On Tuesday, at 3 p.m., a hearing for the New Orleans Police Department consent decree will be held in federal court. The NOPD expressed concerns about the restrictions the consent decree puts on officers. The department said that it makes it harder to do their jobs.
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell and NOPD Chief Shaun Ferguson are pushing to end the consent decree. The federal consent decree has governed the New Orleans Police department for over a decade. It was put in place after a 2011 justice department report alleging a pattern of civil rights violations by the department.
Although the police department has come a long way in the last decade, in August, Judge Susie Morgan announced that the consent decree would stay in place. She said that some areas of the NOPD still need improvement due to a lack of resources and personnel.
After the call, Mayor Cantrell expressed her disappointment and said that it “handcuffs officers.” Since then, the city and the NOPD announced many changes to recruit and retain officers. City officials announced an $80 million dollar package and many other incentives to work for the department.
Following the hearing, consent decree monitors will host two meetings that the public can attend. The meetings will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday where the public can ask questions and leave comments. The first meeting will be Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., and the other meeting will be Wednesday afternoon at 11:30 a.m. They will be held at the Ashe Power House Theater.