NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — In an exclusive interview on Good Morning New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell pushed back against criticism of the process of choosing a new superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department.
Recently, several city council and community members have cited a lack of transparency in how the final three candidates were chosen from the 33 applicants who applied for the job.
Cantrell said, “I think transparency has been a part of the IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police) process from the very start. Starting it off with meeting with not only council members, but members of the general public going very deep. I would say meeting with residents. Remember, this search was called for because of residents. Taking time to go deeper. I think it was worth it and making sure that IACP put forth all of the steps that have been embedded in their process from start and even to finish. And that’s what was released yesterday.”
The mayor’s office also released a statement saying that now that the final three have been chosen, the process would now take several months to complete. Many in the community have questioned why this is.
“I don’t want to box myself in. I do not want to box. IACP and I want to make sure that this process is as thorough as possible. This is one of the most important decisions that I would have to make on behalf of the City of New Orleans. Bringing that candidate to the city council for confirmation. And so it’s something that hasn’t been rushed, something that will not be rushed, although we are in the final stages and steps. Let me tell you, prolonging is not something that I want. So it’s only going to be, again, in that regular cadence so that we can render the best superintendent for the citizens of the City of New Orleans,” said Cantrell.
The mayor also addressed the community budget hearings, the recent media reports on requiring employees to sign non-disclosure agreements, and the latest on the consent decree.
See the entire interview below:
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