NEW ORLEANS (press release) — Public satisfaction with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) continues to rise, reaching 47%, up from 40% last year. That’s according to the 16th annual NOPD Citizen Satisfaction Survey, commissioned by the New Orleans Crime Coalition (NOCC).
The survey also finds that NOPD satisfaction has increased 16 percentage points since Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick took office in 2023, when approval of the NOPD had hit an all-time.
Faucheux Strategies, LLC conducted a survey from May 27 to June 4 using live telephone interviews to track key metrics related to residents’ perceptions of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). The poll surveyed a representative sample of 800 New Orleans adults and has a margin of error of ±3.46%
“Public perceptions of the NOPD are trending in a positive direction,” said pollster Ron Faucheux, Ph.D. “Despite this progress, New Orleans residents believe there is still much more that needs to be done to make the city safer and the police department better.”
Key Findings
- Overall satisfaction with the NOPD increased 7 points since last year, the highest since 2021. The percentage of residents who are “very satisfied” more than doubled from 4% to 9%.
- Generational divides in satisfaction widened. The gap between younger and older residents grew to 21 points, with 34% of those aged 18-44 expressing satisfaction with the NOPD compared to 55% of those 45 and older.
- Task ratings for the NOPD have improved innearly every category, showing year-over-year gains in “excellent” and “good” marks. However, these positive ratings still remain very low, between 12% to 34%.
- A majority of residents (54%) now say the city is safe, an 11-point increase from last year. Now, 56% of Black respondents and 49% of White respondents view the city as safe.
- Residents continue to feel safer in their own neighborhoods than in the city overall: 84% say their neighborhood is safe, compared to 54% who say the same for the city as a whole.
- Strong majorities of residents – ranging 68% to 93% – support crime-reduction strategies including the use of computer analytics, camera technology and facial recognition.
- Two-thirds (68%) of residents specifically support the NOPD’s use of facial recognition technology to help reduce crime. This includes 78% of Black residents and 57% of White residents.
- 79% of residents support increasing NOPD’s legal use of camera technology to solve crime. This includes 88% of Black residents and 67% of White residents.
“This survey is valuable not only for understanding how residents perceive the police, crime and safety in our city, but also as a tool for the police department and policymakers to identify areas of concern and drive positive change within the NOPD,” said Mike Cowan, chairman of the New Orleans Crime Coalition.
The New Orleans Crime Coalition is a group of organizations – including the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region, Crimestoppers, the Metropolitan Crime Commission, the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation and the NOLA Coalition – committed to addressing crime, improving public safety, and strengthening civic engagement.
The Survey
Since 2009, the NOCC has independently surveyed residents about their views on the NOPD to highlight areas needing improvement, encourage positive reforms within the department, foster trust between the community and law enforcement, and enhance public safety in New Orleans.
The 2025 NOPD Citizen Satisfaction Survey was funded by The Greater New Orleans Foundation, GNO, Inc., and the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region.
The survey was carried out by trained professional telephone interviewers under the supervision of Dr. Ron Faucheux. This independent and nonpartisan survey firm operates out of New Orleans and has no affiliations with the City of New Orleans government or the NOPD.
To access the full analysis of the 2025 NOPD Citizen Satisfaction Survey, please visit www.neworleanscrimecoalition.org.
Part II of the survey includes additional results on civic priorities and policymakers. It will be published on Wednesday, June 11, on the New Orleans Crime Coalition website at www.neworleanscrimecoalition.org.
About the New Orleans Crime Coalition
Since its founding in 2007, the organizations of the NOCC have communicated and coordinated in obtaining additional federal funding for local criminal justice agencies; monitoring the expenditure of those funds; seeking improved cooperation between the District Attorney’s office and NOPD; supporting the creation of an independent NOPD monitor; obtaining city funding for the Orleans Public Defenders Office for the first time; promoting the practice of community policing; influencing the public debate on the proper size of the Orleans Parish Prison; and creating one integrated computer-based information management system for the local criminal justice system.
