New Orleans Police Supt. Michael Harrison spoke publicly on Wednesday for the first time since announcing his retirement.
He said his new job as Baltimore Police Commissioner is both an opportunity and a challenge.
"Its a challenge because it's a heavy lift," Harrison said. "I know what (I'm) facing. But, the blueprint was already designed and drawn here in New Orleans."
Harrison appeared on Oliver Thomas' "The Good Morning Show" on WBOK-AM.
Like the NOPD, the Baltimore Police Department is under a federal court order to make sweeping reforms.
It was also one of the deadliest big cities in the United States last year with 309 homicides.
"I have been where Baltimore is now," Harrison said. "It's hard work, but with the community support, building the right team, we need to make a culture change in the police department."
Harrison added that the job was too good to pass up.
"I got the offer and then there was a conversation about, you know, this is a time for you to do some good and take the lessons learned here, bring them somewhere else and really help a city that needs help," Harrison said.
New Orleans native and actor Wendell Pierce played a Baltimore police detective on the HBO series the wire. He sat on the radio interview.
"You understand the importance of community policing and we tried to depict that in The Wire," Pierce told Harrison.
Pierce also said there are a lot of similarities between Baltimore and New Orleans, the good and the bad.
"The good things about the culture and the issues, social issues and ills that they have," Pierce said. "I think the chief is at that perfect point, it's kismet that he's going there now because it's exactly what he had to deal with in New Orleans and started changing it."
Oliver Thomas, a former city council member said Harrison was never afraid to engage the public.
"His level of accessibility, his engagement with the community," Thomas said.
"If anything that will probably be the toughest act to follow for whoever the next chief will be."
Harrison maintains he will always have a special place in his heart for New Orleans.
"I was given a great opportunity by Mayor Landrieu, given another great opportunity by Mayor Cantrell," Harrison said. "I'm confident that the violent crime reductions we saw in all areas of violent crime will continue this year and you'll see citizen satisfaction go up even higher."
Harrison last day at the NOPD will be January 19th.