Life After the Decree: The Path Forward for NOPD
Over a decade ago, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) was placed under a consent decree. The decree mandated federal oversight of the police department and was a response to the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation revealing a pattern of violations and unconstitutional conduct. Upon its enactment, the NOPD news site declared it to be “the nation’s most expansive Consent Decree.” Compliance with the decree involved an overhaul of department practices, increased reporting, and bolstered programs to prepare the police force to meet constitutional muster. Going into great detail as to how the NOPD could correct the mistakes of the past, the decree offered a blueprint of sorts and parts of it were later translated into formal city law.
While the goals of the decree were applaudable—a constitutional police force that does not violate the civil rights of its citizens—parts of its application were controversial. As with all federal consent decrees, it was a costly process and the City of New Orleans spent well over $50 million to comply with its dictates. This price tag raised fiscal questions of whether or not the money could have been better spent to recruit officers, strengthen the struggling New Orleans judicial system, or meet other needs as seen fit by voters. Could the city improve its police force and increase safety without the cost of federal oversight?
Last week, after twelve years, the reform pact ended. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan granted the motion to end the decree and cited the great strides made by the city towards meeting the goals of the decree. The NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick indicated that the department will likely continue to implement most of the federal reforms. The difference being that the department now answers to the city of New Orleans, rather than federal monitors, and the tax payer will not bear the weight of the consent decree.
The termination of the consent decree brings the NOPD to a crossroads: continue to improve by relying on evidence-backed practices that keep communities safe, or slide back through a lack of transparency and accountability. Reporting from the Times-Picayune|Advocate in its series, Longing for Justice, highlights several areas where the criminal justice systems in New Orleans and Baton Rouge stand to improve. Among them, data sharing methods, judicial backlog, and sentencing procedures.
Smart on Crime Louisiana was founded in part out of the belief that our state is capable of saving tax payer dollars while creating safer communities and a stronger judicial and police system without federal intervention. Accountability and reform need not come from above, but can instead flow from smart, data-driven policy. As the NOPD adjusts to life outside of decree, it can continue to identify and improve areas in need of reform by maintaining accurate data and applying the lessons of the last twelve years to a city ready for both safety and savings.
