NEW ORLEANS — As Mayor LaToya Cantrell enters the final stages of national search to pick a new permanent police superintendent, there is still no set timetable on final interviews, or even how many candidates will meet with the mayor.
After interviews with a community stakeholder panel and a City Hall team, three candidates emerged as finalists: Thedrick Andres, former chief in Henderson, Nev., Anne Kirkpatrick, former chief in Oakland, Calif., and interim NOPD chief Michelle Woodfork.
The top three also were given scores on several objective and subjective assessments by the firm conducting the national search, the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, Cantrell said she is still waiting on more in-depth background checks of the three finalists from the IACP, hired by the city at a cost of $90,000 to conduct the search.
But Cantrell also opened up the possibility that she could interview a fourth candidate who previously withdrew his name from consideration. IACP had not revealed why David Franklin, former chief of staff of the Albuquerque, N.M. Police, pulled out of the running.
In the IACP scoring, the top three candidates were closely ranked in this order: Andres, Kirkpatrick and Woodfork.
But while Woodfork made the top three, the community interviewers included a note stating that she “has great potential but does not have adequate experience and would benefit from mentoring.”
City Council President J.P. Morrell said he would like to know more from the stakeholders about why they added the disclaimer.
“The note in itself was both puzzling and concerning because you don't know what was asked in these meetings and you don't know what answers prompted them to give that note,” Morrell said.
Woodfork was appointed interim chief in December by the mayor and is still considered a front-runner. Cantrell said she is aware of the stakeholder’s note and will keep an open mind.
“I'll take all things into consideration,” Cantrell said. “I am open and I am going to be fair in my process.”
Cantrell also said she still hasn’t completely ruled out Franklin.
“I would like to interview Mr. Franklin,” she said. “So I do have my team reaching out to see if that's even a possibility.”
Once Cantrell decides on her choice, that candidate will need to be confirmed by a majority vote of the City Council, the first use of that requirement since it was overwhelmingly approved by voters in November.