NEW ORLEANS – The NOLA Coalition — a new alliance of local nonprofits, civic organizations and businesses — has endorsed recents moves by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the City Council to address the city’s rise in violent crime.
On Aug. 4, Mayor Cantrell and Chief Ferguson held a press conference to address issues of funding and morale at the New Orleans Police Department. The Coalition said in a statement that these are “critical issues that impact recruitment, retention, and maximizing available manpower.”
Also yesterday, the City Council unanimously passed a technology ordinance confirming NOPD use of public safety technologies, along with “guardrails and reporting requirements ensuring transparency.” The Council further passed an ordinance to improve the performance and efficiency of the Public Integrity Bureau.
“The NOLA Coalition, representing a diverse cross-section of over 350 New Orleans organizations, commends the Mayor and the City Council for these actions, and for working together to make a better New Orleans for all of our citizens,” said a spokesperson for the group in a press release. “The coalition also expresses collective respect and gratitude for the NOPD officers that provide for the safety of our community and visitors alike.”
The Coalition didn’t weigh in on news that the NOPD is seeking to terminate the years-long federal consent decree.
“The … decree handcuffs our officers by making their jobs harder, pestering them with punitive punishment and burying them with paperwork that is an overburden,” said Cantrell at the press conference.
An updated list of NOLA Coalition recommendations and members can be found at nolacoalition.info.
