NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The New Orleans Police Department is one step closer to being released from its federal consent decree.
During a hearing on Wednesday, June 5, U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan said she is ready to receive the paperwork that would lay the groundwork for a two-year sustainment period. That is a probationary period in which the court would continue to have jurisdiction over the NOPD if it fails to comply with the consent decree.
“We are ready to move on and to show that we can sustain the reform that has taken 11 years to take place,” said NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick.
As the court heard about NOPD’s bias-free policing, it was revealed that more than 90% of the gun-related arrests made during Mardi Gras were those of Black people, which was flagged as an “obvious” disparity.
“We convened a working group with the Department of Justice, with our experts, with our data folks, and these monitoring teams and tried to figure out how to analyze that data and then determine whether there were biases, even individual systemic biases, which lead to that,” explained NOPD Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon.
After reviewing policy and body camera footage of the arrests, the monitoring team concluded the evidence did not support the Mardi Gras stops were based on bias.
Some community groups aren’t buying it.
“Whenever there’s a 90% disparity against Black people and any use of force and a 57% population of Black people in the city, we call racism, and we want an end to it,” said Chair of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police Tony Jones.
Kirkpatrick says they will respond to the disparity by remaining accountable and addressing bias when it’s present.
She adds one way they will do so is by not excusing the department’s history.
“Own our history. Apologize for our history,” Kirkpatrick said. “The best apology we can give is to become who we are today. That’s the turnaround. I’m just so pleased. I’m excited.”
The police department now wants to hear from the public about how they believe NOPD is addressing bias. Police leaders and the Independent Police Monitor will host a public forum Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the police training academy at 4650 Paris Ave. in New Orleans.
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