NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick and former Interim Superintendent Chief Michelle Woodfork presented a detailed update to the Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday about their efforts to boost officer recruitment and retention.
The NOPD’s latest recruitment campaign involves commercial and traditional billboard advertising, collaborations with the Saints and Pelicans to promote working for NOPD at home games and an enhanced presence online with a dedicated recruitment website.
In 2023, the department received 2,900 applications. Of these, only 290 were police recruits. Ultimately, 90 officers were hired. However, Woodfork emphasized that their situation is not unique. “One of the most crucial challenges facing law enforcement today is recruiting and retaining an optimal workforce level,” she said, stressing the need for a fully staffed department to meet community needs.
“There’s always a danger in giving a number. If you fall short, there’s always criticism,” Kirkpatrick cautioned. “At minimum, a net gain of 200 [officers]. So that will put you at 1,100. So that would be, at minimum, what I would like to go for,” she said. Despite the need to hire, Kirkpatrick said they are “not going to compromise in the quality and what we’re looking at.”
Hiring is not the only issue at hand. Woodfork outlined retention strategies, emphasizing the importance of meeting the needs of current officers. The department budgeted $19.5 million for retention incentives. Lateral transfers and reinstated officers hired between July 2022 and October 2024 will receive four retention payments of $5,000 each upon completing nine months, two years, three years, and four years of service.
These incentives and “implementing new technology [are] also a way to retain the current officers that we have,” she noted. “We must ensure that their basic needs and more are met by creating workspaces conducive to professional results, growth, and retention.”
NOPD is planning for its future workforce by launching feeder programs like internships, a cadet program set to start in January 2024, and an explorer program targeting younger people.
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