NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Next week, the New Orleans City Council and the public are expected to find out how the final candidates for police chief were chosen.
However, people who are eager to hear the results still say the search lacks transparency.
In an email sent to the council Thursday morning, New Orleans Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Montaño wrote that he wanted to provide council members with an update on the search for NOPD’s next superintendent, but Council President JP Morrell says the email lacked the information they’re seeking.
“We were looking for the rankings and scores on the candidates themselves and how they got from the 33 to the six to potentially the three,” Morrell said. “Though it’s a lengthy letter, it doesn’t answer that really basic question.”
Just outside the doors of City Hall, advocacy groups gathered in opposition to the police chief selection process.
“We have been totally left out of any consideration for selecting a new police chief in New Orleans, as well as any consideration for anything that has been going on in New Orleans for the past five, six years,” Community United for Change Chairman WC Johnson said.
According to Montaño, the International Association of Chiefs of Police is finalizing its evaluation report, which will be made public on July 31.
“Too little, too late, and what we’re asking city council to do is to open this entire process up, revamp it, and let’s get a pool of new candidates,” Johnson said.
Once the final candidate has been selected by Mayor LaToya Cantrell, they must receive council confirmation; however, Morrell questions the credibility of the process.
“I don’t trust the entire process, as far as I’m concerned, because we have not been given transparent data timely,” Morrell said. “I’m going into confirmation, as a chair of governmental affairs, as if there was no search process.”
According to a spokesman for the mayor’s office, the Cantrell administration was not privy to the candidates’ names until the IACP provided their list of six semi-finalists.
Regarding community input, the IACP hosted a series of public meetings this past spring to get input on a desirable candidate.
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