NEW ORLEANS — Mayor Latoya Cantrell announced her selection for the New Orleans Police Department Superintendent position. Anne Kirkpatrick spoke to Eyewitness News and she says her priority is police safety and getting out of the consent decree.
At the press conference the mayor said, "The leadership I have selected to lead the New Orleans Police Department comes by the way of Anne Kirkpatrick."
Anne Kirkpatrick has 35 years of law enforcement experience, most recently serving as Police Chief of Oakland. Oakland has been under a consent decree for 23 years; she says she plans to develop a good relationship with the federal monitor to get New Orleans out of the consent decree.
Kirkpatrick said, "What do we have to do to get over the finish line... so I do plan to become very granular with the Federal monitor to clearly lay out the path, and we're going to work it and then we're going to accomplish it."
She says she intends to map out a recruitment plan to get the departments dwindling numbers back to where they should be, saying, "For immediate help, immediate relief is to look at laterals, particularly internally or in state."
She says police safety is her number one priority, "They cannot keep up, they are not going to be safe unless they are able to have proper staffing with them, and response times do matter and the public expects it."
Kirkpatrick will now go before city council, as council members get the final say on who becomes Chief. Councilwoman Helena Moreno says a candidate with experience working under a consent decree would be valuable, she said, "I've got some contacts in Oakland who are familiar with her who I'd like to talk to."
She went on to say, "I'd like to know how an outsider is going to be able to be the one to really raise the morale among the ranks."
Councilman Oliver Thomas believes the next chief should be from New Orleans, saying, "I will be upfront, would not have been first choice, I thought there were other people who were better in terms of the interview process, but her resume fits well in terms of an administrative law enforcement leader, I don't know how well she fits with the culture of the city."
Michelle Woodfork will remain as Interim Superintendent till Sept. 22. Mayor Cantrell says she wants Anne Kirkpatrick in position as Chief by Oct. 5.
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