NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The federal judge overseeing police reforms in New Orleans has called on the city’s police chief and other city officials to attend a hearing in her courtroom. The order comes a week after Mayor LaToya Cantrell said city officials cannot speak at public meetings about the reform effort without her permission.
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan’s order, dated Monday, sets April 12 as the date for a courtroom hearing on a 2012 reform agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. Known as the Consent Decree, the pact contained numerous reforms for the long-troubled ministry. The order said officers should be prepared to discuss issues including the city’s Alternative Police Response Program, a plan to improve police emergency response by using non-officers to handle some types of non-emergency matters.
The head of a company charged with fighting traffic accidents was also summoned.
Morgan last week canceled a public meeting on the consent decree to be held at Loyola University New Orleans after Cantrell issued a statement saying preparations for such meetings were “a drain on time, resources and the efficiency of the NOPD represent their professional duties.”
Cantrell’s administration asked the court to overturn the consent decree last August, insisting the city is largely in compliance. The agreement, which outlines a variety of policies, practices, training and recruiting requirements, was reached following a Justice Department investigation into fatal shootings of civilians in the chaos following levee failures and catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Morgan has praised the city’s progress but has shown no sign that she is ready to end oversight. Her latest order was issued on the same day that interim police superintendent Michelle Woodfork held a press conference on crime in the city. According to Woodfork, the total number of violent crimes decreased by 20% in 2023 compared to the same period last year. She also said the city had met 87% of the detailed requirements of the consent decree.
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