NEW ORLEANS — With the retirement of New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson coming up on Dec. 22, all eyes are now on the choice of his successor and how the mayor chooses to make that pick.
Within hours after the city announced Ferguson’s departure, the name of one of his deputy chiefs – Chief of Management Services Jonette Williams – surfaced as a front-runner for the post.
But on Monday, the calls for Mayor LaToya Cantrell to launch a national search and seek City Council confirmation grew louder with a letter to the mayor urging just that.
“I believe that if this candidate is rammed through a non-transparent process and is quickly appointed, would never gain them the credibility that they need to be a successful chief,” Council President Helena Moreno said in an interview Monday.
The letter signed by all seven council members urges Cantrell to use the “interim” label for whomever she names to replace Ferguson after he conducts his final troop inspection three days before Christmas.
In addition to a national search and confirmation, the council recommended the formation of a search committee that allows input from the council and the public.
“Following each step with open, continued, and public dialogue will ensure that whoever is chosen has the proper vetting and sufficient public support,” the council wrote.
The letter is in response to the mayor’s invitation sent to each council member Friday, inviting them to meet to discuss the appointment. While early indicators pointed to Williams as the mayor’s top choice, Cantrell’s process to name the next chief has not been revealed.
WWL-TV reached out to the mayor’s office Monday but has not heard back.
Moreno emphasized that the mayor’s selection could be the single most important decision she makes, given the NOPD’s dwindling troop strength and the city’s rise in violent crime.
“We can't get this wrong,” Moreno said. “We can't afford to fail.”
WWL-TV political analyst Clancy Dubos said he agrees on the high stakes surrounding the mayor’s choice and said going with a national search would not only be a plus for public safety but also help Cantrell avoid the dangers of political fallout if she tries to bypass the council.
“If the mayor decides, nope, I'm going to do it my way, that would be yet another argument in favor of the recall petition in the minds of those who don't agree with the mayor,” Dubos said.
Dubos also noted that if the mayor makes an appointment without up-front council approval, she runs the risk of the council taking action to give her choice a short tenure.
“If the mayor appoints someone next week, say, and says this is my choice, this is permanent, guess what? With four votes, the council can remove that person,” Dubos said.
While the city charter dictates that the council can remove a top city department head, such as the police chief, the removal must be “for cause.” Dubos believes the council could use lack of qualifications as a cause if Cantrell makes a choice without council and public scrutiny.
“I think that whoever the mayor names would benefit from a national search, especially if it's a local person,” Dubos said. “Because then they will have been vetted by the council and the public.”
Both Dubos and Moreno said one key person in particular who would suffer from a unilateral selection process is the would-be chief.
“The last thing that we want is for everyone to think that there was some behind-the-scenes type of deal, a rushed-through appointment,” Moreno said. “I believe that if this candidate is rammed through a non-transparent process and is quickly appointed, would never gain them the credibility that they need to be a successful chief. Not only when it comes to having the respect of the people of this city, but also really the respect of the NOPD officers.”
Moreno added that the next chief could very well be an in-house NOPD candidate, “but let's put those applicants in the mix with potential other applicants.”
The council’s call for a national search and confirmation process was also recommended last week by the NOLA Coalition, a diverse group of non-profit group of business and civic leaders who have been raising funds to combat juvenile crime.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.