NEW ORLEANS — At a hastily called news conference Wednesday evening, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick publicly addressed a controversy involving the department's promotion process for the first time.
“All outside assessors with no connection to the New Orleans Police Department will be doing a reexamination on a certain portion of the test that was of issue to everyone," Kirkpatrick said.
Our partners at NOLA.com had previously reported Kirkpatrick saying that Mayor LaToya Cantrell paused a round of high-ranking police promotions. That led police officers' groups to question whether it was over political retaliation.
“The Mayor and I have always been lockstep," Kirkpatrick said.
The Times-Picayune reported that two officers up for promotion were connected to the investigation into Cantrell's now-retired bodyguard, Jeffery Vappie.
Kirkpatrick said Mayor Cantrell's relationship with Vappie had nothing to do with the pause.
“Oh, golly that has absolutely nothing to do with it," Kirkpatrick said, “No one made a complaint of anything associated with Officer Vappie."
Sources tell WWL Louisiana that officers will not have to retake the written portion of the test, but the background review will be looked at by the outsiders.
Over the last week, the Police Association of New Orleans and New Orleans Independent Police Monitor told us they support a review of the process.
“I mean anytime there’s a concern about promotions, favoritism, discrimination — we want to see a full, thorough, comprehensive review of that process," Stella Cziment with NOIPM said.
Kirkpatrick said demands for promotion reviews are nothing new.
“They’re going to be the same complaints in Salem as you hear in Florida," Kirkpatrick said.
Kirkpatrick also said we can expect a long-term fix in 2025.
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