New Orleans PD beginning process of ending its federal oversight | Law Enforcement Today

NEW ORLEANS, LA - On Tuesday, January 14th, a judge ruled that the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) can begin the process of ending the longstanding federal oversight it's been under.

According to ABC News, the decision comes in response to a request from the city and the Justice Department to wind down the monitoring program. During a hearing, U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan said that NOPD has transformed itself into a more transparent and accountable agency. However, she did say that there is more work to be done over the next two years as the oversight program concludes.

Morgan said, "The court is tremendously proud of the achievements the NOPD has made. The hard work of the civilian and sworn members of the NOPD paid off. The NOPD is a far different agency from the one that spawned the DOJ investigation in 2011."

Late Friday, January 10th, the city revived a long-dormant motion asking the federal oversight to end immediately, but Morgan rejected it, describing it as unnecessary "political gamesmanship" which "diminishes the credibility of the top leadership of the city." Morgan also denied a request from the city to bring on counsel from the office of the state's Republican attorney general, Liz Murrill.

Murrill has criticized the federal oversight program for costing too much money. She said she plans to appeal Morgan's orders in an effort to end the oversight sooner. City Council President J.P. Morrell who was alongside city mayoral candidate and councilmember Helena Moreno, blasted Mayor LaToya Cantrell's attempt to end oversight immediately, calling it "dastardly" and "offensive."

They said they were not consulted beforehand and encourages the city to fully finish the reform process. Morgan said, "The city cannot have it both ways." The city has already acknowledged that it had not yet fulfilled all the requirements needed to end the federal oversight. Morgan said she was sticking to the joint motion filed by the city and Justice Department in September 2024.

That motion requested she grant a two-year "sustainment period" to allow time for the NOPD to fix outstanding problems and demonstrate that existing reforms remained in place. In her own press release, Mayor Cantrell praised the police department for its progress and criticized Morgan for not ending the oversight sooner, claiming that the reform goals "were achieved years ago."

Some critics say that the police department hasn't done enough to change and restore the public's trust since the oversight began in 2013, but Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told Morgan during the hearing that the NOPD has established a new culture. Police officials said that in the years since the oversight started, the department has created a framework of audits and data analysis, increased transparency by revising and publishing online training materials and policies, bolstered disciplinary processes, and enhanced efforts to cut down on longtime issues such as payroll fraud.

Kirkpatrick said that the judge's ruling was the culmination of 12 years of hard work by her department. She said, "It's a huge milestone for the city, I'm excited about it. NOPD, this police department is truly a world class police department in a world class city and I'm just so proud. What's important during this two-year period, we stay the course. There will be no pulling back. It's just going forward."

Jones Geissler, a Justice Department attorney, told Morgan that more improvements are needed before the city can fully exit federal oversight. The Justice Department said it will continue to review audits, policies, and data throughout the sustainment period. 

In 2013, the city agreed to what it called the "nation's most expansive" federal oversight plan after a U.S. Justice Department investigation found evidence of racial bias, misconduct, and a culture of impunity.