NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell is bringing in a former high-ranking member of the New York Police Department to act as a consultant and help right the ship at the NOPD which has seen a massive exodus over the past few years, according to an email sent to police officers from Superintendent Shaun Ferguson on Wednesday.
WWL-TV obtained a copy of that email.
Ferguson’s email said that Fausto Pichardo would act as a “consulting Chief of Operations.”
"Chief Pichardo will begin working with us today (Wednesday) to ascertain exactly where our full-duty cops are and how they might soon be reorganized to achieve the purposes I have set," said Ferguson.
Pichardo was the second-highest ranked officer in the NYPD and served as the head of the partrol division before he resigned in 2020, according to NOLA.com.
"The hardworking women and men of the New Orleans Police Department are committed to keeping our City safe, and the steps my administration have taken today reaffirms our commitment to officer safety," said Mayor Cantrell in a statement issued Wednesday evening."
Ferguson’s email to the force also says that Pichardo is one of two former NYPD division chiefs who recently conducted an assessment of the NOPD.
The NOPD has seen officers leave in droves, losing more than 100 in 2020 alone and dealing with a force that now numbers under 1,000 officers, a total several hundred below what the city would ideally have. Cantrell even hastily postponed a business trip to Singapore as the crisis evolved.
Recent reports cite lagging response times, downgrading of some emergency calls and a short-lived but still concerning statement from Mayor Cantrell that Mardi Gras 2023 could be in jeopardy. That was quickly walked back within 24 hours but 2022’s Mardi Gras saw parade routes shortened, leaving several areas used to neighborhood parades without them.
Ferguson’s email asked officers to deal with Pichardo as “my representative,” but he also stated, unequivocally that “My team will remain my team.”
Here is Supt. Ferguson's full email to his team.
Team:
As many of you know, the Mayor and I visited all Districts, SOD, and Bureau roll calls and listened to police officers from all over the city. She and I concluded that a number of actions need to be taken to support the hardworking men and women of NOPD who come to work every day committed to keeping the people of New Orleans safe.
As you probably have heard, the Mayor has taken action to speed the conclusion of the Consent Decree, while recognizing that it has done some good for our department in its earlier years. It was during this period, for example, that we became the department that other police agencies looked to learn on-street interventions that deliver constitutional policing.
We also asked for a rapid 10-day assessment by two NYPD former chiefs to look at our operations for three purposes. I wanted them to help us 1) improve officer safety--making sure there are enough cops on the street to back each other up and keep each other safe in any situation that confronts them; 2) improve our crime-reduction capabilities; and 3) improve response times for serious crimes, especially crimes in progress. All these things are important to the retention and, ultimately, recruiting.
I have asked Fausto Pichardo, a former NYPD Chief of Patrol, to help us for as long as six months implement their recommendations many of which we had already identified. He will be doing this as a consulting Chief of Operations and will train his permanent replacement during this period.
Let me clarify what will happen during this period of time and what will not. First, my team will remain my team. There may be different roles and responsibilities for some but the mission and vision are the same.
Second, even so, we will look at restructuring and redeploying our department to best serve the purposes of officer safety, crime-fighting, and better service to the residents and visitors of our city.
Third, Chief Pichardo will begin working with us today to ascertain exactly where our full-duty cops are and how they might soon be reorganized to achieve the purposes I have set.
Please cooperate with Chief Pichardo as my representative in these matters during the months that he is here.
And, above all, stay safe and keep each other safe on every watch you work.
Mayor Cantrell's full statement on the move
"The safety of our police officers and our city remains the focus of my administration. Last month, as Chief Ferguson and I visited every police district, we listened to the concerns of the women and men who wear our uniform and protect our city. Based on those roll call conversations, I immediately set in motion a course of action for the New Orleans Police Department that will lead to the implementation of policy and procedure changes designed to make our officers safer on the job. The safer our officers are the safer our City becomes. Leading this initiative will be a former Chief of Patrol for the New York Police Department, and we are grateful that Fausto Pichardo has answered our call to serve the City of New Orleans. Chief Ferguson and I are in total lockstep on the need to improve officer safety, as well as on the need to deliver results on the priorities of improving crime-reduction capabilities and response times. The hardworking women and men of the New Orleans Police Department are committed to keeping our City safe, and the steps my administration have taken today reaffirms our commitment to officer safety."