NEW ORLEANS – From the New Orleans Crime Coalition:
According to the 2023 NOPD Citizen Satisfaction Survey conducted for the New Orleans Crime Coalition, residents’ satisfaction with the New Orleans Police Department has reached its lowest level since the survey’s establishment in 2009. The survey also shows that large majorities of city residents support more resources, technology and other tools for the NOPD.
The annual survey, which was conducted May 30-June 6, 2023 by Faucheux Strategies, tracks key indicators of residents’ view of the NOPD. The study was conducted by live telephone interviews and is based on a representative sample of 800 adults in the City of New Orleans with a margin of error of +/- 3.46 percent.
Key Findings
- NOPD’s satisfaction rating dropped to its lowest level (31%) since the NOCC began surveying 14 years ago. The previous low was 33% in 2009 and 2022.
- The 2023 survey also finds that only 9% of those polled believe the NOPD is doing a better job than it did last year, while 38% say it’s doing worse and 50% say it’s doing about the same.
- Only 9% to 20% of city residents positively rate a variety of tasks performed by the NOPD as excellent or good. The worst rated is investigating and solving carjackings, thefts and break-ins (only 9% rate the NOPD positively on that) and the best rated is working with neighborhood and community groups (still, only 20% rate the NOPD positively).
- Residents continue to be more satisfied with the work of the NOPD in their own neighborhoods (54%) than they are with its citywide work.
- 71% of residents surveyed say the crime problem in New Orleans has gotten worse since last year.
- While only 29% of residents say New Orleans is safe and 70% say it’s not safe, that’s a slight improvement from last year, when 25% said the city was safe.
- Residents’ perceptions of police brutality and misconduct continue to improve. In the latest survey, 33% of residents say police brutality and misconduct have decreased and only 9% say it has increased over the past few years.
- Large majorities of New Orleanians, between 71% to 93%, support a variety of proposals aimed at reducing crime by strengthening and improving investigations (93%), manpower (91%), police pay to recruit and retain officers (91%), social and counseling programs (86%), tracking vehicles used by criminal suspects (81%), use of computer analytics (79%), camera technology (78%) and facial recognition (71%).
- Most New Orleans residents (62%) say they would prefer a police chief elected by the voters versus one appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council.
- 85% of residents surveyed say they would call Crime Stoppers to anonymously share information to pass on to law enforcement.
“With crime continuing to be arguably the biggest concern among New Orleans residents today, it is not surprising to see satisfaction with NOPD at a historical low,” said Loyola University New Orleans’ Dr. Michael Cowan, chairman of the New Orleans Crime Coalition. “But one of the most notable takeaways from the last two years of surveying has been that a high majority of residents — both Black and White — support investing in more resources including tools and technology to help fight crime.”
Since 2009, NOCC has conducted an independent survey of citizens’ perceptions of the NOPD to help identify areas of concern, inspire positive changes within NOPD, build trust between citizens and the department, and ultimately make the streets of New Orleans safer.
Funding for the New Orleans Crime Coalition Annual NOPD Citizens Satisfaction Survey was underwritten by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, GNO Inc. and the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region.
